For me, it is a rebirth of passion. I started playing in 1974. I had the free use of a 67 Rogers Holiday Sparkling Blue Pearl 4 piece for two years, and some lessons, and, the joy of being thrown into playing music from the beginning. In 1979, I purchased my own first kit, Big R Rogers. I still have those drums. Over the next fifteen years, off and on, mostly on, I played steady in the church worship band, which was a pretty steady three time a week gig, plus practices. In 1995, I severly cut the thumb on my right hand, and severed some nerves. I had no feeling at all for almost three years. I came close to selling my drums. I could not hang onto a stick. I broke glasses at the dinner table. I threw hammers for no reason. I thought I was done. In 1997/98, started at a new church, and well, gave playing a try as some feeling had begun to return to my right thumb. Not long after, I started a gig with a gospel group, and we started getting play dates pretty regular. I bought another kit..... which lead to another snare, which lead to more stuff, and another snare....

And by 2001, I had become a drum junky.

I love the history of vintage drums. And everyone knows I really like Rogers.

I love knowing where a drum came from, who used it, or abused it. You can tell a lot by looking at a drum. How it was cared for, how it travelled, how it was prized or ... just objectified as a means to an end.

and in the end.... there is value. A great deal of what creates that value is how well it was seen by the hands that first used it. Every successive owner leaves marks on a drum. I just hope that when it comes time to pass on the drums I have, the marks I leave on them will show I cared.

And,....... it has been a long time since I accidently threw a stick.

Use some quotes? I will type your speech for a handful of drumsticks and throw in a couple drum heads!!!Laughing HLaughing H

Toodles

Drumhack band3

If you use one, it's plagerism. 2 or more it's research.

At 30 years old, I may be one of the younger members on here. I come here for lots of reasons, mainly for my love of drums...vintage drums in particular. I have owned a couple newer sets, but they never lasted long with me. New sets just dont cut it for me. There is something about the craftsmanship on the older kits that I love. The sound is more pleasing to my ears. I love the history of these drums.

It may sound strange, but I love it when I find out where the drums have been. I have a WMP 1941 Ludwig snare, and knowing that I got it from the original owner, knowing that he bought it brand new and seeing the happiness in his eyes when I purchased it was amazing! He knew the drum was going to a good home, and he was happy that it was going to bring joy to another drummer.

I have really learned alot on this forum and I am thankful for the other members being such nice guys and being very helpful. I really like seeing the great drums of the past, and how people have cared for them and restored them.

The Forum of Dreams....

People just come to the forum. They'll come to VDF for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up on your thread, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at this site as innocent as children, longing for the past. "Of course, we won't mind if you have a look around," you'll say. "It's only a small donation per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack.

And they'll find a computer and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find information they have looked for for years, about the drums they played when they were children and cheered their drummer heroes. And they'll watch the videos and read the pages and it'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People just come to the VDF.

The one constant through all the years has been drums (and cymbals). America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But drums have marked the time. This forum, this website, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhhhhhh, people just come to the VDF, people most definitely just come.

Jim,

Very nice indeed. Your FOD paraphrase hit on an important point: many of us, myself included, are here because we are reconnecting with our past. I believe the main reason that MIJ drums get so much interest here, aside from their low cost, is that many drummers started on those kits. That tangible link to our past, when we all had that initial spark when we got to play, is nearly insatiable and rightfully so. Just looking at old catalog pictures is enough to make me feel a deep satisfaction of having great childhood memories.

I am also 30, and have a slightly different perspective than some. Personally...I love anything old. Sounds odd, but typically old stuff tends to hold up better, work better, and be easier to repair than new stuff...the practical reasons. Nothing I own is a wall flower...it all gets used and abused, broken and fixed. That is the very vanilla way of saying why I do what I do.

I collect old cars, motorcycles, bicycles, money, guitars, drums, furniture, toys...if it's old it has a home in my home. I seldom ever sell anything, so once it's with me I tend to keep it. Since I don't have much I have not graduated to the hoarder stage!!! I did sell one vintage Spitfire (made in Chicago by Schwinn in the 50's) bike to a friend though, I still regret it! I tend to buy on the bottom of the spectrum though, anything cheap or free I will take. I got that Spitfire from the junk yard for $5. Most of my instruments were purchased from a pawn shop. Everything I buy is from a person or personally owned business, no fleabay or huge box stores. I like keeping money local when I can, if not I at least can put it directly in someones hand.

As mchair303 said, there is something to the history of stuff, but at my budget there is no way I would ever find something with significant history. Instead, I let my pieces write their own history today so when I do pass them on I can start a new story for someone else to continue.

From a business aspect (I may catch some hell for this) I despise people who buy and sell vintage anything as a business...not on a personal level, but because it often puts nice or unique pieces out of my price range and into someones private collection where it may only be used a hand full of times (if it's lucky). Example, someone locally has a 1958 Telecaster with original case and case candy in a climate controlled vaut...right next to the whole Fender lineup of '72 in natural finish including my dream guitar, a '72 Tele Thinline. Why? Those are now investments...no more are they appreciated for the tones they produced or beauty, they are simply a dollar sign. It guts any hobby in my opinion. For instance I have been wanting an old Kalamazoo guitar for quite a few years. A near and dear friend of mine who recently passed had one, and I want to play it as my little way of remembering him. Not only that, but they have some killer tone! I can't afford it, I can't even afford half of it. Maybe one day..

I'm a bit late chiming in on this thread but I'm sure nobody will mind. I'm also fairly new here and I've posted a few things but I've read and learned a lot. This forum is such a wealth of information. I can't believe all of the great responses to a great set of questions. My own answer to all of the questions is "yes". I've been scanning Craigslist and Ebay for years looking for deals on drums I don't need but also looking for the ones I do need and after some time of seeing so many Leecountymusic listings on ebay I became very suspicious of their ethics and did a google search. That google search brought me here and I'm here to stay. I think we are all plagued with the passion for drums and we need to know as much as we can about our drums from age, value, styles, configurations etc. to who used them.

I recently got a '71 Slingerland Avante in Lavender Satin Flame from CL for ridiculously cheap and I immediately went into research mode. It needed a few parts and I'm still looking for them but I was able to rummage up some parts to get her up and running. Now, I also play in a Chicago tribute band. As many of you may know, Danny Seraphine endorsed Slingerland. Well, we went into the studio to record the song Hideaway off of Chicago VIII and OMG did they sound like the original recording!!! I was amazed with the way they sounded but more importantly, I felt like I put a great set of drums with a historic sound back to work. I normally gig with a Gretch Catalina Birch because they're reliable, they didn't break the bank so scarring isn't a big concern, they look good and they sound great but they could not reproduce the sound of Danny Seraphines drums. Only a Seventies Slingerland could do that (along with me trying my darnedest to play like him).

By gaining knowledge about vintage drums we can determine which ones are worth saving and by learning about their value we can determine if saving them is worth it to us.

Never too late!

I got an A- in my speech class. Guess who had the most interesting speech!

I'm 21 and I got hooked on vintage drums watching Buddy Rich play his slingerland radio king set. I also noticed that some vintage drums are more affordable than something out of Musicians Friend...

I don't consider this as a business but I do like that I can pay for gas every two weeks! But learning is one of the most important takeaways for me, as I want to be able to pass it along to the next generation after myself (gotta start early i guess!)

Thanks for all the input

WalkingExcited

Me, I like:

the historical aspects,

the kind people I have met

the great pictures and narratives

the stuff I have purchased from other members

The history is the thing though,

Patrick