WARNING: If you like buying dirty, beat up, unoriginal drums, with lots of “character”, this is not the place!
My misson statement… A promise, of things, I have never, and will never, do:
I will NEVER break up a “real” set of drums! I don’t care if I can easily sell the mega rare snare drum, out of a 3 piece polka set, quickly & easily. If it came together, & is all in, good, original, condition… IT STAYS TOGETHER!!!
I will NEVER peel an original wrap off a an original, “no extra holes”, shell! NEVER!!! I really don’t like to deal with rewrapped, anything, anyway…
I will NEVER disassemble an original drum, to try to get more money out of it! If you want it, you will pay what it’s worth, in 1 piece.
Generally speaking, I do no harm, & respect history… I hope you can appreciate that, as well…
All items have been professionally inspected, disassembled, cleaned, in & out, by hand, & cared for, by me. My cleaning process is extremely rigorous & time consuming. I do all the work, so you don’t have to. Better to leave it to me! It saves you time & you know it was done “RIGHT”! Nobody does it better than I do, if they do it at all! One might say, my drums have been, “professionally & historically preserved”! Take a rare look inside 1 of my drums, to see what I mean, when I say clean in & out! I’m very picky, & extremely knowledgeable, which helps you! In fact, it’s part of what you pay for. Even if you don’t know what’s original, I do. Down to every last washer, for every last era, of just about, every brand! I make sure, you know, what you are buying. Not like a lot of the drum butchering, no clue having, “dealers”, out there. Some things you really need to know what to look for. You have no idea how much knowledge goes into that. Don’t feel bad though, it’s not your job to… It’s mine. Besides, MOST dealers, don’t either. Just because they own a shop, wrote a book, or own a lot of drums, doesn’t mean they know these things. I’ve dealt with many of the, so called, “authorities”, & have often been disappointed. Honestly, some of the most notable, have been among the worst. I generally don’t like to buy drums that have been touched by “the business”, though. I just don’t trust these people enough, to know what they are really selling. You’d be surprised at the subtlties of certain things. If your drums aren’t, EXACTLY, as they should be, they aren’t worth as much! PERIOD! If you are, at all, interested in investment potential, etc., authenticity & condition, ARE KING! Also, because I take the drums apart, I’ve seen to it, that every part is original and functioning well, or not. In most cases, everything I have is original. If not, I will be sure to inform you before the sale. Fortunately, for you, I’m an over observant, anal retentive, freak, that gets off on noticing slight nuances in manufacturing, parts, etc.! I’ve handled tons of drums, since I started buying & selling at age 15, since about 1985, noticing & learning many little things, over the many years. Things you really have to be looking for, & have many other drums on hand, & a good memory, to compare to! It’s been rather fun, actually! For me anyway… I was also brought up by parents, who are antique dealers. So, I grew up, being dragged to every auction, antique show, & flea market, you could imagine, from a very young age… I was buying, selling & trading, as long as I can remember, & was running my parents antique store, by the time I was in my teens. It wasn’t always fun, but it taught me A LOT, & it set me on the course for what I do. It also gave me a lot of insight into, all things, vintage or antique, that I just don’t think most dealers have. Lets face it, most of us, “just like old drums”… Me included, but I think my background, does set me apart.
Back to my drums! If I like it, I’m pretty sure you will too. I can’t think of any of them, that I wouldn’t love to keep, if it was only possible. I often regret selling them… However, space just doesn’t permit keeping, everything I take in. Even still, I treat all of them like my own. After all, technically, for now, they are…
All items are in the best possible condition & closest to new, as can be. Ready to take on the next gig, right out of the box! Unless otherwise stated. I have yet to find anyone else offering, truly 100% restored, vintage drums. They usually can’t afford to put the time in, so you get them, the way they got them… Dirty, & often, chock full, of incorrect parts. Trust me, I know, I’ve bought from them all! Sorry, I won’t name names, but they know who they are. I can honestly say, I’ve yet to receive a drum, I didn’t end up making better, through, AT LEAST, some degree of detailing work, & setup overhaul. Most need way more than that, but I do whatever it takes, to get them back to their former glory! It can be very tedious, time consuming, work, but in the end, it’s always worth it! It’s an honor, to be custodian, to these beautiful treasures, both visually & sonically!
Items are graded from: Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Mint. Although, you won’t find many items, in less than excellent condition! In fact, a lot of my items are “1 owner”, or N.O.S.! Also, items may receive a + or a -, to show that it leans more toward one side of that rating. Ratings are based on what I find to be “typical” to any given item. I see many, of most, of the items I carry, so I know what to expect, as far as wear or aging, to any given piece or brand.
All items described as 100% original, are, 100% original, including heads, snares, etc. As you will see, most of my drums are completely original, other than the heads, & or, snares. In some cases, to make a drum playable again, “repro”, or “aftermarket”, parts are used. If an item is listed as having repro parts, it means they are very close in appearance, to the factory original. Aftermarket, means functional, but not necessarily similar looking, to the original part.
Drum heads & snare wires, are only mentioned, if they are original. Otherwise, they are “as found”. Usually, good usable condition. I try to match heads on sets, so they’re playable, whenever possible. Single drums tend to get the “throw away” heads. Most people are buying singles, to add to an existing set, & will likely, want to change them, to match their setup.
