Usually I try to pay so little that I would be embarrassed to admit to whoever bought them from me how much I paid. That being said the market is definitely a buyer's market, and those who pay full retail on a vintage set a few years back could find themselves losing some money if they resell recently, with few exceptions.

Pounder and I have similar thoughts and actions. I don't think that I have overpaid for anything in my collection. I wish that I had been as successful in all of my investments for retirement as I have been with my vintage drums. I call myself a bottom feeder of high quality vintage American made drums. I will pounce on a drum set that is priced far below it's real value. Sometimes, these bargains don't even require very much effort to spiff them up. I have been able to trade drum sets that I liked for drum sets that I like even more. I have mentioned before that I have no affinity for Ludwig or Gretsch drums. But, I usually have at least one Ludwig or Gretsch drum set at the ready to trade for stuff that I really like.

ha!

you've been reading my mind! sounds like the last few months of my life. i have a luka kit that i finally have a buyer for (i think, still waiting on money) that i'm taking a bath on. and my leedy ludwigs on here, i paid full price for, got murdered by customs shipping them up here, spent a bunch of money having the bearing edges done so they'd be playable with plastic heads and now i'm having a hard time moving them. and of course, am only selling them because i NEED to sell them!

but i'm like leedybdp. when i look back i've been really lucky with a bunch of stuff that i own, so i guess it works out in the wash. just hurts when you get the other side of the coin!

but i can't complain, realistically.

adam

Within an hour of making my last post above this one, I was looking at auctions about to end on eBay because I have been looking for an orphan Slingerland bass drum for my next rehab project. There was a listing that had a half hour left. The description was lousy, and the pictures were sort of decent to explain things not in the listing. This time only I will share some details. The drums are listed as '60s Slingerland (12--16--20) in Midnight Blue Pearl. The crummy pictures show the bass drum and the floor tom. The 8x12 is not pictured. It looks like both hoops are on the two drums in the picture. The ad states that a Pearl mount had been placed on the bass drum. This is no big deal because I have the rewrap material for the whole set. I have patched big holes before. I also have a rail consolette to install. The ad also states that one bass drum spur had "broken off" but he has the parts. Again, no big deal to repair. The set had one bid of $200 with a half hour to go. I placed a maximum bid of $225. I won it for $206. These drums will be rehabbed in a vintage-correct fairly rare wrap. One of my favorite brands in my favorite sizes for a bottom feeder price........ Does it get much better?

The original wrap had some big holes in it and a missing piece not pictured. So, I should have quite a bit of original wrap for future projects.

Good score!!!!!

I never- so far anyway - regret what I pay for drums. I have some I know lots of drummers out there would say what are/were you thinking!!

My answer.......I buy them because it's what it costs and I love doing this.

As I always say......it's only money....you can't take it....or the drums for that matter....with you when you die. Do what makes you happy - have fun with it. We're only here for a short time:2Cents:

Hey Gary:

There is much wisdom in what you said. I am thinking that, once the economy takes a turn for the better, vintage drum sellers will be on even footing with, or at an advantage over vintage drum buyers. Half of my drum sets are factory original, and half are players' sets that look very good. The players' sets are rehabs, rewraps, orphan drum assemblages that could play any gig right now. . I think that I could be very happy by selling my factory originals at obscenely high prices, and keep the players' sets at home.

I've paid "all" the money for a snare drum many times...I never worry about what I paid or if the snare drum will be worth more in x amount of months/years. The bottom line is always that I wanted the drum for the collection.

Mike Curotto

My purchases have probably evened out over time. Made a few stupid buys and a few golden finds.I play what I own so the joy of playing cool old drums outweighs some of the stupid purchases.