Yeah, I agree. Nobody involved in big business cares about history or worries about quality (as long as it's good enough). It's always about the bottom line and making something look as good for as cheap as possible. Once junk becomes the standard, then it's just a matter of adding some plating and engraving to determine a price point, i.e., which junk costs more -or is limited edition junk.
My policy is to buy vintage things that were made during a time of life when things like quality and craftsmanship still existed -as opposed to the mass-manufactured Chinese-made junk of today's business bottom line. It's also more eco-friendly to buy vintage items because they don't create any additional pollution to make -since they're already made! ;). And, when you buy vintage American items, you really are buying an American-made item.
Actually, the idea about coffee mugs and promo items is probably the best idea of all because that's what modern business has been reduced to - an advertising competition.
I'll try to get off the soapbox after this, but it just kills me about the Legacy series drums. First of all, the intention was to recreate the famed 3-ply shells. But, they didn't do that. instead they made them perfectly round and tight and as smooth as a baby's bottom. Secondly, when they released them, they didn't use traditional sizes associated with the 3-ply era and they didn't offer a vintage hardware package. Thirdly, they priced them at nearly five times the price of what real, vintage example of the same drum would sell for in the vintage drum buying market. So, in the end, what was accomplished by that? I don't get it.
That's why I say I don't know what to expect from Ludwig these days. It seems like they just roll the dice and make random decisions hoping for the best.
The Ludwig I know and love is available at this website much more so than it is at Ludwig.:2Cents: