Mikey, would you invite me over for dinner sometime please?

Well I know the question of how many is too many, is really subject to your use of the drums, ability to store, etc. I think if you're just stockpiling them and they never get played then you're hoarding, aren't you?

I went to this guys house to look at a 60's luddy and found he had a tiny path through the entire house which was filled with collections of antiques, collectable toys, junk and musical instruments. I counted 6 Ampeg bass amps, and saw dozens of guitars. In the basement he had 21 drum sets and over 60 snare drums, other percussion, and about 150 cymbals. He had about enough room to set up one Gretsch Catalina Club jazz kit and that was the only kit he played. I ended buying the entire collection of drums except for the Catalina club kit and some percussion, I sold most of it at a profit and kept a vistalite kit, and a kent orange sparkle kit, a couple of snares and some cymbals. I felt like I was doing a service by freeing those drums to be played and circulated. I'd hate to hear they were now all in someone's else's basement in a pile somewhere. I play out 2-3 times a week and I gig with every kit I own.

I am absolutely blown away by these responses..........my only answer is to each collector/player, they have their own journey. I only have two kits and three snare drums. I am a serious player and a serious collector. I really love my art and instrument........I play everything I have, but I can appreciate just looking at a kit as a collectable. Better in the hands of somebody who respects and appreciates these drums.........flowers2

Many of my sets/drums were headed for a bad place if I hadn't intervered.The latest CB's were going to a kid who I'm told has some issues with "anger".So I traded the incomplete set for a complete Pacific student set I bought for $35.We both won.Many stripped,incomplete,written on with markers etc.

Wow, Mikey! That's an awesome collection, but your not just hoarding the drums. You're actually running a business and not letting all of it sit in a dark damp basement. When someone needs a particular sound, they can count on you to have it for rent.

I picture his warehouse is like the last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Mikey is pushing a cart with a 24k gold plated Gladstone snare off into the distance. :)

Warning! Warning! Warning! The weather is getting nicer and you know what that means ... YARD/GARAGE SALES! Sharpen up that peripheral vision when your driving. :)

-Tim

I`m down to 8 kits, sold one kit a while back! 4 Ludwigs, 2 Slingerlands and 2 tamas. I have 2 set up and they both get played. One kit is set up with vintage Zildjians and the other is set up with vintage 2002`s. The other 6 are stacked up and covered in my son's bedroom ( he is in college now) More room for drums now! LOL! I have a good time, however my ears have payed the price. BTW. this is a pic of my our dining room table this morning.

I'm completely blown away......Mikey...500 kits! I couldn't even imagine it. That being said, 500 or 1....its one's own perspective and it doesn't lessen any collector's drive or passion in terms of numbers. I personally own only two kits. My story. I am a LUDWIG head. I have a 1978 Vistalite "SMOKE" kit in Bonham sizes....26...20...18...15...14 and a matching 6.5" snare. This kit is surrounded by matching Hercules hardware. It's set up in my basement in my man cave where I practice. My main players kit is set up in my bands space. It's a 1971 silver sparkle Ludwig....24...18....14...with a 6.5 1979 Supraphonic snare, with also matching ATLAS hardware right down to my cowbell and stick holder. Everything is original and in absolutely beautiful condition. I also have a 1976 Ludwig 15x6.5 blue sparkle, of course Ludwig snare.......Cool1

I like the idea of having drums that are playable and I also like the idea if display items. One thing that did kind if catch me off gaurd was when I was viewing the nice display of vintage drums at the Memphis Drum Shop. There was a Lake Superior snare drum in the display. Very cool to see. I had heard if them but never had seen one. These were drums manufactured from timber that was reclaimed from the bottom of the Great Lakes. Very old growth timber that was preserved in the icy waters. Certainly there is no wood like that available for standard commercial manufacturing today. It kind of seemed a shame that a drum like that was built and now just sits in a case. At that point it could have been made from Luan for all I know. It's not a big deal and I am certainly not disparaging the MDS which is a great shop by the way. Just seems like something like that should be getting played somewhere.

This just one side of the basement. The opposite wall is covered with the singles and orphans, projects, stands etc. Although I haven't worked with a band in awhile now, I do play all of my kits. I rotate the one I'm playing every 3 months or so. But they all get played. The kits are usually covered with a plastic tarp. The walls in my basement are 12" thick! It's a dry, temperature stable environment.

[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/basement1_zps0eb17ae9.jpg[/IMG]

I just love drums and I especially love playing them. I don't feel like I'm 'hoarding' at all. Some guys save and collect vintage cars, I save and collect vintage drums.

John

With all of these drums, if anyone needs cases, I can get deals on Humes & Berg stuff for peeps in the states. Shipping gets to be too much outside of the US.... PM me if interested...