An older friend I go to church with's boyfriend had a kit apparently she thought I might have thought was cool. Turns out it was a transition badge red sparkle kit in 13,16,24. I got it for 200 and sold it for much more.
I also picked up a clear interior 1969 sky blue pearl kit in 12,13,16,22 for 500 I doubled my money on.
Still looking for my garage sale black beauty. :)
My current Pearl kit with matching snare was free after some wheeling and dealing of other free parts and pieces I collected over time. I could have got all the period correct stands with it, but I opted out...they would just collect dust in the basement as this is my player.
I traded some other free stuff for a nasty lookin early 80's Pearl 24" kick drum that had a big bag of weed under the pillow. It was a huge bag, all dried out...made me laugh though! Laughing H I played that kick for a few months before trading it with some other stuff for my Pearl kit.
I traded a $50 cigar box guitar for a '65 WMP Ludwig snare with case in mint condition from my friend. I ended up putting a hot P-90 pickup in it, and a new pot. More than anything, he wanted to see it used on stage. In the end, we are both happy.
My first vintage kit (to me) that I recently remembered was free after an afternoon of labor. A set of black and white badge Ludwigs wrapped in white. At the time I was not interested in the drums so much, just the cymbals. Sabian B8 Pro high hats, super old Zil ride, and some funny looking British thin crash. I wish I would have kept it all. Sold the shells to GC for $200, broke the crash, gave the stands away with some other kits over time, traded the snare, kept the ride and high hats though. Well worth it.
Current project is a bunch of blue and olive badge Ludwig marching drums that were free with either the 28" drum (purchased for $20), or the '59 Ludwig 26" drum that was free...all in gold sparkle.
Other than that, I got some smokin deals on newer low level gear that I rehab and give away, either in kits or piece by piece. I thought I had someone interested in this PDP kit that I salvaged, re-skinned, and currently let sit on my shelf. I tried to get in good with the local music pawn by offering drum kit tune ups and minor repair for free...mainly so I could get the first crack at any vintage gear he gets through...which is a lot.
I believe these are my best deals so far: A 70's Premier 5 1/2 x 14 Model 2000 snare with the parallel strainer for $75, and a 70's Slingerland Buddy Rich 10 lug 6 1/2 x 14 snare for $150.
Here's a fun one: I went to Goodwill a couple of years ago, and saw a hi hat stand with hi hats in the corner by the skis. I took a look at the tag...$60. I examine the hats, and it's a pair of 70s New Beats. Kinda cool, and one of my students could probably use them, so I throw down some change on 'em, and quickly sell the hat stand for $35. I look at the hats again, and realize that they're both New Beat Bottom Hats. Crap. But, the next day I went to a nearby pawn shop, and there on a stand with some junky entry-level kit is a set of hats in a similar dirty condition as the other two I had bought. I look at 'em, and sure enough, it's two New Beat Top Hats. I convince the shop owner that somebody looking at the drum kit will probably want some hi hats that match the Sabian B8 crash and ride cymbals on it and not these dirty old cymbals, and looky here...here are some behind the counter! So, long story short, we get to talking, and he offers me the dingy old cymbals for $30. I take them home, and find matching initial engravings under each of the bells. Case closed. Oh, except I didn't like either set, so I sold them for something like $150 each pair.
