Hi, again.
Without going off on another "What ever happened to QUALITY manufacturing?" rants...okay...maybe a little rant..., I was just curious as to how many of us, who collect vintage drums, also collect other vintage things.
I am an AVID garage sale/yard sale/estate sale sort of fellow and I am always on the hunt for....whatever it might be. Recently, at an estate sale, I happened onto a piece of furniture known as a "curio cabinet". It was made from quarter-sawn, steam bent oak and the glass in the doors and sides were all made from old curved glass panels -the front panel is a shape known as "serpentine" glass. It would take too long to accurately describe it...
...Anyway, it was priced at about what I might be willing to pay for a mint-condition Club Date kit ($850). That price was a little steep for my usual $50.00-at-the-most kind of estate sale budget, but the craftsmanship in this piece was all there. I could see it. It was a piece of furniture that could have (and probably was) ordered from an old Sears and Roebuck catalog back in the early part of the 20th century (probably around 1920)...so it was a commonly-available thing.
Being that it had survived all that time being made from mostly glass, was testament to not only the build-quality, but also to the stewardship of the owners.
Long story short, I made them an offer...I left them my phone number and asked them to call me if it didn't sell. Guess what? It didn't sell and I got it for considerably less money than what they were asking. Now, it's sitting in my living room and it looks fantastic. I didn't need it, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to add more quality into my environment. Plus, it's a great way to recycle! When I look at it, I see the same types of quality -and I mean right down to the RAW materials (the glass, the wood) that also grabs my attention. It's almost the same kind of "kick" that I get from collecting certain old drums.
Another recent "revival" that I have been having is for vintage stereo components. I just scored a really cool old Kenwood Eleven II receiver and I am just blown away at how much better my recordings sound! Plus, the thing weighs a TON and pumps out the high wattage...but in addition to all that...it LOOKS so dang cool! It's a TOTAL experienece again to listen to the stereo! The lights, the VU meters -and the sound. I had to do a little pre-research in order to determine what kinds of things to look for. And yes, I know that Kenwood is not THE shiz when it comes to vintage audiophile gear, but nevertheless, I am just floored by the quality of this Eleven. Next, I will probably look at some kind of tube tuner and amp...and some Klipsch K-horns -and a new house to put them in! Party
Anyone else into vintage other stuff?
