OK, here is the rough draft of the introduction to the Blue Book of Drums website. All criticism and praise requested. I think this actually kind of reflects the sentiments of what I've been reading from you all so far. The prices have not been settled on yet for subscription but it will range from $5 for a one model day pass to a year's subscription for somewhere around $100. Thinking of making a "vintage only" yearly price in the $40 to $50 range. If you think I'm gonna make a million dollars at this, look in the mirror and remember that all the other drummers are cheap stingy b******s just like you and won't pony up. LOL!!!! :-)
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How to use the Blue Book of Drums
The purpose of the Blue Book is simple and very focused: it is to answer the reader's questions "What is this drum and what is it worth?". The Blue Book includes new and old drums, cymbals and drum hardware - Those that are being made today as well as those from over a century ago. While there is some historical information and identifying features noted about many important models, this is not a thorough guide to new or vintage drums. Each listing gives just enough information to determine what your drum is and what it is worth on the open market.
You can search for your item by type or by brand. You will be able to see all models' basic brand and model information for free. Access to the prices is sold on a ****** basis. You can submit comments if you have knowledge about the item you want to share or if you want to add your two cents pro or con about the resale value. All comments are moderated before publishing so no spam or venting, ok? We also require that you use your real name when posting.
If you do not want to do the research in this database we will do it for you...for a price. Please contact us through the form with a picture of the item for an appraisal.
$5 basic email appraisal includes brand, model, basic description, low res picture and prices.
$20 email appraisal includes all of the above with a more expanded and full history of the brand and a high res picture.
$50 insurance appraisal includes all of the above with a notarized appraisal document either faxed or snail mailed to you.
Listing every brand and model of modern drum, drumset, cymbal and hardware since 1900 is quite an undertaking. If you would like to volunteer to help us write and moderate this important volume, please contact us.
How to read the Blue Book of Drums
For each model you will see current or latest model info, current resale price, a low resolution picture, and a description of the history and identifying factors of the instrument - unless the info is not available. The prices shown are consumer prices for new and used models. We leave the wholesale buyers to their own devices though, typically, retailer/reseller/dealer/traders/collectors will usually pay from 20% to 50% less than these prices, in order to make a profit upon resale. Viva capitalism! The four level grading system is used because it is simple; New price /Excellent condition price/ Good condition price/Fair condition price.
Model year this is the year of the current model or the last year it was in production.
Retail Price - this is the manufacturer's suggested retail price for a new current instrument. If there is a M.A.P. Price (Minimum Advertised Price), the manufacturers restrict the online and street retailers from advertising below this price. This is usually the price you will pay online or in a retail store for a new instrument, though the retailer can sell it to you for less once you are in the store, on the phone, or emailing privately. MAPs are typically 35% to 40% off retail price. Once a model has been discontinued, the retail price will be that of the last year of production.
EC High price - This means the used instrument is in excellent condition with very little cosmetic wear, has all the original parts, has been taken care of and maintained, sounds good/works well, and is stage or studio ready. We also lump the terms 'very good condition' and 'like new condition' in with this category. Please note that wearables like snare wires and drum heads are usually not considered in the condition of the instrument. All heads and wires are worn out very quickly and have to be replaced periodically. They are easily and cheaply replaced on most drums. Some older drums from the calf skin era, pre 1960s, are worth more if the calf skin is intact and if the original wires are there, but the heads have usually have dry rotted or become brittle and are not usable for regular playing.
GC Median Price - This is the price for a used instrument in good condition. Good condition means the instrument is in working condition, has all the right parts whether original or replacement, and has average cosmetic and functional wear for its age like small scratches, small dings, some dulling of metal appearance, loosening of moving parts, etc.
FC Low Price - This means the instrument is in fair condition and may need some work: showing lots of wear but is very usable and playable and still has a few good years left in it. It may have more than average wear, major scratches and dings, minor some rust/tarnish/pitting on metal parts, minor missing or broken parts that can be replaced with original or generic parts. These conditions will affect the price of a rare vintage instrument negatively more than a common one.
Poor condition - We don't put a price on it or include it to keep things simple. If it has broken parts and is not in playable condition then pay as little as you can for it: five to ten cents on the retail price dollar is a good rule of thumb. But! - One man's junk is another man's treasure.
Mint condition - Rarely ever happens so we don't include it or put a price on it. Mint condition means completely indistinguishable from a factory new item never taken out of the original box. 100% original parts, no cosmetic defects, not even fingerprint grease, no stick marks, despite slight use. Pricing is somewhere between retail and excellent pricing for common items so just check the retail price. For rare vintage pieces the sky is the limit.
Description - is used to note typical features of the current new or last model. If there are previous year models that warrant historical documentation then they are in the History and Identification section below.
History and identification - is used to describe variations in models that affect price or performance. We use this mostly to describe a vintage model that changed in some way or other over time; different manufacturing techniques, materials, visual changes, parts changes, rare colors, etc.
How do we determine these prices? We look at the whole market and get the most recent information from Ebay, Craig's List, music store owners, vintage collectors, vintage drum book authors and experts, drum forums, drum sites, drum shows. We have a few specific sources and experts who are widely known for having their finger on the pulse of the vintage market and even determine and influence the prices in some cases. We especially use documentation from articles since 1988 published by our Not So Modern Drummer Magazine. Prices rise and fall with the economy too. At this writing in June 2012, the market is down at least 20%. It's a good time to buy, but not a good time to sell. There are booms and busts for certain rare old instruments that can be started by buzz, rumors and a flurry of action on the internet. If an old drum all of a sudden becomes worth way more than it was when it was in the past decades, buy it quick and sell it quick, because you might end up buying something you will only lose money on in the future, just like your million dollar cracker box house in California! So let the buyer beware. For new, common and custom drums, we use a simple formula based on the retail price stated by the manufacturer, and considering that most new drums can be had for 35% to 50% off retail price, then used prices are around 60% off for excellent, 70% off for good, 80% - 90% off for fair.
What is "vintage"? The word vintage comes from the wine industry and simply means the year the wine was made. The word can be a noun, an adjective or a verb. In the world of musical instruments it has meant old or rare instruments of high quality that are sought after. Some aficionados specify a certain age that a drum has to be before it is considered "vintage". Each person eventually perceives the instruments that were popular during his youth and earlier to be vintage. For our purposes here, we don't base it on any particular length of time or age. If it is old and/or rare or out of production then it can be called vintage, and we attach the word vintage as an adjective to any instrument that the general drumming population regards as desirable. But, beware, because anyone can advertise any old instrument that may not be of high quality as "vintage" to tease the buyer into opening his wallet. Once a good instrument is out of production, drummers start looking on Ebay and elsewhere for parts, replacements, prices and information, thus our Blue Book of Drums. Our purpose is to preserve the history of modern drums and to relay the most accurate market prices that we can.
