How much is a Sears Kenmore Sewing machine model 148.12210 worth?
Actually, if you buy it from a store–I used to work at a store that sold used machines as well as new ones–you would pay about $100 for it, in perfect working order.
Without opening up your machine, I can say that machines like your model are about 50/50 metal or Teflon gears; it seemed to be a turning point where they were switching over. If it’s Teflon/plastic, that’s okay, too, but if they’re metal, it’s actually a great machine. You can tell by taking off the top whether the gears are metal. If they are Teflon, and they are broken, you can pretty much ignore the rest of this article, because that’s one of the most expensive things to fix and is a definite DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME no matter how mechanically inclined you are. I’ve seen it done, and it makes it harder for the repairman to fix it when you’ve been meddling.
Aside from the fact that Kenmore is a great brand, and it has been from the beginning and continues to remain so (while Singer is now name only and is riding on past quality and fame), these old machines are of great quality. If it is not currently in working order, you can probably find a good repairman to get it in shape for between $60 and $100. Your machine is never going to reach a point where an honest repairman should tell you to give up on it, like many new machines.
True, back in the day, merchandise was just mass produced like it is today, but they actually WERE often produced with higher quality materials and intended to last longer.
If I saw this machine in a thrift store or used furniture type of store, I would expect to pay between $40 and $60, and probably would go ahead and buy it despite having 4 sewing machines already. From a sewing machine dealer, I would expect to pay around $100, in part because their repairmen would have looked it over.
As far as you as an individual selling it, you should be able to get somewhere in the ballpark of any of those prices. The trick is finding the customer when you’re only selling one. Most of the outlets for an individual to sell one item are for people looking to make a little bit of change on something they’d probably give to Goodwill if they don’t sell it, like garage sales or Craigslist. The competition here is selling low, so few people will want to pay much. You may contact your local American Sewing Guild chapter or other sewing forum. Many sewers who started out on a machine like yours might have fallen in love with it and would like to find one.
If you’re asking whether it is worth something for being an antique or collectible, no. Old sewing machines are often gutted for parts. There are only very few oldies worth something for the sake of what they are rather than for the sake of being an expensive, usable tool.
