I don't remember the 50's but I do the 60's.

My sister got my kit in 77 and I had my hands on it in 81 or 82,ish, so since then, it's done the same thing as me, aged well.

First kit was a Japanese Kimberly blue sparkle (bass tom and snare) in the early 70s. Added some random Gretsch pieces. Moved to a nice white 6 piece Premier kit in the mid 70s. Still have that but rewrapped in chrome and added another bass drum and tom. Got a second set-mid 70s 5 piece Slingerland in Violin red a few years ago. But then there are the snare drums....

Erich

Refined.....

I felt lucky to have gotten any drum set at all. Where I grew up, you basically had the choice of inheriting the ranch or working for the guy who inherited the ranch.

I wanted a Ludwig kit more than anything when I was a kid. I got a Tempro kit, instead. And, honestly, it was the best drum set ever. I couldn't even sleep at night when I got that kit. I played it from the time I was 10 until I was 15 and I even did my first gigs with it.

Then I got a Rogers Memriloc kit. That was my working kit forever.

I got the collecting bug back around the late 90's and started to wheel and deal for the kits and drums I wanted. I think I have something like 7 kits now -mostly jazz sizes and mostly Ludwig with a few oddballs thrown in. I don't really play any of them anymore. I just have them in cases and I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. No one is wealthy enough to afford my prices to sell them...heheh hehe

Less and smaller drums,more cymbals.

1st set (after two years of snare lessons) in 1970

and 2022 a few days ago;

Lot of time, notes, evolution in-between

Joe...what brand was that good-looking black diamond pearl set?

You know it buddy; found those (well my dad and his musician buddy friend did for me)

Around 1964-ish Ludwig BDP 20/12/12/16/supra...cases, stands, 20/18/14s Zildjians.... $225.. )

I say 63-4ish because the Twin Tom Mount was the "slide-clip" style with the "black wood block" stabilizer in-between.

some were white interior some were clear Keystone Badge Ludwigs

another pic

(messin with contact paper on the bass ; little day-glo on snare head; and a "bicycle accident (quickly recovered;

rare to see -20- 12/12/16/Sup- today- usually they are 22's..

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Never strayed (maybe briefly once) from a 5 piece single bass

1977: What eventually became known as Slingerland's "Country Road" set (white 13-14-15-16 concert toms; 18" FT, 24" virgin bass + 8-lug Zoomatic ... one superb 16" A Zildjian thin crash, an awful 18" Camber, and a set of 14" A Zildjian New Beats that I still have). Way too much kit for a 15-year-old newbie, but the seller was motivated.

1982: Had bottom heads installed on the 14" and 15" toms and a Tama center mount installed on the bass. No comments, please: vintage drums weren't a thing then.

Acquired a fuller set of cymbals over that period, including a 20" Paiste 2002 China Type as a high school graduation gift (inspired by Terry Bozzio on "Honey, Don't You Want a Man Like Me?" from Zappa Live in New York), 17" and 18" A Zildjian brilliant thin crashes, and a 22" Sabian HH Leopard Ride.

2001: Hot Red Yamaha Recording Custom (10-12-14-22) bought used from Mike's Drum Shop in Santa Barbara, CA. The Slingerland kit was too large for the venues I was playing at.

2005: Donated the Slingerland kit to a New Orleans musician who lost his gear in Hurricane Katrina. Drove it out there along with a van full of other gear, rewarded with tickets to the Voodoo Fest which featured a reunion of The Meters ... I was 20 feet from Ziggy.

2010: Slingerland 50N (12-13-16-22) in Blakrome (fantasy finish since high school). First of 8 similar kits in various finishes (see details in my signature).

2014: Traded the Yamahas for the the 50N in black diamond pearl.

Since 2010, accumulated a bunch of snares and cymbals. Most recent: 5x14 10-lug Slingerland snare (Rapid strainer, silver sparkle).

Current A-team cymbal set: 14" A Zildjian New Beat HH (1977) or 14" Paiste Sound Creation Dark Sound-Edge HH; 11" Sabian AAX O-Zone Splash 2005 prototype; 17" A Custom thin crash; 17" K Zildjian medium-thin crash; 18" K Zildjian thin crash; 18" Sabian HHX Chinese 2005 prototype; 22" Paiste 2002 Medium.

Unless a sweet deal arises on a 50N in white marine pearl or aqua satin flame, my buying days are probably over.