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International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

The purpose of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is to foster the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

Graham's True Stories
Number 1, Little Betty

It was the last shopping day before Christmas and Maggie (the SO) was selling our mechanical antiques at Portobello Road Market in London. She had half packed away when two young lads came rushing up, one was clearly flustered and the other amused.

Said the flustered one: "I have to get a present for my kid sister." He raked through everything on display but decided that nothing was suitable. Flustered was becoming Desperate and Amused was getting Hysterical with laughter.

Said the hysterical one: "You are finished man. Betty will never forgive you" Then it clicked. Maggie dug down into one of the packed boxes and brought out the solution to the problem - a cute toy sewing machine from the 1950s with its name written clearly on the side --- Little Betty.