I try to list all the pertinent “general informationon” for each piece, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be happy to go into great detail about the condition, or attributes, of any of my items.
Items listed as “pic coming soon”, are on route, or being worked on. If there is something you want to see, that says this, let me know. I may be able to speed things up. Sometimes I get sidetracked…
This site has been up for 20 years now… It was made using 4, and counting, different cameras. You’ll probably notice, some pics are much nicer, than others. If you see something you like, but would like an updated pic, please let me know. I’ll be happy to retake it, if it is lesser quality, than what I’m now capable of, or if you just want more views, closeups, bigger files, etc. Also, let me know if any of the pics aren’t coming up.
If you’re looking for a certain item that I don’t currently have… Email me. I’ll be happy to keep an eye out for you. Please fill in the subject line, with the item you want(ie: 60’s Ludwig, mod orange, 14″ floor tom), for easy filing. It makes a big difference whether I’ll be able to find you, when I find the item you’re looking for. It also helps, when you are inquiring on an item I have. My inbox can get pretty crazy looking!
Prices are subject to change, without notice, & do not include shipping. I will ship anything, anywhere, on the planet Earth! Email me for a shipping quote, if something interests you. Please include your zip code or country.
Satisfaction guaranteed! If you don’t feel my items are worth every penny, email me right away(Must be within 24 hours of delivery time.), send it back in the condition it was received(I will know, so no funny business, or no refund!), & I’ll give you a refund, minus the shipping charges! Now, after 20+ years, it is amazing, & I feel honored, to be able to say, I have never been asked for a refund! I, also, have many repeat customers! I’d like to, publicly, take the time to say, Thank You!, to all my great customers, over the past 20 years! You don’t know, how much your happiness, means to me!!!
If you’re interested in something, but need time to get up the $$$, PLEASE, let me know. I know how hard it is to find that “just right” item, & I really don’t want you to miss out on having it! It’s 1 of my greatest joys, in serving you! I’m very easy to work with, & do offer, very relaxed, Lay Away!
I also offer a quick & inexpensive appraisal service! Items are appraised at full retail value. Email me for details, if you’re interested in this service.
If you’ve got something to sell, always check with me first! While there are items I already have, or come across easily, that I may not be willing to shell out big $$$ for… When it comes to something I really have to have, I promise, there’s nobody paying more. I have, in the past, & can, afford to buy, from dealers, at their “retail” prices. Think about it, & don’t be fooled. If I pay their prices, what are they willing to give you? Figure a 1/4 of what they sell for. If you’re very lucky, & found a reasonable dealer! That’s basically rule of thumb for 2nd hand collectibles. They often aren’t “retailing” at top dollar, so that means you don’t get the “wholesale” top dollar price. I pay the most, PERIOD! You’d have to be pretty well connected to do better. It would have to be a private sale, to a true collector, to get more, & that’s provided, he’s honest with you…
Item rentals for recording, video/photo shoots, movies, etc., will be considered, on a case by case basis. Please feel free, to email me, to discuss your needs.
Please bookmark the site, & visit often. I’m always looking to buy, & receive, new merchandise, all the time! Best to go to “add to favorites” on top tool bar of your browser, since there are actually, 3 separate frames, running. If you’re having trouble viewing all the links on the home page, try setting your monitor resolution higher. That will usually fix it.
I ask, that you not use my pics on other sites or auctions… I will see it! I take great offense to this, as people may think it’s me, selling some of the drums from my site. That IS NOT cool! I very rarely sell drums, or parts, anywhere, but here. If I do see my pics used somewhere, other than www.VintageDrums.com, I’ll be sure to let everyone know what they’re looking at. If you insist on using them, do the right thing… Tell people where you borrowed it from, & that it’s my item, they’re looking at!
Check out the many reasons, not to use www.Paypal.com at www.PaypalSucks.com & www.ConsumerAffairs.com! This “business”, owes me $270.00, I’ll probably never see again! I was amazed to see, how many stories like mine, there were! Sorry, it’s lengthy, so I won’t go into it here. Also, www.EbaySucks.com. I do use www.Ebay.com, but, I assume a lot of risk, in doing so. I’ve had countless problems, with them, the nopay bidders, & the “sellers”, as well. To quote 1 of my favorite movies(Star Wars), “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainry.”(Ebay). Let’s just say, in most cases, you really do, get what you pay for… These sites, are in no way, related to me, but I thought I’d pass the info on to you. A smart consumer, is a safe consumer. You can thank me later…
Just so you know, I’m a semi professional drummer. I’ve been in many bands, played many gigs, opening, headlining, all nighters, as well as, opened shows, for many “major recording artists”… Not some wanna-be-player, or guitar dealer, in it for the $$$! This is all I do for a living… I truly love, bringing great drums, back to top condition, & playing them. As well as, getting them to the people, who will continue to love, play, & respect them, as I do! Lastly, I treat all my customers the same… If you enjoy playing the drums, or are enjoying learning to play the drums… Be you, young or old… You, ARE, a rockstar, to me…
And I am here, to make your drum dreams, come true!
Rock on!
Thanks,