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Member since 12/24/11
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Posted on: 10/8/20 6:21 PM ET
Hi all! I've recently moved up to Rockland County in NY State and there is a cool shop called Above and Beyond Creative Sewing. I went in there to purchase the extra feet for my baby lock victory serger that my husband purchased for mothers day..i only just got started using it and then we packed up to move, and i haven't set up my space to be ready to start to sew yet. but i have so much more space. Anyway, they had the brand new cover stitch which looked huge, but he also showed me the old BL coverstitch which I'd done some research on, and since it was a floor model and they are focusing on the new model now, he offered me a price of $1200 for this.

Now. Let me tell you. There's a part of me that says, you are not worth spending this much on yourself!
Do I have that money? Maybe. I got a raise recently, things look good. But maybe I should stockpile savings.
But, maybe this is a price that's crazy to not pass up.
I have almost no credit card debt or other debt except my mortgage.

What do you think?
  
Member since 7/18/09
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Posted on: 10/8/20 7:23 PM ET
I would buy it almost immediately! I bought an Enlighten serger that was a floor model and I love it. So I would be comfortable buying another one.

I paid about $700-800 for a used BL coverstitch on eBay so $1,200 might be a little high but if you want the security of a dealer nearby and he offers a warranty on it, this could work. Maybe try and bargain a little?

If you sew on knits, or want to, a coverstitch is practically a necessity and you cannot beat a Babylock. No matter how hard you work, a double-needle hem on knits will not be as good as as with a coverstitch.
-- Edited on 10/8/20 at 7:26 PM --
  
Member since 8/28/10
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Posted on: 10/9/20 9:36 AM ET
Buy that thing. It's a great price and you'll be THRILLED to have it. And . . . it'll pay for itself very quickly by the quality and ease of making knit tops at a great savings over RTW. Lucky you! ... I've had mine for a decade and paid $900 then, so I think you've got a reasonable price and a dealer in your back pocket as well. Hurry and call that store. You'll thank yourself!!!!
  
Member since 1/18/05
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Posted on: 10/9/20 9:40 AM ET
In reply to SummerSeamstress
Above & Beyond is my dealer. FABULOUS place.

Even if you "could" get that same machine cheaper elsewhere, you wouldn't get the SERVICE that Above & Beyond provides.

Also note, their shop is oriented around quilting primarily. SO, that coverstitch likely had very limited use by the quilters in there!!!

I'd buy it. Ron, Diane & staff are wonderful!!
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My Herd: Bernina 790 Plus Upgrade, Bernina 735, Babylock Triumph, Bernina Record 931. Sewing Makes My Crazy Life Normal.

Member #25631
  
Member since 3/5/12
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Posted on: 10/9/20 9:50 AM ET
My Babylock coverstitch was a floor model, and I also got it for $1200, but that was when it was the only coverstitch model available. Given that Babylock now has a new model, I think there are going to be more used machines available.

I agree with Rieski that it might be worth trying to bargain a little, to see if you can get that price down. Their brand new large coverstitch machine is selling for $1800-2000, from what I've seen here on PR, so again, that says to me that a previous model should have a greater difference in price from the brand spanking new model.

And I would only get it if it were the BLCS-2 version. It's the newer version of this model, with an improved plastic housing over the original BLCS-1 version.

All that said, I generally like to buy my machines from dealers and I have absolutely no regrets about spending that much for the coverstitcher. It is a game changer machine - I don't use it all the time but I LOVE it. It's a workhorse and it makes knits look so much more professionally finished. It's also fun for topstitching.

A coverstitch machine has a learning curve on how to use it, but so so worth it. I **struggled** with a cheaper CS for a couple of years before moving to Babylock, and wish I'd just started right in with the Babylock. It's a wonderfully engineered machine that does its thing brilliantly.
  
Member since 12/24/11
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Posted on: 10/9/20 4:38 PM ET
In reply to rieski
Thank you Rieski! I do sew a lot of garments and knits, and my "design element" LOL is that wavy hem. So I have been looking into a coverstitch for a long time. I was actually trying to buy the combo serger/coverstitch model from baby lock at my old dealer, but I was trading in a machine and then my husband called the guy to secretly set me up with a mothers day present and between these two men, I wound up with the Victory instead of my original machine that I was considering....but I was in no way going to rock the boat at that point. I think I'll offer hime $1000 and see what he says. THey seem real nice there.
  
Member since 1/18/05
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Posted on: 10/9/20 8:32 PM ET
In reply to SummerSeamstress
Ron may not budge on price BUT maybe you can get a roller bag or thread or something.

Their location is fairly new. NY is pricey real estate so there's a good deal of overhead. And, they've kept all their staff through covid. They're good people.




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My Herd: Bernina 790 Plus Upgrade, Bernina 735, Babylock Triumph, Bernina Record 931. Sewing Makes My Crazy Life Normal.

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Posted on: 10/10/20 6:33 AM ET
In reply to hibihai
thanks for your feedback, yes, I do appreciate as I am getting older (and also have very limited time to sew) that I don't want to fiddle around with things. The first serger I had was an Elna, I thought I was paying a lot for THAT but it made me hate using it because it could never thread right.

I figure I can't set up my gym membership yet because of Covid- that would be $1200 for the year and I can work out at home!
There, I just figured it out.
  
Member since 3/26/17
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Posted on: 10/10/20 8:23 AM ET
In reply to SummerSeamstress
Ha! We are nothing but excellent at justification math!
  
Member since 6/4/16
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Posted on: 10/10/20 8:28 AM ET
I think it will complement that new Victory perfectly. The two machines are about the same size and their smaller footprint is very handy.
I bought my Imagine years ago as a floor model and the dealer still gave me a one year warranty. Maybe they can do something like that ( or better!).
Also , having a good dealer and repair person is worth a lot. I’m willing to support good business now more than ever, and I don’t feel like I have been taken advantage of even if the price is not the lowest one on the market.
-- Edited on 10/10/20 at 9:58 AM --
  
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