1. Education

Discuss in my forum

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Sewing Machines Believed to Contain Red Mercury

By , About.com GuideApril 15, 2009

Follow me on:

Old Singer Sewing Machine (Wikipedia Commons)
Do you have an old Singer sewing machine? If so, it may be worth $50,000! BBC is reporting on a sewing machine hoax in Saudia Arabia in which people are rushing to buy old Singer sewing machines based on the belief that they might contain red mercury. No one knows for sure where the rumor started, much less the more curious rumor that you can hold your mobile phone up to a sewing machine to somehow detect the presence of red mercury. The story goes you will lose your signal if you hold your phone up to the needle of a sewing machine that contains red mercury.

What is red mercury? It's a fabled substance that might be used to produce nuclear weapons, ward off evil spirits, or help you find treasure, depending on who you ask. There is no real proof that red mercury exists, except perhaps as cinnabar or vermilllion (HgS) or mercury(II) iodide, either of which you can purchase sans sewing machine for a much lower price. Still... if you have your old Singer up for auction at eBay, it might fetch a higher price than you were expecting. If you're considering buying an old Singer, save your pennies until after the scam has run its course.

Comments

April 21, 2009 at 4:32 pm
(1) J Spratt says:

ridiculous

December 8, 2009 at 9:36 am
(2) samaon says:

i have a singer machine that my great grand mother will for me

February 15, 2010 at 6:56 am
(3) ebenezer says:

i have old singer sewing own by my late ground mother infarct it was purchase in 1914 and presently is in my custody if you need it call my number +2348062228246 my name is Ebenezer thanks

February 15, 2010 at 7:06 am
(4) ebenezer says:

i have a singer presently with me it was purchased by my ground d mother in 1914 and is in my custody now this is my phone number +2348062228246

February 16, 2010 at 5:55 am
(5) frank says:

gat real red mercury..no jokes….contact me on the email

March 22, 2010 at 8:23 pm
(6) sampson says:

there has been a wild news about an old schnapps bottle believe to have containing red mercury,and are for sales .can your outfit proof that and how can ireach prospertive buyer,since I have found couple of them.

July 6, 2011 at 7:23 am
(7) joe says:

call me 0545400209

September 25, 2011 at 2:52 am
(8) lungu says:

can you show me the exact picture of the sewing machine and the schnapp bottle. i have a few of those old stuff. give me pics and i will cross check and send you mine. call me 0264264938 mail -gremleens@yahoo.com

November 1, 2011 at 12:30 pm
(9) wasi says:

Dear sam[son..if you serious buyer contact to me..i have ref murcery…..

June 19, 2010 at 6:13 pm
(10) robine zeini says:

to hwo interest i find a red mercury by chance in my termometr the owner is my grandfather and coz he die since 50 years old im the owner now so hwo care he can email me or make call 00961 70293074

June 25, 2010 at 9:51 am
(11) gleen usa says:

hi am gleen mensing from usa i wnt to ghana fo holidays i meet some man who was having old scnap botle that contain red mecury he plan to let me buy it but i didi not no the used of it so i didi not buy it we used blade to text the botle it hold the blade we put milk on the botel it taks all the milk from th botel and h also buy singer to sell you can contact him if you need it @ 00233249805817 email elizarbeth.ajei@gmail.com

July 3, 2010 at 9:33 am
(12) norbert says:

I HAVE AN OLD SINGER SEWING MACHINE WITH THE SAID PROPERTIES FOR SALE. HOW CAN I MEET THE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS.(TELL;+233244946728).

July 6, 2011 at 7:20 am
(13) joe says:

call me. I will buy it. 0545400209

December 3, 2010 at 6:23 am
(14) charbel rahme says:

hello i would like to report that i have a singer swing machin that have the descriptions and contain red murcury when i approch my cell phone to the needlle the signle disapper so its for seelling cause i’m the owner my email is rahmecharbel1@gmail.com for how is intrested in byiing it please email me

December 3, 2010 at 6:27 am
(15) charbel says:

hello i have the desired singer which contain red mercury casue when approching my cell phone to the needl the signle dissaper so for the one intrested in bying it please email my on rahmecharbel1@gmail.com

February 7, 2011 at 5:43 pm
(16) Koulla says:

I have an old singer for sale. It is very old. i do not know if it is contain red mercury but is for sale. if you need specifications contact me on koulla20@hotmail.com

July 6, 2011 at 7:26 am
(17) joe says:

anyone who wants to sell the machine or the bottle can just call me 233545400209

October 21, 2011 at 7:36 pm
(18) joe says:

We buy old schnapp bottles. Bt we dont go beyond Accra because of some reasons if you are ready to sell call me and we will show you our office it is a registered company $10million, then we trade. My number is 0541385008

November 24, 2011 at 4:21 am
(19) Tommy kelvin says:

Hellllooooo
am tommy from united state of america and i will lo0ve to share this good news to everybody who is willing and very much serous,singer machine and the bottle are very much real and dealling we do buy them foe nuclear bomb and other spiritual purposes…
pls seller who are intrested can highly mail me at tepeacscompany@gmail.com…high price for the best seller
wating to read back form anybody

January 10, 2012 at 3:29 am
(20) timothy says:

hi have have this sewing maching dispalyed in the pic more info email me :) bulletcounty54@aol.com

January 15, 2012 at 6:33 am
(21) kevork doudaklian says:

i have an very old Singer sewing machines it was my grand mother , (OMEGA) if you want i’m in……

February 21, 2012 at 4:14 am
(22) 009613444364 says:

Any one from lebanon wants to sell plz contact me only seriouse ppl

February 21, 2012 at 4:17 am
(23) ziad says:

009613444364 if anyone frm lebanon and want to sell ur old radio or singer plz contact me urgent

February 25, 2012 at 3:40 pm
(24) j banos says:

my sister dated a gentle man with high math ability; made algroithms for scandinavian group; he bought a small island on lake in holland, ma. he would search for certain types of sewing machines and sell them for up to $50,000 supposedly to museums.

the largest antiques market in eastern usa (brimfield, ma) is 10 minutes away.hey would use phones to talk to each other when they spotted them.

March 6, 2012 at 6:11 am
(25) BOSSOU says:

Please I have available ancient singer sewing machines for sale.
Contact me for details : allabimodeste@yahoo.fr

March 29, 2012 at 12:53 pm
(26) Roland says:

I have a friend who has worked for Mine-Tech a company which did a lot of de-mining in Mozambique and he says he has some red mercury for sale.I have pictures of the stuff if anyone is interested.
Roland

Leave a Comment


Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title="">, <b>, <i>, <strike>

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.