Embroidery sewing machine

I am actually in the market for one too! I am looking at the brother models, but not sure which one has the ability for me to create my own designs on the computer and upload them to the machine.

Wal-Mart sells a Brother machine for around $369.00. It has a 4"x 4" embroidery area, built in designs and the ability to download designs from your computer. I was thinking about getting one and then my mother-in-law gave me her Bernina Deco 600. It's an older machine but it works great and it came with a smart box so I can get free patterns off the internet! You can get these older machines for a good price on ebay.

Thanks Tina and Stacey for the info. I embroider by hand. Have been since I was a preteen. At first I scoffed at people who had these embroidery sewing machines. It didn't seem to me that it was very artistic or creative to just program a machine to do the work for you. I'm old, lmao, can you tell?
But now it's looking more and more like I need to get one for a few reasons.
One I am starting a wearable salvage art business, sort of. A local art association has offered me a show next spring. If I do all the embroidery I want to on these items it would take FOREVER and not be very productive.
Two I was diagnosed a few years back as having a rare and agressive form of arthritis that has ravaged my fingers, especially my thumbs. So it's getting more and more painful and frustrating to do it by hand. I really didn't think I'd be this bad at 50. But, that's the way it goes sometimes.
We are working class people and I just can't see spending over a grand on a machine.
The brother machines sounds good to me. I can save that much. And thanks for the tip about ebay.
I have two vintage sewing machines right now. My mother's which is in the shop right now. It's a 1951 Singer and it's still in good shape. And recently my mother-in-law gave me her 1967 White that has a full range of zigzag stiches and other perks that the old Singer does not have. So the White is the one I have been using. I love that machine. But I really think I need to invest in an embroidery machine.
I heard that Bernina and Viking and Pfaff are the best right now.
Thanks again guys for the help.
I'll let you all know if and when I get one.
Dar

Check around with your local taylors and alterations people. I got my sewing/embroidery machine from my sewing lady because she needed to upgrade to a bigger hoop. She also had several other machines up for sale, all very steeply discounted.

That's a good tip about the upgrading. I was at JoAnn's looking at the Huskavanna's(which I personally don't recommend, they are complicated to use)but someone had returned a very high-end embroidery/sewing machine (it retails for $10,000) and they upgraded to the newest model and JoAnn's was selling the other one for $4000. Perhaps a lower end machine on a trade in would be a reasonable price.

Some stores will take payments on the machines and most offer free classes.

Embroidery by hand is beautiful, but machine embroidery has it's place and it's great for embellishing towels, baby items, kid's clothes, aprons, etc. I have made some really professional looking gifts with mine. A sewn item is great,but when one can add a professional touch, it really ups the "wow" factor!

I just upgraded to a Bernina Artista sewing machine(last year's model so it was $1000 off) I know that one day I will want to upgrade to a Bernina embroidery/sewing machine to replace the Deco, but it is a sweet machine and does professional work. But the prices are so steep!