Ideal Steinway Sewing Machine

Q: I bought an antique “Ideal Steinway” treadle sewing machine and can’t find any information about it. I would like to know where it was made and how old it is.

A: Homer Young Co. of Toledo, Ohio, advertised “Steinway” sewing machines in Good Housekeeping magazine in 1902. The company sold the machines only through mail-order catalogs. Thirty-five different styles were offered. The maker of the machines was not mentioned, but the company claimed they were made by the world’s largest sewing machine factory. Sewing machines sold under a brand name that is not the maker’s name are referred to as “badged” machines. Many major manufacturers’ sewing machines were “badged” with the name of the company that offered them for sale.