Wow! I just went online and plugged in the number to have my drums shipped from Oroville Wa. USA to Pennsylvania via UPS and because of the high USD right now the cost is about the same as if I shipped from my home in West Kelowna BC Canada! It's about $3 more in Canada and about $25 more in Canada if I go with FedEx. So it's not worth the effort to take the drums down to ship within the USA. But, thanks for the heads-up - it was worth a try.

Which kit did you sell, Gary?

These drums

The deal is not rock solid concluded yet - but he did want to send the money two days ago and I said I'm not ready to ship yet - so I think the deal will be complete by a week this Saturday. $1650usd shipped. That's a good deal for him and I'm happy with it but I think I will have a bit of the ole 'seller's remorse.'

I'm waiting for some era-correct parts to come in the mail. I had Brooklyn Series 302 hoops on the toms and I thought I had the correct Stick-Chopper hoops for the 13 tom but I can't find them anywhere. Such is the case after we moved. Lots of my stuff has been misplaced - probably packed away under the staircase which is difficult to get to these days.

This Burn Orange-like 40's Orphaned shellpack is still available. No alterations on any of the shells - no holes drilled. They are beautiful drums especially the floor tom....an amazing 6 ply 1947 Gretsch floor tom. 6 ply unusual for that time but it is indeed a Factory 6ply floor tom. I've taken close-up photos of the bearing edges and sent them to a few Gretsch experts and they confirm it does look like 6ply from what they can see. Harry Cangany said he has never seen one but Gretsch was experimenting with plies in that time period through to the 50's until they settled on 6 ply in the late 50's. A gorgeous drum. I could have left the Factory wrap on it but it was pretty much toast. I think for this beauty is happy being with the other orphans in this shellpack - and to be brought back to life.

I am shipping my Ludwig Las Vegas piccolo snare Priority Mail down to Texas. Would it be better to loosen the heads or leave them tight?

thanks

loose....not where rods are falling out though.....

OK, that's what I'll do.

thanks a lot.

My wife came up with the idea of using egg cartons for packing the snare drum I sold. I took an 18x18x18" box and shortened the length of it to fit.

We used the trimmed off bits of cardboard to double wall the sides, top and bottom. Then we put down a layer of egg cartons in the bottom of the box. Second step, put in the snare drum wrapped in bubble wrap. Next step was putting egg cartons on the four "sides" of the drum, followed by a layer of egg cartons on the top. It should be cushioned well enough for a trip down to the Republic of Texas. The guy on the other end was impressed anyway.

Just send it to me..lol.

It'll match my Las Vegas cocktail kit (that needs a snare)

[SIZE="3"]In another life, I attended Hammond Organ sales training in Chicago, Illinois. Back when Hammond was Hammond and God was God. They took all of us to a special location where they packed the organs for world wide shipping. One particular part of the process stood out.

They had two "torture" devices set up to test how the organs would fare during shipment. One dropped the entire organ from a distance of six feet. Picture climbing on a step ladder and dropping your drums from a height of six feet. The second device was a ramp where they pushed the box containing the organ down a loading ramp at a high rate of speed. The ramp dead ended into the WALL. My father used to say it isn't the fall that gets you, it's the SUDDEN STOP (think car accident).

The card board boxes that Hammond used weren't regular boxes. They were built to take a heard of elephants stomping on them.

You guys need to get a conference going with the crews that work at Fed/Ex, UPS and USPS central shipping. Delivery drivers and drop-off location personnel do not know the real story. Once the box hits the central distribution center for final routing, all he** can break loose. I've heard stories of boxes being dropped from the belly of an aircraft onto the tarmac. Run over by fork lifts, other heavy items stacked on top of your shipment, etc etc.

They are also known to leave card board boxes out in the RAIN prior to loading on the aircraft, sometimes for hours. Ever see what wet card board looks like?

I used to work for a shipping company and know a little bit about some of the games they play. When we were bored, we would drag race the fork lifts just to see who would win.

After all, it isn't like you are able to watch what they do to your drums, are they? Once they leave your hands and are placed in their hands, say good bye.

I just had an estimate drawn up for a potential sale of my drum set by a packing and crating service locally. They quoted two custom built wood boxes, built specifically to house my particular set of drums. Plus, they obtained a discount for shipping if I shipped through them. Compared to the rates UPS quoted, it wasn't much more money and would be much better packed.

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