Thank you for visiting my website.  I hope you find the information you need to identify and value your toy sewing machines (TSM's) and also hope you develop the same passion for these beautiful little machines that I have. My interest in TSM's began in 1996 with the purchase of my first Sew Master toy ... today my collection numbers in the hundreds and they still put a smile on my face.  Make use of the Online Guide with my complements and don't be surprised if a smile develops on your face as well.
 

You'll find the Online Guide straightforward and easy to navigate however, below are brief descriptions of its features so that you can get the most benefit from its use. Clicking on the underscored links will provide you with more details.  Also please check out the "Miscellaneous Items" section for acknowledgements to several fellow collectors who have provided me with their photos or have allowed me to photograph some toys from their collections.  The tsm collecting community is fairly small and working together has helped make this website possible ... thanks to all.

• Campbell Toy Numbering System^© - this is a numbering system of my own design to enable collectors to easily reference a specific toy.  ... it's my hope that the CTN System will become the defacto means of identifying each unique toy, much like the Scott^© numbering system has become the universal means of identifying stamps for collectors.

• The Scarcity Rating Guide^© - this is one of the elements that contributes to determining a TSM's value. Using experience and tracking thousands of Internet and live auction sales, I've developed this descriptive scale of how difficult it is to find a particular toy, relative to all other toys. Having this information at your disposal will make you more informed when making buying decisions. 

• Judging a toy's condition - an absolutely critical part of determining a toy's value is an assessment of the toy's physical appearance or condition.  Novices and dealers sometimes fail to understand that condition can make or break a toy's value. With the exception of only the rarest toys, condition is everything.  The best way to determine a toy's condition is to physically inspect it.  If you can't do that then you need to rely on a Condition Grade that is assigned to it. Using my Condition Grading Scale will help you assess the overall condition of a toy.

• What do we mean by a toy's value? - Value is such a subjective thing that some people were a bit upset when I decided to include Market Values in my Guide. Deciding what a toy is worth takes knowledge of a toy's condition, its scarcity and a touch of experience about its desirability.  Voila ! - that's all there is to it.  Most experienced collectors tend to ignore the values assigned in price guides, preferring instead to use their own judgment.  New collectors on the other hand find price guides informative and helpful until such time as they too develop their own "feel" for values.  It's for new collectors that Market Values are included in the Guide.

• Needles! Needles! Needles! - You'll quickly discover when you try to find the correct needle for your toys that there is some rather strange terminology used to describe needle types and sizes such as: 24 x 1 or DH x 1 or Muller 1/2 or W&G 1 and 2.  To the extent possible the Guide eliminates the mystery about needle sizes by presenting a needle substitution chart showing you what needle to look for in fabric or sewing machine stores, eliminating the need to pay high prices for packs of antique needles.

• What do you call this part? - This section presents a TSM drawing that have been labeled to help you identify the various parts of your toys ... helpful when you're trying to describe the condition of a toy.

• Hints on cleaning and restoration - When in doubt, leave it alone.  That's probably the best advice when it comes to restoring your toys.  To maintain the highest value for your TSM's you should refrain from repainting, top-coating or re-nickeling. (unless your toy is a complete disaster and you'd like to make it nice again).   Proper Restoration only includes replacing any missing parts with original parts from the same manufacturer. Cleaning on the other hand is an acceptable practice and this section spends most of its time describing how to clean, what cleaners to avoid, how to polish, what equipment to use, etc., etc.

• Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) - This section is one of the first places you should go if you need info.  Most likely your question has been asked before so I've included a list of often-asked questions (and my answers) in order to turn you into a TSM expert as quickly as possible. If your question is not in the list, I've included my email address so I can help you out.

• SEARCH for toys and their values - Here's the section that includes information on more than 150 toys, their manufacturers, photos, descriptions, required needles and of course their current market values ... this is the "bread and butter" section of the Guide ... you might want to bookmark this page for an easy return to the Guide.

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