I love to collect and I love to play what I collect. I have gotten my hands on un-played vintage kits and been the first to play them and put scuffs on the original heads...and I loved it. Yes, in a way, in some collecting circles, I suppose I devalued them by playing them. But it had to happen, eventually...and I love the drums so it's better that I did it than some naive kid who would have broken the heads altogether and never appreciated the vintage feel or sound like I did. It's like finding the golden ticket and knowing that it's yours to enjoy. I guess I could have kept them all mint, mint, mint....but I got selfish!Burger Kin

DW Collectors Series 10/12/14/16/22--use in the recording studio

1970 Ludwig 12/14/20--use live for rock gigs

Round Badge 12/14/20--use live for jazz/church gigs

1965 Ludwig 12/13/16/22--in my teaching studio

...snares and cymbals to be switched around and used as my whim desires...

I only have 1 drum that I'm "collecting" and not playing, which is a pre-serial 14x6.5 Auditorium model in original green sparkle. Mint. Just 'cause...

I practice on my 1969 Ludwig Jazzette at home. I wouldn't take it out because I believe I need to curate it rather than gig it. However, I don't really have to make that decision, because I'm not really a drum kit player. I have twenty years of study and performance in West African percussion.

In addition to my Jazzette I always seem to have some sort of microkit I'm experimenting with and that is brought together from old orphan MIJ shells and I'd feel comfortable taking it anywhere. So if I ever did get good enough to play out, the MIJ microkit would go.

If you don`t play your drums,..How do you know if they work ? A working vintage gun, or car has to work to be able to get top dollar !!

I think most drum collectors play,and play their kits,if new old stock or mint,they probably pull off the original heads.I think there are a few collectors that don't play,but they are probably folks that collect other musical instruments,or that collect a multitude of items,or collectors who have a theme or era that they specialize in, that vintage drums would fit into, 60's pop culture,art decco for instance.

In my my mind, the vintage drums were built in a time, by American workers that took pride in their craftsmanship. I seriously doubt any of those proud workers ever gave thought to someone doing anything but playing the drums that they took such pride in building.

I personally have played every drum in my collection. While I don't gig with any of them, I do enjoy them. I believe any dollar difference between a super clean, matched players kit, and one that has been stored for 40 years is insignificant. The joy we receive from playing these awesome instruments from days gone by, is certainly worth any price difference to me.

The drums were made to be played!

The only drums i don't play are my mint N.O.S or Rare set's and snare's .Also a few snare's drums once own by Mr.Rich,,Mr.Moon.ete...All my other vintage set's and snare's are played...Mikey

These are drums. They're not historically significant pieces of our history. They weren't cobbled by our founding fathers. They are wood cylinders with a membrane or two attached so that they vibrate when energy is applied. That's pretty much it. Some are visually appealing and some are down right ugly. It's all subjective.

It all comes down to the one point that no one really wants to address ...

Try as you may, justifications will not remove drum collecting from the realm of "collecting". It's a mental instability that some suffer from. It's the irrational compulsion to own something. You rationalize it with words like "complete" and "rare" and "set", but it is still just one being unable to fully control the compulsion and STOP purchasing the same items over and over again. We've all seen it. Unless we share the interest, we do not understand the justifications.

There are countless examples of this, as evidenced by the vast numbers of magazines and websites devoted to the condition.

The unfortunate extreme to this is "hoarding". My mom and my aunt suffer from it. I can tell you, it's not pleasant. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of brand new clothes were removed from my aunts home this past week in an effort to help "clean" her home out. These all still had the tags on them and they almost filled up a commercial dumpster. She has been relocated until the house is a home again - new kitchen, updates, nice nice.

I'm not a collector, nor will I ever succumb to it. I have several kits that I play and enjoy. I sell or give away drums so that I never have too many in the house.

There is NO justification that could warrant the action of collecting. It has been clearly identified as an instability by most who have taken the time to research it. I realize this is not going to be popular with most, but someone needed to identify the elephant in the pudding.

P.S.

For the curious, I own and play a set of hats that were purchased from Larrie Londin. It's all that I kept of his kit and snare my brother picked up for me. The kit is at a church down the road ... being played.

I think evey kit is a players kit if you're a player. How could you not play 'em?

If they're set up, that's just an invite to take a seat and go at 'em. If you're a collector, and I am not, I guess you'd look at them differently.