5 Hours and 3 Minutes on the Road for a Vintage Singer

Some proxy shopping requests require a little more than clicking a button.

Sometimes they require patience.

Sometimes they require coordination.

And sometimes, they require 5 hours and 3 minutes of driving.

This vintage Singer sewing machine head was one of those requests.

It started with a Leboncoin listing

Our client found the item on Leboncoin and sent us the link.

There was one problem: the seller didn't ship.

And honestly, we completely understood why.

This is a heavy, delicate vintage machine with many exposed mechanical components.

Shipping something like this requires careful packaging and carries a much higher risk of damage.

We explained the situation to our client.

Their response?

They were willing to pay for the time and effort required for us to pick it up.

And with such a pleasant and patient client, we were happy to help.

Then the plans changed

After receiving payment, we immediately contacted the seller and arranged a pickup schedule.

Everything seemed settled.

Until, just a few days before our meeting, the seller contacted us with unexpected news:

Their mother had suffered a stroke.

Of course, we understood that meeting us was no longer their priority.

Fortunately, they offered us an alternative.

A friend of theirs was willing to meet us and hand over the machine.

So we started coordinating with the friend, arranged another meeting date, and agreed on a new meeting location.

Another problem solved.

Pickup day

When the day finally arrived, we wanted our client to be part of the process as much as possible.

We asked them to stay online so we could send real-time photos of the machine before completing the payment.

This way, they could see exactly what we were receiving.

Thankfully, the seller also agreed to accept payment through Leboncoin, so we were able to settle the transaction immediately.

According to the seller, all the parts were original.

Everything was finally ready.

5 hours and 3 minutes later…

We made the trip.

5 hours and 3 minutes of driving.

For one vintage sewing machine head.

But that's exactly what proxy shopping can sometimes look like.

It's not always a simple online purchase.

Sometimes it's coordinating with sellers.

Sometimes it's arranging local pickups.

Sometimes plans change at the last minute.

Sometimes a seller has an unexpected family emergency.

Sometimes you need to find another person, another meeting point and another schedule.

And sometimes, you simply need to get in the car and drive.

Another collector helped

Today, this vintage Singer is being prepared for shipment to our client in the USA.

And once again, we're reminded why we love what we do.

Our clients don't always need someone who can simply click “Buy.”

They need someone willing to figure things out when “Buy” isn't even an option.

For collectors searching for rare, vintage or hard-to-ship items, that's where Okaimono Proxy comes in.

You find the item.

You send us the link.

We'll figure out how to get it to you.

Another day at Okaimono Proxy. Another collector helped. ❤️