Mostly with vintage kits, you are going to get a range of serial numbers in the same kit. Its just how things were done then. For instance in a 69 early Fullerton Rogers....... you can find a kit that was purchased new, original owner, that will have a no border Powertone Fullerton tag, speckled interior. A Holiday Dayton tag, same speckled interior, A Holiday Cleveland tag, again same speckled interior, and possibly a Powertone snare with a Dayton tag, and slightly different speckled interior. Because of the interior you can know that kit came together (and of course the original owner provenance). Cleveland drums never had a speckled gray interior. And Cleveland drums were not produced in Fullerton. But there was a wad of tags that got used early on in the start up of production in Fullerton CA.

They werent focussed on 2001, 2001, 2003, 2004 series of numbers in kits that went out, because they werent necessarily building kits. They were filling orders and building drums.

I am very fortunate to have a Rogers 1964 Cleveland kit with serials in a span of 62 between the three drums. But thats kind of rare. My 66 Dayton kit, has two dayton tag drums, and one tagged Cleveland. again, an original kit. I added a 14x14 FT that just happened to be in the exact range as the two Dayton tagged drums.

For me, the numbers mean a lot -in terms of the way I collect. I collect vintage Ludwig (mostly) kits and I see the numbers as being indicative of a drum set that left the factory as a "family" and stayed together as one.

I guess it's the fact that the togetherness of matched kits is often compromised over the course of time for one reason or another...like the example you gave...that makes some kits more desirable than others. It's not necessarily anyone's fault. These things happen!Burger Kin However, I always try to collect the most-complete and closely-matched kits I can find.

Your grouping of drums (20/12/13/16) doesn't form any named Ludwig configuration, either, so that makes them less-desirable to a collector. If, for example, you had a 14 X 14 floor tom, then you could make a "Downbeat" configuration with the 20 and the 12. Or, you could make a "Super Classic" if you got the 22" bass drum and hooked it up with the 13 and the 16...Or, if you had the 22" bass drum, you could make a "Big Beat" with all of the drums.

"Matching" is the key word for me when I look for collectible kits. Your numbers are pretty close!

Thanks for the excellent explanations guys - they make sense but I didn't bid on the 22" bass - opted for peace on the home front instead...for now.