Janome 419S HELP HELP HELP!!

hi, i'm looking at buying a janome sewing machine. i need a non-complicated, under $400 machine, that is going to be a work horse. i make sock monkeys full time. (yes, you read that right)
i went to my local sewing machine dealer, and he showed me a Janome 419S. i am a researcher by nature, so i went home and looked it up. i could find little to no info on this, and upon further research, i found that it is a retired machine model. FURTHER, someone on a website had said that they paid $349 for it in 2005...6 years ago!! the price tag on this machine now is...$349. so, i'm curious. as a new machine, with a warranty, is this a good machine to buy? is it a crazy price? it's 6 years old, but new in the box. the price is within my price range, and the sales guy says that its a great little workhorse of a machine. he did not tell me that it was a retired machine though, so his credibility is not great fantastic i guess...but he also said that if i buy the machine he will fix my current Singer for free, so i have a backup...hmmmm....
Should i buy a machine that is retired? does anyone have this machine? like? dislike?
if anyone has any advice for me, let me know.
i was looking at the HD3000 as well, but didn't know if that was as good, or better or not...i'm just so confused!
lol!!

thanks! cherie