The "Ludwig" kit seems like a mongrel kit...

The "Pearl"? Hmmm...

I know what you mean, and in the age of the internet, you'd think that fewer people would be sucked in; however, you know what P.T. Barnum famously said...

I figured you'd get better deals out east - yikes! Hope that 'Ludwig' includes all the cymbals and hardware for that outlandish price. The snare on the Pearls looks like a close match to the kit I bought yesterday... for $150.

Were it not for the butchered BD, I'd say the Pearl kit is interesting at least.

OK, Ad #2...first of all, the snare is a mis-match (maybe nothing more than the wrap) but other than that is a straight ad. Too high? You betcha...there is nothing else wrong that I can see, they are indeed Pearl and yes, Presidents, as the badges state. The shells are called "phenolic", mostly fiberglass and some wood fibre mixed all up to make a really nice shell, and louder than all "gitout"

Ad #1 is a stupid ad. The bass (in the photo appears to be) a Ludwig, however it would be a marching bass. The toms are Pearl, the one the stand, in the foreground from around 72-ish, and the other is one of the most egregiously mis-advertised pieces of dung types of drums ever produced. These are the ones that have the "diamond" lugs and far too many sellers call them an incredible number of foolish names and insist they are "sweet"....(they are constructed of goodness knows what kind of wood, although it is real wood from some kind of unidentified Asian tree from Taiwan, likely basswood, whatever that is...)

Is this kit over priced? Yeah, by about $2850....IMHO, and I'm not all that humble where pricing is

concerned.

My own mantra, written and copywritten all by my simple minded self....

Ignorance may be overcome by simple education. Stupidity, however, is a lifelong endeavor...""

a case of one ad showing what they ARE, one hiding what they ARE NOT

the "ARE NOT" ones always rely on clever framing (which is what gives them away)

The Pearls might be a nice kit, with a lot of work, but obviously modified, and definitely overpriced. The "Ludwigs" are just straight up WRONG. Not that real Ludwigs aren't worth some high prices, but even if they were all original, they would still be overpriced. For those that push the envelope for prices on these old kits, well....if they do it honestly, there are buyers out there that will pay for what they want. I just hate to see the less knowledgeable get duped into some piece of crap. Not that anyone will pay those prices......I hope!