What year is my Consew 227r?

[JBernhard]

Hello all, I bought a Consew 227r in NY and imported it into Nicaragua. Customs officials don't believe that I paid $400 for the machine and have charged me $500 more. Now they want me to pay an additional $2500 because I have an industrial sewing machine.  I need to show proof that the machine is old but can't find any paperwork stating the date of manufacture.. I think its around 1960's but how can I prove it. I have searched in the manual but to no avail. I don't have an electronic transaction so this is leading to more problems for me. Basically it comes down to he said she said and I don't have a leg to stand on. Help??? Thanks in advance.  

[Northmount]

2 hours ago, JBernhard said:

Hello all, I bought a Consew 227r in NY and imported it into Nicaragua. Customs officials don't believe that I paid $400 for the machine and have charged me $500 more. Now they want me to pay an additional $2500 because I have an industrial sewing machine.  I need to show proof that the machine is old but can't find any paperwork stating the date of manufacture.. I think its around 1960's but how can I prove it. I have searched in the manual but to no avail. I don't have an electronic transaction so this is leading to more problems for me. Basically it comes down to he said she said and I don't have a leg to stand on. Help??? Thanks in advance.  

Pictures, serial number, etc would be a great help for people that want to be able to help you.

Tom

 

[JBernhard]

okay here is a pic but can't get a better one because its locked up in customs

 

[Uwe]

Some manufacturers keep track of when a particular serial number range was manufactured (e.g. Singer). I'm not sure if Consew/Seiko did that. 

One option is to contact the folks at Consew (http://www.consew.com/). They might be able to give you some official info on when they made the machine (if you can get serial number off it), or at the very least tell you when they stopped producing that particular model for some "it's at least this many years old" type statement.

If your customs folks insist on $2500 more to release the machine, just abandon it and write off the money you spent so far as an expensive lesson in Nicaraguan customs requirements. If Nicaragua is one of those countries where Customs can inflict an arbitrary amount of pain and suffering, you may be doomed. 

In general you need to at least be able to provide proof of value (receipt etc.) and be aware of tariffs for certain items before you present it to Customs. A little homework goes a long way when buying big ticket items abroad.

 

[JBernhard]

Thanks for the info. I am not yet ready to abandon it. The customs here uses a value book like many other countries. The main thing is that they don't want to let it walk away and not get full dollar in taxes that they think its worth. I don't need a perfect date like june 10th 1965 for example just an idea of the year. 

I've been told I can purchase the same machine in Honduras for $400 and drive it right across the boarder.  I wanted to import a clicker machine and want to test the waters with this one first at this cheap price. I'm hoping that I can prove its an old machine so that they can let it go.  

I already paid the tariffs and my problem is with proof of value. I can provide a receipt but they need something more concrete.  Unfortunately there is not much online for sale in the same exact model.  Thanks for all of your help.  

[Uwe]

Direct contact with the Consew folks in NJ will be your best bet I n establishing official manufacturing date range and approximate manufacturing year. Just call them up. There are real people answering the phone and I got good service when I called them last year.

For establishing current value, a recently completed eBay auction of a similar machine with 25 bids may do the trick:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=301892169599&globalID=EBAY-US

The follow-up model Consew 227R-2 had brochures printed with a 2007 copyright notice ( http://www.consew.com/Files/112347/PDF/227R2.pdf) It's probably safe to assume that the 227R was no longer in production by that time, so your machine is at least nine years old.

[Northmount]

The machine in the ebay ad link above does not have reverse, so one with reverse would likely sell for a little higher price, my guess, maybe worth a $100 more, at least to me.

Tom

[JBernhard]

okay thanks.  

[shoepatcher]

JBernard,

I had one just like this that I bought in 1984.  Looked just this.   It was a 227R and these were made in Japan by Seiko.  The 227R was replaced by the 227-1 and I believe they were off white in color.  I think all the white ones were and are made in China.  Anybody out there got any more info  on them?

glenn

[JBernhard]

Thanks Glen. I was thinking they were from late 60's or early 70's from the looks of the photos in the manual. They look like that vintage.  

[Singermania]

You've probably sorted this by now, however I agree that you are being screwed over, the machine is not worth the duty, its a fake duty anyway.   I deal with Indonesia and the same problems arise, crazy bills, bribery and stolen goods are the order of the day.   If you are going to move to a country like this you are going to have to get savvy pretty quickly.  Otherwise to continue, find a friendly sewing machine dealer to write you a letter of valuation on the machine, stat dec or whatever else looks impressive.   Find, generate, invent a receipt for the machine.  BE AWARE that no matter what you do, what fees you pay that the machine may never become available.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

What's the first two numbers of the serial number? 

[Handstitched]

G'day JBerhard,

No doubt by now you have all the info you need, and found out the age. 

I have a Seiko STW28-B . I too wondered what the age of my machine was, just out of general interest. So, I contacted Seiko in Japan. I gave them every detail I could find with attached pics. 

In the pic attached, just below the model number plate , is the serial number plate .  The first two digits,  " 66"  turned out to be the year. It was made in November  1966 . I was born Feb 1966.

Its 50 years old, and like me, they make them to last, ha ha  !!   

All the best,

HS