Also, that wrap doesn't seem to have any of the shimmer of authentic '60s oyster black pearl. It looks more like the modern wrap you see, which I have on my own custom kit built in 2004.

I have been monitoring Ebay for a 9x13 vintage luddy for over a month. it is unbelievable the price some people ask. Most of them auction end and then they re-post. Some post with a very low ball price and a huge shipping charges. I have seen a shell with no wrap no badge no lugs claimed was a 70's luddy and was asking $45 + $55 for shipping.... crazyyyy..

In a way it makes you appreciate what you have.

This "Ringo" kit has been offered many times, with no takers. Still, it's a very noble attempt to recreate a very nice kit. When I looked at all that went into it, you'd be hard pressed to find all the included hardware and cymbals in one place. I was impressed that the builder used the correct Swivo mounts. Many users might choose the angled mount for the bass drum, but the included "straight" mount is correct. The Buck Rogers snare stand and 1123 hi hat are sometimes difficult to obtain in good condition. Yes, this is a re-wrap and will never look like the 60's version, but it's still a good enough version for a Ringo kit. And, it appears to have been installed very well, too. For anyone who needs/wants to replicate a Ringo kit, this offering is really nice. And, they are asking for Best Offer, so there may be some decent negotiating to be done. Factor in that the kit has been listed many times, I would think the seller may be motivated to sell!

-Mark

Nicely done but I wouldn't expect an original kit to sell for that much...although with a "real" OBP Jazzfest included it might come close to 2/3rds that amount.

Not everyone in the market for these kits are drummers so the seller may hope that someone just wanting a very nice display kit might pony up that much dough (or a good percentage of it) for a set with all the right details and having one stop shopping to boot rather than having to hunt down the various correct hardware bits.

The repro wrap looks good within its own context. If you compare it directly with the original the difference is plain but on its own it looks like it should.

I have the real deal and I wouldn't expect to get anything close to that for mine (although they are definitely not for sale) due to some small condition issues. Ringo's actual drums have some of these same issues and if a potential buyer didn't know they were the actual drums they'd probably quibble quite a bit about those to get the price down. Any of that is hidden on a rewrap so someone just looking for a nice set might prefer them.

my set...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgSoig47PY"]Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl Ringo Starr Beatles Style Drum Kit walk-around - YouTube[/ame]

Thanks for the insight, y'all. I could see them being the focal point of a shop where they'd encourage an impulse buy from the right kind of buyer, but for the informed vintage buyer making the rounds on eBay I can't imagine anyone reconciling the difference in price when you see comparable kits for a quarter of the cost... or less.

But the more I look the more I realize everyone has a different idea of what they have and what it's worth. It makes doing business with people who know their stuff all the more valuable.