hhmmmm...finders fee eh....not a bad idea Hmmmm what would be an honest %age?
yeah it was perfect timing, I know a little bit about vintage drums (enough to know that research and questioning need to be done before selling or buying :) ) and my friend who works at GC knows even less. so had I shown up an hour later I may have been the owner of that kit for less then a grand...........wait.............DAMNIT!!!! CryBaby
This sounds like an instance wherein the lady and daughter's innocence may have protected them from harm (the selling of a valuable set for way too little money) But in any case, you're correct more questions need to be answered before we make any further assumptions about value. True about Gretsch, vintage Gretsch are basically the most crazy group of collectors. And green sparkle is very rare. WMP is very un-rare. There are some rare colors besides Green sparkle but that's really interesting how you protected her from getting royally ripped off! Good karma!
Some people just think those RB Gretsch sound better than about anything else from that era. I tend to agree, although I'm a Ludwig player as well--mostly for economic reasons.
hhmmmm...finders fee eh....not a bad idea Hmmmm what would be an honest %age?yeah it was perfect timing, I know a little bit about vintage drums (enough to know that research and questioning need to be done before selling or buying :) ) and my friend who works at GC knows even less. so had I shown up an hour later I may have been the owner of that kit for less then a grand...........wait.............DAMNIT!!!! CryBaby
I would think 10% to be fair, also GC would of put a $2000.00 price tag on the gretsch kit,GC has to send pics and description to the home office and they set the price not the store!, I don't know who evaluates the drums, but for guitars and amps it's the Burst Bros..
Good for you for doing the right thing! This community makes me proud.
Judging by your description, this sounds like a transitional kit. 3-ply shells point to pre-1957, but silver interiors point to post-1957 or so. As I understand it, they switched to silver interiors at the same time they switched to 6-ply shells, but you do see plenty of transitional 3-ply kits with silver interiors.
The Gladstone FT mounts are likely 1950s. They started with the interior paper tags around 1962 or '63, so my guess is you're looking at a late 50s kit. (I've got a midnight blue pearl kit with the same transitional specs: 3-ply, silver interiors, no tags, Gladstone mounts. It took me forever to figure out its age.)
The thing that confuses me, though, is the rims. The triple-flanged rims on the rack tom are definitely not original. '50s Gretsch kits had double-flanged stick choppers; I didn't think they started using die-cast hoops until the '60s. I could be wrong.
It's worth checking with the owner to see if she has the cymbals and other goodies that came with the kit. On a Gretsch kit from that era, the cymbals might well be Istanbul Ks.
Some people just think those RB Gretsch sound better than about anything else from that era. I tend to agree, although I'm a Ludwig player as well--mostly for economic reasons.
I was lucky enough to find my RB Gretsch kit for a very good price years ago, and I've been playing it half my life. Last year, I found a beat up 1960s Ludwig Combo set that someone had been using as a planter in the garden, so I picked it up for a song on eBay and set about bringing it back to life. I love them both, but I have to say that the Luddies might just sound better than the Gretsch. There's a warm, round tone to a Ludwig set that I've never found on any other drums.
Honestly, I think the price difference is more about mystique (and perhaps the fact that, due to Ringo's influence, Ludwig just made so many kits in the '60s). My Gretsch drums are a part of me, but if I were starting from scratch and could only buy one set, I think it might be the Luddies.
Whatever the reason for the high Gretsch prices, though -- what good fortune for this lady that she has this beauty of a kit, and that she ran into such an ethical guy in the parking lot. We salute you!
It's worth checking with the owner to see if she has the cymbals and other goodies that came with the kit. On a Gretsch kit from that era, the cymbals might well be Istanbul Ks.
The cymbals are not Ks. They are: 22" avedis very thick, not something i'm into. 18" "STANBUL" by Paiste (not ISTANBUL) - trashy and dark, very cool. and 14" new beat hats - top hat is thinner then today's hats but not enough for me to want them, they have back zildjian stamping on them and don't look to be any older then 80s or 70s at the most. I think cymbals companies should stamp their dates!
as for the hardware: few basic stands, some flat base, snare, cymbal, pedal, maybe hi-hat, and some misc. pieces, all in fiber cases.
I sent one our boys here on the forum to her and I think they are working out a deal. She has not contacted or sent me pics since that first day.. so I doubt we will see the kit, unless it's sold to one of our own.
...........this'll be the one that got away...........alas..........:(
