This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Oh, hey friends, what's up? Welcome back to Side Hustle School. Chris Guillebeau, your host here. Today we are threading the needle. Literally, actually.
Well, not completely literally in the literal sense of the word, but we are talking about, we have a story today from a lifelong tinkerer who adores the heavy all metal Singer sewing machines. You might still find these sewing machines. In fact, she does gathering dust in secondhand shops. And she knows a couple of secrets that most people don't. First of all, these machines are nearly indestructible.
Second, pretty much takes about a 30 minute tune up to get them working just like it's 1957 again. So one Saturday at a thrift store, she spots a stack of forgotten Singers, priced at 20 bucks each, and she starts thinking, I wonder what I can do with this. Can I buy them and resell them? Can I fix them up? Can I, in fact, teach a workshop on fixing them up?
Well, that's what you're gonna hear about today. Welcome to Side Hustle School. My name's Chris Guillebeau. Today's episode is part of a feature we call your first $1,000. And as you might guess, or as you might know already, it's all about how somebody makes their first $1,000 with a new business idea.
So this one's kind of fun. We are, in fact, gonna look at these vintage sewing machines and the vintage sewing machine rehab workshops that Abby sets up. So I'm gonna pass the mic to Abby. Abby, tell us the story, and I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap-up. [Music]
I've been rescuing vintage appliances for fun ever since I rebuilt my grandma's toaster.
Sewing machines are my favorite. They're simple, they're stylish, and you can still buy parts for models that pre-date rock and roll. Early this year, I walked into a charity shop and spotted seven dusty Singer 401As on the floor, all marked 20 bucks. I bought the whole lot for $140, loaded them into my hatchback, and spent the next few evenings cleaning lint, replacing drive belts, and testing the motors. Six ran perfectly, and one became my parts donor.
While polishing the last one, I thought, people pay for paint and sip nights? Why not clean and stitch afternoons? I booked the craft room at our Parks and Rec Center for the last Sunday of the month. Four hours, big tables, plenty of outlets. The rental fee was $60.
My workshop ad was a single Facebook post, me turning a frozen hand wheel, adding a dab of oil, then stitching a perfect seam. Text on screen read, "Adopt a vintage Singer, "learn to service it, take it home." $150, all gear included. I boosted the post for 10 bucks and shared it in two local sewing enthusiast Facebook groups. Within a week, eight people paid via Venmo, class full. Total intake, $1,200.
I arrived early with the six refurbished machines, tool kits of screwdrivers and brushes, and a tray of grocery store muffins. We spent the first hour taking off faceplates and learning what things look like under a sewing machine light. Midway through, each student replaced their own needle and threaded new polyester. When someone stitched their first straight line, the entire room erupted in applause. After expenses, I cleared $1,000 from the course and I wasn't done.
Three students asked if I'd source extra machines for their friends. That became my upsell. I now keep a standing wish list, charge $50 to locate and rehab a unit, then sell it for cost plus my finder's fee. I run the workshop every six weeks, always capped at eight seats so everyone gets hands-on attention. Two sessions a quarter cover my car payment and every dusty machine saved from oblivion makes me ridiculously happy.
If you've got a skill that revives old tech, remember people love learning and leaving with something tangible. Give them both, price it fairly, and those forgotten relics become brand new revenue. That's my advice for anyone interested in doing something similar. - There are all kinds of ways to make money, all kinds of ways to take a skill and apply it in a different way or transform or adapt it or otherwise do something fun just like Abby has done. And just like so many of our listeners out there have done, I love hearing stories from our listeners who have gone on to start their first or their next side hustle.
So let me know what you are up to. If you have questions or updates about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com. And of course, much more is coming out. We've got 3,200 episodes completely free in the archives. You can download or stream them from the website.
You can also subscribe or follow and you'll get new episodes delivered every day. That's it for now, but thank you so much for listening, being part of this community. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
