Funny Post But true! I've packed and shipped many kits over the years. Being "older" now, the entire packing process just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I have one kit that I packed up some months ago in anticipation of a sale. It's just allot of work! I completely understand about widening the buyer circle by offering overseas shipping. I've shipped a few snare drums overseas, but, again, just too much work with all the paperwork required. If this was my business, sure, I'd do it. Once I do decide to list some of my kits, I know there will be plenty of buyers in SoCal that would enjoy them. It's really a matter of getting them listed!

-Mark

I think the hard truth is that musical instruments in general aren't selling like they used to. The genX'ers were really the last big jolt for the industry. All those guys like me that grew up listening to hard rock and metal bands of the 80's, the guys that were into funk and pop, basically the bands that were actually musicians and not "artists", were the ones even if we weren't going to be professional musicians wanted gear like our heroes. The next generation grew up on music that used samplers, drum machines and turntables. With that growing smaller every year, the vintage market will shrink as well. Then take into consideration that the vintage drum value is typically a quarter of vintage guitars and amps.

If you are into vintage drums for money, you have chosen the worst reason to be here.

You gotta love them.

I've sold a vintage snare 3 years ago, locally, to a 30 some year old guy who was buying it as an investment. He explained to me that he was buying up all the nice valuable drums as an investment for his kids. He said he had a cheapo kit setup for them to play with, but the real deal was leaving them a loot of vintage drums to sell in the future.

He seemed convinced that vintage drum prices would catch up with vintage guitar prices.

That'd be great, I have a few primo kits to sell.

Otherwise the local market is sad. I sold a 24" 50s Leedy bass drum in amazing condition to a guy who didn't care, didn't know, just wanted a 24" bass drum... I almost said no.

I think that lots of people thought already in the 1980s that live music will die out because of electronics.

So far, it didn't.

I'm a millenial. I know a bunch of people who do electronic music or hip-hop, some of those went over to that from playing an instrument, but I know even more of those who still play.

I know a girl who's an amazing jazz bass player. She's younger than me.

I don't think live music will die out, the thrill of actually playing is too big. It will wax and wane and change (the guitar might give way to something new, much like the saxophone did), but I'm convinced that it will endure.

If not, I know I will keep playing.

But you're right - you gotta love them.

I'm buying AND loving them, playing them, taking care of them till the next fortunate soul comes along I think is worthy to have them.

Until then I will contnue to be a caretaker of all my beautiful drums.

I was NEVER in this to make any cash, only music.

So when the time comes, I guess I'll decide on what a sell price should be. But that wont be for quite some time.

My latest & one of my greatest finds just arrived over the weekend.

Only 2 kits left on the bucket list. :-)

I've been a bass player for many years, now in my 40's and recently switched to drums. Loving it and should have bought a kit years ago. Play some guitar too. All of my Basses, guitars and amps are vintage. I just like old stuff. My kit is too, a Vox/Trixon from 66-67. I see it like this.... Space is not a problem but really how many drum kits do I need ? I love my Vox, it's well made and sounds good to me, I restored it myself so there is pride of ownership, It's the one kit that I always wanted (I'm a Vox fan) and it does everything I need it to. It has a wood snare so I just went and got a (vintage Vox) steel snare so I would have that tone variation for recording but nobody switches their snare when playing live at some local dive bar or at practise for those songs so I'm used to all of our songs with the wood snare sound anyway. I don't even always get to use the rest of my own kit. Does my bass drum even sound more than generic after the sound guy has EQ'd it for the crappy basement room I'm playing in ? Maybe if I played in 2 different bands with 2 vastly different styles of music I would need one kit for each, but if I had to pick one kit, it would be my Vox, any other kit would sit in my basement and get played maybe occasionally, multiple kits and some would basically never get used ever. My basement is a decent size, but not more than 2 drum kits comfortably big. Lots of nice kits out there that would be nice to own, but it's a very low priority to have that much money not being enjoyed. I don't have a lot of stringed instruments either, but instead of owning many, I own my dream ones. As far as value goes, I always say that my vintage instruments are entirely worthless. I bought them because I love them and don't expect to be selling them in my lifetime. My daughter can worry about it some time after I'm too dead to care about money anymore.

I have had zero problems selling. In most cases making a little extra to go after more kits. All depends on how long you can sit on gear I guess.

As you all know i restore drums i dont collect so apart from a few goto snares and 2 kits thats it the rest gets sold. I do very well on ebay. Im renovating arbiter autotune kits george hayman kits premier kits olympic kits john grey kits. Plus a whole host of snare drums from 1930's to present day. Lots of ajax zyn zildjian paiste cymbals from as far back as the 1920's. Mainly british as i live in the UK and i get them in allsorts of alley ways plus i get em all cheap. My main buyers for all these drums are from the USA as my shipping rates plus insurance are honest and packing is the best you can get. Yes the paper workk etcetc easy as pie. I also declare as a gift cutting customs out under $800. All the drums are to a top class standard once finished. Also i bought a tama imperialstar recently 1976 blue metallic 22 13 14 16 plus snare complete with original hardware for less than £70 Gave it all to my grandson to learn to play on. I sold all the cymbals and cases and quadruppled my investment. Im all about giving even to others who have nothing. Snares kits and cymbals. Ebay is a great tool for me. Id love to branch out on the ludwig trail but its the british stuff that is bringing me my profits at the moment. Lots of barn finds loft finds you name it. Another tip to buy cheap top brand kits is to type in ebay "DRUMS" dont put the word vintage. Most people have a kit in the loft or cellar thats been there for ever. So to sum up keep looking not hard to bag a bargain smarten the drum/drums up sell on ebay worldwide and go to local retail outlets who give you tons of cardboard and bubble wrap free as it only gets recycled. All you guys who are collectors i applaud you on all the drums you have. My way is this have a couple of kits you love plus cymbals and harware. Everything else sell on and also give stuff away to others who cant afford anything. If anyone on VDF ever needs anything mainly british let me know and ill get it for you and ship worldwide. I even have a customer in iceland......sean

I think Manny may be the beneficiary of the way he markets his drums, which seems to be more in the social media realm. That market gets a lot more attention and probably zero fees. Manny, do I read it correctly?

Dan,

Yes I mainly sell using social media although to be honest other sellers have a much better overall presence (Chris, Hawthorne Drums, and so on) but I use the most effective approach as I have two other full time businesses and my other work which some of you know.

The problems with eBay or Reverb is the lack of quick feedback and fees. Social media allows you to better direct who you want to sell to. I should note in my younger years I worked marketing for an IT startup so had a great real world experience with marketing and sales. All that said I will keep a kit or two online just for presence; in reality the smallest percentage of my sales come from eBay.