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What was the best drum (shells, hardware, cymbals, etc.) deal you ever came across?
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latzanimal
DFO Veteran
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I paid $650 for my Sonor HLD 590...
And $700 for my Honor HLD 593...
And $700 for my Honor HLD 593...
Garage sale a block from my house - 60's Rogers (beavertail) Red Glass Glitter 20, 12, 16, with matching Powertone. With swivo hi-hat stand, pedal, snare stand, and cymbal arm. $72. 
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EyeByTwoMuchGeer
Very well Known Member
Walked into a GC on a whim while I was in town, and there they were. A 6-piece "1980s" Ludwig kit for $365. Couldn't get the money out of my wallet fast enough.
The snare was garbage, but the rest of the kit were 3-ply, 13/14/16/18/26.....so a silver sparkle Bonham kit with an extra 13 thrown in for good measure.
The salesman told me they were a student kit and were not particularly great. Gotta love GC.
The snare was garbage, but the rest of the kit were 3-ply, 13/14/16/18/26.....so a silver sparkle Bonham kit with an extra 13 thrown in for good measure.
The salesman told me they were a student kit and were not particularly great. Gotta love GC.
goodcat1337
Very well Known Member
I got a Sonor Vintage Series kit, 22, 13, 16 for like $1600 about two years ago.
About 6 or so years ago, I got a Starclassic B/B in WMP with black nickel hardware for $600. This was a case of the guy not knowing what he had.
Just recently on my local marketplace listing, a guy was selling a 5pc Silverstar kit with full set of stands and Zildjian I series cymbals for $300. He said it was a Christmas gift to his son, who lost interest pretty quickly. I messaged him and he said I was like the 12th person who had messaged him about them. They were gone by the next day
About 6 or so years ago, I got a Starclassic B/B in WMP with black nickel hardware for $600. This was a case of the guy not knowing what he had.
Just recently on my local marketplace listing, a guy was selling a 5pc Silverstar kit with full set of stands and Zildjian I series cymbals for $300. He said it was a Christmas gift to his son, who lost interest pretty quickly. I messaged him and he said I was like the 12th person who had messaged him about them. They were gone by the next day
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A 90 year old 3.5 octave rosewood Deagan marimba for $800.
The owner got it from his aunt that had passed away. He was originally asking $2000, which was a fair price. However, he didn't want to take it out of the case or set it up for me to look at it.
So, I waited about a month, called him back and settled on the reduced price of $800.
Glad I didn't pay the original $2000, as some of the keys have minor marks and scratches on them.
I'll be taking it in shortly to have the keys resurfaced and retuned.
The owner got it from his aunt that had passed away. He was originally asking $2000, which was a fair price. However, he didn't want to take it out of the case or set it up for me to look at it.
So, I waited about a month, called him back and settled on the reduced price of $800.
Glad I didn't pay the original $2000, as some of the keys have minor marks and scratches on them.
I'll be taking it in shortly to have the keys resurfaced and retuned.
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1. Circa 1953 white laquer Slingerland student Radio King . Cloud badge , single flange COB heavy hoops. Three point strainer with factory butt and old Slingerland student snare stand . $ 10.00 Canadian off of KIJIJI .
I made a 450 % profit on that one . The buyer had the identical matching kit , so it went to a good home after I'd played it for a while .
EDIT - my wife just pointed out it was a 4,500 % profit that I made .
I made a 450 % profit on that one . The buyer had the identical matching kit , so it went to a good home after I'd played it for a while .
EDIT - my wife just pointed out it was a 4,500 % profit that I made .
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AWESOME.Garage sale a block from my house - 60's Rogers (beavertail) Red Glass Glitter 20, 12, 16, with matching Powertone. With swivo hi-hat stand, pedal, snare stand, and cymbal arm. $72.
Thanks! Follow up - sold the stands and pedal for $150. Used that to buy bottom tom hoops and new heads. I played them for 10 years. And then sold them for $1150!! Pretty good deal, which will never happen again!
A realtor friend found these in a client’s basement. There was a 1967 Supra with it. The client told him that he didn’t know who owned them and that they’d been in his basement for decades, and told my friend to “please just take them if you can use them.” He kept the snare and gave me the kit.
Paid around $600 for these (SSB Gretsch 20/12/14). They were at my local Sam Ash. I guess the pearl mount, and insanely faded and obscure (If anybody wanted it it’d be called “rare”) factory “simulated rosewood” wrap, made them think they couldn’t do better.
I also once got a 22” Agop sig for $185 there, and a keystone acro for $140 at the guitar center next door (why Richmond has two guitar centers, with a Sam Ash literally next door to one of them is beyond me, but it works out!)
I also once got a 22” Agop sig for $185 there, and a keystone acro for $140 at the guitar center next door (why Richmond has two guitar centers, with a Sam Ash literally next door to one of them is beyond me, but it works out!)
FLratrodder
DFO Master
That's the same Sam Ash that sold me a 22" EAK for $200.
m_anderson
DFO Veteran
Old 20 inch Sabian Heavy Ride found in a pile of used cymbals at GC for 70 bucks. Serious gold nugget in a heap of metal, and by far my favorite ride cymbal.
I don’t remember exactly what I paid for these Slingerlands at the GC, but it was listed as “used” “jellybean” kit rather than “vintage”, because the 50s Mahogany interior 16 floor tom was a little darker than the 70s 22 and 13, I think it was also around 600, which isn’t as good a deal considering the going rates for Gretsch Progressive jazz vs Slingerlands generally, but still a pretty good deal for my “number one” kit.
drummer5359
DFO Veteran
Nine years ago in the middle of the night a Gretsch kit popped up on my local Craig's List for $700. It had a blurry photo, but I sent the seller a note anyway. I went to see it the following night. He lived on a farm about an hour north of the city.
It was a 1972 midnight blue pearl stop sign Gretsch kit, in good condition. The front hoop had not been on the kit since the seventies, but he still had the head, hoop, claws and tension rods. Although there was dust and dirt, I could tell that the chrome and finish were otherwise in excellent condition. His father bought the kit for him used in 1975 and he gigged with it until the early eighties. At that point he got married and bought a house, the drum set went into his attic for the next thirty-three years.
It came with the hardware shown, a COB 4160 snare, a trap case, Gretsch embossed vinyl bags for the drums, a set of black label Paiste 2002 cymbals, and some other "cheap cymbals" that he didn't even bother to pull out of the case.
I told him that these were worth a good bit more than the $700 that he had them listed for. I had $1200 in my pocket, I wanted to play fair. I offered him the $1200 and told him that the kit was actually worth more than that. He said that they were listed for $750, not $700, but he only wanted $750 for them. He said that he saw other Gretsch kits on CL in that price range. I explained that the other kits that he had seen advertised had been imported kits with inexpensive cymbals. "No, $750 is fine."
We packed them up and loaded them in my car, I paid him the $750 and drove away. About ten minutes later my phone rang while I was driving, I answered it. It was the seller. He just went to take down the ad and saw that I was right, it was listed for $700. He apologized and said that if I'd turn around, he would give me back my $50, or he could mail me a check. I told him that I was fine with paying $750 and thanked him for his honesty.
When I got home and unpacked everything, I found that the "cheap cymbals" he included were actually a full set of 1970s Zildjian "A"s.
The kit cleaned up easily. I sold the Paistes immediately, I think that I got $500 for them. I gave some of the hardware away, and I used the kit as a four piece in my practice room for the next five years. In 2019 I sold the shell pack with the trap case and drum bags for $1500 when I ordered my Gretsch USA Custom shell bank. I still have the COB 4160 snare and the Zildjians.
This is the photo that he posted.
This is the kit after I cleaned it up. (Shown with an aluminum Gretsch snare.)
It was a 1972 midnight blue pearl stop sign Gretsch kit, in good condition. The front hoop had not been on the kit since the seventies, but he still had the head, hoop, claws and tension rods. Although there was dust and dirt, I could tell that the chrome and finish were otherwise in excellent condition. His father bought the kit for him used in 1975 and he gigged with it until the early eighties. At that point he got married and bought a house, the drum set went into his attic for the next thirty-three years.
It came with the hardware shown, a COB 4160 snare, a trap case, Gretsch embossed vinyl bags for the drums, a set of black label Paiste 2002 cymbals, and some other "cheap cymbals" that he didn't even bother to pull out of the case.
I told him that these were worth a good bit more than the $700 that he had them listed for. I had $1200 in my pocket, I wanted to play fair. I offered him the $1200 and told him that the kit was actually worth more than that. He said that they were listed for $750, not $700, but he only wanted $750 for them. He said that he saw other Gretsch kits on CL in that price range. I explained that the other kits that he had seen advertised had been imported kits with inexpensive cymbals. "No, $750 is fine."
We packed them up and loaded them in my car, I paid him the $750 and drove away. About ten minutes later my phone rang while I was driving, I answered it. It was the seller. He just went to take down the ad and saw that I was right, it was listed for $700. He apologized and said that if I'd turn around, he would give me back my $50, or he could mail me a check. I told him that I was fine with paying $750 and thanked him for his honesty.
When I got home and unpacked everything, I found that the "cheap cymbals" he included were actually a full set of 1970s Zildjian "A"s.
The kit cleaned up easily. I sold the Paistes immediately, I think that I got $500 for them. I gave some of the hardware away, and I used the kit as a four piece in my practice room for the next five years. In 2019 I sold the shell pack with the trap case and drum bags for $1500 when I ordered my Gretsch USA Custom shell bank. I still have the COB 4160 snare and the Zildjians.
This is the photo that he posted.
This is the kit after I cleaned it up. (Shown with an aluminum Gretsch snare.)
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Recently got an old Stage Custom kit for nothing. New heads and a few bits of hardware needed but they’re not too bad.
In '93, a non-drummer friend found a 12, 13, 16, 22 clear Vistalite set and a Gretsch 4105 beside the dumpster in his alley. He knew he could get at least $500 for them, but because I was a friend and broke, he gave them to me for $50. I still have them all.
DefJahms
New Member
Found a vintage B/O 6 ply Ludwig 22/12/13/16" for $250. Went to meet the guy at a storage unit and he never showed up and stopped answering the phone. I figured he must have discovered what they were worth and ghosted me.
The following day he called me up in the morning and was kind of weird on the phone with no real reason why he never showed, but he wound up driving to my job and selling them to me.
The following day he called me up in the morning and was kind of weird on the phone with no real reason why he never showed, but he wound up driving to my job and selling them to me.
Dzdrum
Well-Known Member
In the last 3 years:
$50 for one of first wood Dynasonics
$90 - 21” Turkish K with 9 rivets
$100 - shell pack 10,12,14,22 Pacific LX - made in Mexico kit from DW (one of the best sounding kits I have had!) I have DW Collectors, 1946 Slingerland Radio Kings, 1947 Gretsch Broadcaster, 1974 Ludwig 3-ply
$50 for one of first wood Dynasonics
$90 - 21” Turkish K with 9 rivets
$100 - shell pack 10,12,14,22 Pacific LX - made in Mexico kit from DW (one of the best sounding kits I have had!) I have DW Collectors, 1946 Slingerland Radio Kings, 1947 Gretsch Broadcaster, 1974 Ludwig 3-ply
