Dolfan on the site here is as close as you'll get to authority - I've been watching from a distance but don't have the experience. If it's in perfect nick I would have thought minimum 400 - 500 USD. I'm seeing Camco stuff in the right finish going for more than that. But the paucity of genuine Way collectors (so far) means you are competing against not that many people (I think). Like I said, I'm no definitive expert.

This is the type of situation that drives vintage gear higher than it should be.Ask yourself;Why you want it?..What is it worth,to you?..Do you have to have it to complete a kit,or just for the heck of it?....If you must have it,offer him your best shot,cash,right NOW!....The product creates the market,and you are the target market for this drum...good luck.

That drum is truly gorgeous...I wouldn't be surprised if it tops $1000.

The red & black duco is the one to have. That finish screams George Way. Expect to pay around $500-$600 for a nice one. I paid $375 for a really nice one in blue & silver from Donn Bennett's recently. When you consider that these are 6 lug drums and most don't sound very good, you are definitely buying these as a collectable. I have 3 George Way 6 lug snare drums and only one sounds good but it is a rare 6x14 instead of the standard 5x14. BTW George Way didn't start making drums until 1957 so it would be late 50's or early 60's. I can pin point the date on a '57 or a '61 George Way snare drum according to the strainer. All others fall between those years as George didn't date stamp.

If it's the one that's up on Ebay right now, that one is a '57.

somebody multi sniped at the end of the auction trying to work a low ball and then gave up leaving the winner with a very expensive drum. The Don Bennett piece, who is usually on the high side, sounds like a much better deal. Is red black a more rare finish?

Gary

Gary,

I see you're the one with the very expensive drum. That auction had a $1000 buy it now originally so you could always look at it as you saved $140. Red & black duco is not really a rare finish as I've seen more of those than any other duco on a GW drum. Finding a George Way drum is the rare part. That's a real clean one with the original parts all intact. You did OK.

Nice looking drum.

I spent for it because it was George Way and looked to be in great shape. I've seen the Camco's go very high and figured my bid had to exceed where it eventually sold. You just hate to see someone wail away at the auction to the tune of a $300 range in the last minute, but that's life. Perhaps my grand kids (my kids are in grammar school) may be able to turn a profit on it some day (of course their cost will be zero). My experience is that six lug drums sound very funky with great variation in the sounds you can get by striking them in different places.

What I especially would like to find is a white pearl Camco LA Aristocrat snare. I've been flirting with trying to get any wood LA Aristocrat and taking the wrap off of a white pearl Oaklawn Tuxedo I have and using it to recover the Aristocrat. I'm sure the hole differences will make that tricky and time consuming, but I would like to get a snare to go with a white pearl LA Camco Aristocrat 3 piece set I have (posted in the gallery with the tuxedo snare).

Don't do it! One will eventually come your WAY. Somewhere someone is looking for that Oaklawn Tuxedo snare in WMP to finish off their kit.