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Vintage Empire ER3 portable sewing machine - $90 (Costa Mesa)
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It was grandma's “new” machine. Electric! With a light and all . . . She used it 'til the early 1990's. It comes with the thread she used last. The price on the spool is 30 cents.
Has a new drive belt, the motor runs, the speed control works, and the reciprocating mechanism turns smoothly. The light works too. Tried to sew a couple of pieces of paper together after installing the new belt. Everything seems to work OK, but the thread gets tangled up in the bobbin area. Maybe I don't have it threaded properly? Or maybe it needs a better cleaning than I gave it? Or some adjustments that I do not know about?
Can't determine when the machine was made, but the sticker on the bottom of the foot control says May – 1958.
The Empire Sewing Machine Company has a rich manufacturing heritage dating back to its founding in 1861 in New York City. In 1870, Empire was taken over by the Remington Small Arms Company, which continued manufacturing sewing machines under the Empire name.