That is a tough question because it has a variety of answers. I will just say from my own experience there is a host of vintage sets from Slingerland, Ludwig, Gretsch, Leedy etc... I think at the moment the Gretsch sets are consistantly getting the top dollar.

Ludwig sets can range in price and a set in Ringo color and sizes can sky rocket into the many thousands of dollars. Slingerland sets in the Buddy Rich configuration and WMP also fetch a good dollar amount above what a standard set might cost.

All that being said if a vintage set is all original and in excellent condition no matter what color it is usually fairs better on the vintage drum market.

Champagne Sparkle is a consistant color in regards to resale that is still very popular. I would gather depending on condition and the actual sizes and the year of the set it could go between $800 and $1200.

Of course this is all speculative and just a guess. Without actually inspecting the drums and knowing the sizes it is almost impossible to price it out.

If it was really poor condition or had problems it could be worth $200 or $300.

The matching snare can be found and I have seen them on Ebay.

We have a dealer on the forum that is much better at value since he constantly buys and sells sets. His name is Steve Maxwell and he always has a nice selection of drums for sale.

He can also shed light on the topic especially if you provide the sizes and condition.

Hope that helps

David

I know a bit about vintage Ludwigs, too and I can say it like this...

Ludwig was THE American drum company. They made some good drums and they made some bad drums. Quality control was at times inconsistent with Ludwig whereas vintage 60's Rogers had much higher quality and consistency. However, Rogers and Ludwig drums sound different and I prefer the Ludwig sound...personal preference.

There is no "best" model, but I own a VERY rare matched red sparkle kit known as a Jazzette. It's vintage 1967 and has the keystone badges. What makes my kit especially rare is the bass drum which is a 12 X 18. They are very rare. I also have a matching "Downbeat" model red sparkle snare...again, this model is fairly rare, too. Even in "good" condition, a set like this would be off the radar...mine is in VERY good to excellent condition...only a few small scuffs on the bass drum...

What I'm trying to say is that condition is always most important but in some cases, the rarity of the model or the fact that the kit is matched (What I mean by "matched" is that the insides of the shells are all stamped with a similar date...also it helps if badge numbers are close in sequence.

Some drums like Black Beauties from the 20's are desireable Ludwig models. The Supra 400 in the 6.5" depth is a desireable model. Anything that's Ringo or Bonham related seems to command some higher prices.

Personally, I am not a big fan of champagne sparkle. I think it looks much less vibrant than the more common red and blue sparkles, but a sparkle finish is more desireable than a plain white or black cortex finish (usually) but probably not as desireable as a nice Oyster black or Oyster blue or Oyster PINK! (VERY rare).

I think the value estimates given above are fairly accurate for what you have described.

thanks so far for your comments. Instead of saying "best" model I should have used the term "top of the line" model. Possibly something equatable to a Broadkaster or Rogers Holiday, in that they are both the top of the line for the manufacturers. Hope that helps a little .

Thanks again,

PK

Here's my thought on some possibilities for this:

Ludwig Snare Drums:

Any 20s-30s era solid shell wood snares, especially in interesting colors. Figure on $650-$900 for the lacquer finish drums and up to a few thousand dollars if it is a rare color wrap such as rose marine, pea****, etc. Add more money if the hardware is artgold.

20s era heavy brass shell 8 or 10 lug 5x14 or 4x14, standard strainer for the 4x14 and standard, Super, or Super Sensitive for the 5x14. The standard strainer and Super strainer drums are highly sought after by jazz, classical, and many other artists. Figure anywhere from $500-$2000 depending on the model and the condition. Same shell as the black beauty and a lot less expensive since it is less ornate.

20s-30s black beauty SDs. Many different styles, sizes, engraving patterns. Figure on $1500 for a very rough drum up to several thousand for an extremely clean piece.

Circa 1940 solid shell 5x14 or 6.5x14 with Imperial lugs. Great drums. Figure $500-$1000

4x14 Downbeat SD from the 60s. Figure $350-$750 depending on color.

A really nice, clean WMP Jazz Festival from the 60s is always a nice drum to have. Figure $350-$475. Ditto for a nice Super Classic from the same era.

Drum Sets:

13/16/22 kits from the 60s are popular for rock and big band players. 50s era too. Figure $750-$900 depending on color and condition. Can't go wrong with WMP for big band guys, or silver sparkle in those sizes since that was Joe Morello's color. Champagne is good too. Also Black Diamond Pearl.

12/14/20 makes a nice jazz kit, but jazz players don't gravitate toward Ludwig in the same way that they do Gretsch. Figure on $850-$1000 depending on color and condition. Colors: WMP, champagne, BDP.

You don't have to spend a ton of money to have fun collecting, but, if you are collecting with the expectation of price appreciation you need to select carefully. For example, I used to know a fellow who would buy up tons of 8 lug Jazz Festivals thinking he'd make a killing on each one in a couple of years. I used to tell him not to do that. He'd have been be better off buying fewer drums, but buying more collectible ones. The reality is that the Jazz Fest snares were very common, so there are a lot of them still around. While some are clearly worth more than others (driven by color and condition), the reality is that common color Jazz Fest SDs in decent condition are worth about $300-$350 today, and in my opinion will not be worth significantly more than that any time soon just because they are fairly common. Rarity, originality, and overall condition will drive value, so if you were going to spend $2000 on vintage snares, I'd buy one or two rarer drums rather than 6 common ones. Most of all, be sure you have fun doing this. That's a key factor.

Steve

Hope this helps a bit.

Steve

Hello! been out of town! I do have a quit ion to ask! I have a Slingerland marching snare drum that I'm going to redo, 1973 I had it in high school dose any one know what the drum would be worth? it's in good shape but the chrome is sketched up form other guy's be for me, the drum may be older than I;m saying. It looks like the shell is 10 ply.

The old Ludwig top hat/cane finish is not the easiest to find.

heck i guess any of the above is pretty accurate for collect-ability and i think the key factor here is rarest and condition so if there are 500 jazz festivals out there and only 100 downbeats u gauge the prices accordingly and as the market dries up we will see what keeps getting recycled and what stops showing up for sale it will be a interesting look as these days go by to the future of drums and there value they will be a commodity to watch in this market and dont forget sentiment some drums money cant buy how do u value that good luck on your collecting

I used to tell him not to do that. He'd have been be better off buying fewer drums, but buying more collectible ones. The reality is that the Jazz Fest snares were very common, so there are a lot of them still around. While some are clearly worth more than others (driven by color and condition),