Trade-In Values

Trade-in values are the wholesale price Beth’s Creative offers to clean and resell your machine. The trade-in price offered is based on the potential resale price, against what is available and currently selling on the market. When a customer entertains the idea of trading in a machine, we inquire about its model and approximate age and estimate the potential selling price based on what new machine it would sell against.

If a machine is still in circulation as a new purchase, the trade-in price offered can be 30% to 70% less than the current sale price of a new machine. If a machine has been retired from the line, popularity and age are the biggest factors. Computer models from the mid-1990s will sell better than the mechanical version of the same period. Likewise, a machine that was very popular but is flooding the market because a new model has become available might have a lower value simply because the excess quantity of these machine is disproportionate to the buyers. In the long run, if a machine is still available new on the market, your value might be lower. If the machine is fresh off the market or has been off the market for a short time, you might be surprised what you can get for it!

With many trade-ins, Beth’s Creative often honors the remainder of the warranty. Because warranties are valid only to the first owner, they become void with a trade-in. BCS takes on the warranty risk as a selling point to the new owner. A minimum one year of free service is offered, and the Mastering Your Bernina Classes and Bernina Club are provided.

You just have to have it ... the new machine that just hit the market! Or, it’s time to replace or update what you have. Just like home prices and stocks, there is the WRONG time to buy, the RIGHT time to buy, and the BEST time to buy.

The first wrong time to buy is when a new machine comes out and your current machine is fairly young. If your current machine falls within the trade-in warranty policy, this is not only a good time to buy, but one of the best. But, if the policy has expired and you must have that new machine, it might be the worst time. All those buyers with younger machines that qualify for the trade-in policy are going to create a glut of newer, slightly used, affordable machines offered by the authorized dealer. This, in turn, could cause the dealer to offer you far less for your trade-in. This is the trade-in equivalence of being between a “rock and a hard place.” If you are willing to take far less for your trade-in, this could be the RIGHT time to buy. If you believe you can’t lose any value on your trade-in and you must get close to what you paid for the current machine to justify the new one, this is the wrong time.

The second wrong time to buy is when YOU have an overly inflated value of your machine, especially if you think it’s worth a lot as a trade-in or you can get what you paid for it (often several years after the initial purchase). We all would like to sell our wares at the same price we purchased them. That is just not the case with sewing machines and trade-ins. Some machines, in the right buying environment, can fetch a handsome price. This is more a case of being in the right place at the right time with the right buyer!

The right time to buy that new machine using a trade-in can be a balance between many things. Are there a lot of trade-ins (of your current model) sitting on your dealer’s sales floor? Are you willing to take less for your trade-in? Are you willing to pay a little more for the new machine? Are you willing to sell your machine yourself? Are you willing to wait for the fever of the new machine to die down a little? The only catch with this strategy .. as you wait, your machine might drop in value. At the same time, the dealer might be in a better position to take your trade-in.

The best time to buy is when you are ready and trading in your old machine makes room for a new one. You know that having more elbow space is far more valuable than a few dollars. You understand nothing holds its value forever. Your machine has been good to you, and the fun factor value has exceeded the price you paid. Trading in helps to defray any cost of the new machine (even if it is just the taxes) or it affords you some of the new add-ons. The best time to buy is when trading-in is a bonus, not the financial means in which to purchase.

 

You-Sell-It Policy

If you are caught with being in the wrong time, it is often very emotional. You made an investment in a “new” machine a few years ago. How dare they put out a fabulous new product! How come no one told you something new was coming out in a few years! How dare these companies keep up with technology! Not to mention the competition! How come someone didn’t warn you that technology and new products keep being developed!

We all get caught behind the new technology or product line at sometime in our consumer life. There is always a better “something” being introduced. It happens with every product developed. And the sad note is ... something else will probably replace that new fabulous machine in 4 to 7 years!

Now, you understand supply and demand of trade-ins, how trade-ins might affect your price, and that emotions often cause machine owners to over inflate the value of their trade-ins. What other strategies can you use?

Keep your machine. Many of us have multiple machines. We have the machine we take to classes and workshops. We have the one we loan out. We have the machine for our “serious” sewing and the one we hem our jeans on! We have the first machine we ever owned (but doesn’t sew worth a cr*p). Not to mention the one from Aunt Bertha, 2 sergers, an older embroidery machine that does only 4x4, two old things in the closet that we can’t remember were they came from, and our new embroidery machine that’s about 4 years old. Yes, some of us just can’t get rid of any sewing machine! So, you might as well keep this one, too!

A second machine is a good thing! If you only have one sewing machine, you will find it delightful to have a back-up or just a second machine, while the other is embroidering or is sitting on the quilt frame. At Beth’s Creative, we always have promoted having a second machine if your are purchasing an embroidery machine or plan to use your new machine on a quilting frame.

Sell it yourself. Ask a friend, a family member, a workmate, or a guild member if they are interested in purchasing your machine. Try ebay or Craig’s List. This avenue takes a little more effort but can be worth it in the long run. If you don’t know how to use an on-line auction, ask around. Believers in these forms of commerce often are willing to aid you in your sale. The upside ... you can often double or triple the amount you get for the machine as opposed to going the trade-in route.

To help sell your machine faster and to get the highest price, we are willing to reward your buyer.

If you sell your current Bernina sewing machine(s), Beth’s Creative will provide to that buyer, FREE of charge, one free service and a 1-year membership to the Mastering Your Bernina education program. To qualify for this special program, you must purchase your new Bernina from Beth’s Creative. It’s as simple as that!

All you need to do is give your buyer the completed You-Sell-It Policy. Make sure to include all of the seller’s information. When the buyer completes and brings in the You-Sell-It Policy, we will search our database for your most current purchase. If it matches the seller’s information on the policy, your buyer will be given the package promised. The policy expires in 1 year (1 free service expires 1 year from buyer’s purchase date ... 1-year membership to the Mastering Your Bernina starts when the policy is brought into store).

What if you decide to sell a Bernina sewing machine AFTER the purchase of your new machine? You have one year from the new machine purchase date to do so. Request a You-Sell-It Policy. Make sure the form is filled out and give it to your buyer.

Your buyer is responsible for bringing in the completed form, and you will not be held responsible for lost or unredeemed forms.

Sell it yourself, and everyone is a winner! You get more for your used machine toward your new machine. The new used-machine owner gets a free service and classes. And at Beth’s Creative, our stack of trade-in machines is kept at a minimum, which in turn keeps all prices fair for everyone.

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Remember ...
Nothing Sews like a Bernina. Nothing.