This is something I first posted over at the DFO but wanted to seek opinions here as well....

This just ended on ebay (or rather the auction was stopped with not much time left).

http://www.ebay.com/...649#ht_59wt_967

Obviously other people were questioning this drum the same way I was. I was sooo tempted, despite the damage (dropped on the throw off apparently). Price was right (for OBP...blue or red sparkle this would be a $100 drum tops with that damage) and the kicker was the pre-serial badge placement on the panel next to the throw which is like Ringo's and usually ups the price considerably.

But there were just enough questions to scare me off.

1: The wrap, looks to be the real stuff from the 60's but pictures are just fuzzy enough to not be able to tell 100%. I'm about 90% sure it is original wrap but it could be original wrap that was "harvested" off a bass drum or floor tom.

2: Wrap seam, the seam is near the snare butt but not under a lug as was Ludwig's typical method. (see photo)

3: Scarf joint, no information or picture as to whether the wrap enters the scarf joint to prove it is the original wrap (or at least a very meticulous rewrap). I sent a question to the seller about that and got no response. Even a response of "Sorry, I don't understand what you mean" would have been better than silence.

4: lots of pictures of the drum but none show the interior view of the grommet.

3: BB muffler, On a drum with the badge next to the throw the muffler should be on the next panel over. On this drum it's two panels over, which is where it should be if the badge were in the post 1964 position. So was the badge moved?

5: hardware looks to be nickel lugs/throw/butt with chrome hoops, so something isn't original (although not a huge deal in and of itself when you add it with the other stuff it takes on added significance).

6: Shell damage, obviously damaged by the throw off but not really clear how extensive the damage is. Looks to be playable but you never know.

I suppose some of these details could be factory anomolies of the sort that Ludwig is known for but in that case this drum got a heaping helping of them.

The scarf joint would have been the most important thing to see but that didn't happen. If I could have held this in my hands and looked it over I could have easily decided yes or no.

I was sorely tempted up to the very end to throw a $1000 bid at it and see what happened. If the drum did prove to be a fake ebay would no doubt allow you to return it for a refund...but there was a ridiculous $100 shipping charge that I'm sure you'd have to eat. Yet another red flag as the seller makes a nice bit of change even if the drum gets returned.

I was definitely tore up inside about whether or not to buy this drum but decided against it...just too much weirdness there.

Obviously this drum would have sold at the BIN price ($1300) within a couple of hours if not for these questions, I must not have been the only one wondering.

As a utilitarian item it would have easily filled my meager needs for a Ringo snare drum even if it were a rewrap but I just wasn't willing to spend that much on something that someone might have cobbled together (and then dropped apparently). If it was the real deal it was the steal of a lifetime on such a drum and I just watched it drift out of my hands*. Should I feel bad about that?

Opinions?

*Not to worry though, I have a deal pending on another (more expensive) OBP Jazz fest that I know is authentic (although not "perfect").