It's a somewhat ambiguous term when it comes down to it. Generally, anything from 1980 or under, is the vintage category for drums....and the 80's is kinda pushing it for American-made drums.

Certain styles would also fall under the vintage moniker -"melodic" toms, for example. Double-bass kits with a string of tom toms would likely be considered as a vintage style kit.

Sometimes, discontinued brand names or specific models might also fall under "vintage" even though they might not be terribly old.

Vintage is usually 25 years or older.

Collectable is another matter.

“Vintage” just means “of a certain age.” My 2007 car is “of a 2007 vintage.”

When referring to drums, vintage doesn’t have a specific number of years that act as a cutoff that changes every year (“I can’t wait until 2023–that’s when my 1998 DW kit becomes vintage!”) It would appear that the general consensus around here, from what I gather, is that “vintage” drums are from a time when Ludwigs were 3-ply and Gretschs had round badges, although I’m sure some people consider some of the newer kits to be of the vintage era as well, like 6-ply Ludwigs and Stopsign badge Gretschs…

I kinda like this analogy. Maybe it may help drum value get better because it’s vintage (25 yrs. or older). A hot more collectible item brings it up even more although collectible could be new or old I guess.

I think it has to do with things that aren't made anymore....or aren't made in the same "old" way....at least when it comes to drums. And for this reason, drums that were made in America from American-made parts, are considered vintage. I suppose the same thing could be said for each country -the drums were built IN the country of origin and BY the citizens of that country. There was a "purity" to the styles of drums made in their respective countries.

Now, by comparison, everything is more ****genous. All the "secrets" of one manufacturer became known to the other and the subsequent products reflect that fact -Memory locks came from "MemriLoc" designed by Rogers...a few years later, everyone had a version of their own. And vintage drum manufacturers also always had their own line of hardware -not Gibraltar or similar, third-party company.When I think of vintage in terms of drums, I usually use that as a delineation.

Merriam Webster defines vintage, in part, by these words:

"..of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality : CLASSIC"

If I recall correctly, this began to be a phenomenon in drums sometime in the late 80's/ early 90's. At that time, drums from either or those two decades would not have been considered of old, recognized of enduring interest, importance or quality and therefore not classic. I don't recall anything much beyond the early 70's as fitting that kind of definition. Other aspects making something vintage can include things such as feel and smell. Many of you will recall pulling the head off an as-yet never opened Rogers drum with the flat grey paint inside - a drum that saw little use and still wore it's original heads. If it didn't smell of smoke, it smelled of old paint. That is a very particular olfactory reaction that was provided by a manufacturing technique during a period of ten years or less. That is a very vintage quality not unlike what we sense opening a vintage bottle of wine.

These drums have for some time been recognized, are of enduring interest, importance and quality, all which translated to a specific look and sound. It was the sound heard originally in jazz, big band. blues and rock 'n rock like that which came out of Motown and the British Invasion.

After that period, bigger drums with different type shells and heads changed the music with both a different look and sound.

If memory serves me correctly when I started World War Three ten years ago when I asked this same question on here, it was something about the old growth trees and the sonic qualities of that old lumber, due to tighter growth rings of the older trees vs the modern drums that use wood with much looser grain. Not making that up if it sounds ridiculous. It's on here somewhere. Hahaha

The most common answer I got was it's up to the buyer what they consider vintage. Some dudes don't consider anything not American as vintage. Some dig old Japanese and English vintage drums.

Then the age of the person answering is a factor. Old dudes, guess I'm about included in that now too, lol, that were alive when the OGs we're still playing those Ludwig's and Slingerlands classify vintage much differently than a younger cat who thinks Travis Barkers original kit is vintage as hell. Lol

It's a fun topic nevertheless. Much like women though, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

there's two ways to define this

One is take the point in time 'we are in right now and go back 25 or 30 years and call say a Pearl Export from 1989 vintage.

The Other is to go back to the start of not caveman but of drum making and come forward and define a time period- say 1938 to 1975 as "Vintage" . Prior-1938 could be called "Primitive". After 1975 could be called "Modern". After 2010- could be "post-Modern".

Forever categories. In essence unmovable.

So there's two ways. One moves constantly and the other's unmovable.

That's why everyone is confused or cross argue

which method

~

Nailed it Joe!