So would I and I have, but would you pay the same amount for a wmp Slingerland as a Ludwig or Rogers in the same configuration and condition? I wouldn't.

My first venture into slingys was 1974 with there red version of vista it was a double base and I played the heck out of it in those days it did not matter what the drums were as long as you had the kit and cymbals to play out

I wish The Slingerland name would be resurrected again with the original shell construction.

You can buy the same drum.

Stone drums bought all the equipment from Slingerland.

Although there not Slingerland branded. Bernie uses the same badge.

There located in Indiana

That's a PERFECT analogy...almost...

I love motorcycles, I like Harley's, I've always wanted an Indian. The big difference is that Indian Motorcycles get HUGE bucks. Even the smallest of parts are very expensive. The reason is scarcity, they were only made for certain years. They are being reproduced again today...but it's not the same.

Personally, I love slingy's. My first kit was a WMP Slingy. I currently have a BDP Slingy and I'm building a Mahogany Slingy.

I have a problem tho...I have way too many drums on my eBay watch list. I think I have a sickness...

I think I did state that it's due to supply and demand. Slingerland sold a lot of drums (they were the top selling brand from the mid to late 1930's until 1964 when a guy named Ringo happened to play a set of Ludwigs on the Ed Sullivan show) so there is a pretty decent supply of them out there. But unfamiliarity with the brand by younger players keeps the demand lower than for some of the other brands which either are still in the public eye or that have some sort of mystique attached to them. Rogers and, especially, Camco sold a lot fewer drums so the supply is not as great for whatever demand there is, that helps boost prices of those.

I'm primarily a Ludwig and Gretsch guy but I do own six Slingerland sets of various vintages (and a couple of Rogers too) and I'd say Slingerland's construction and quality was every bit as good as that of my two favored brands, possibly better. Like any vintage drums they have their quirks (stripping hardware, etc. ) but they are truly great sounding, well made drums that for some reason don't enjoy quite the same aura as some of the other brands, and they are easy to find. If you see a Camco set that you like you almost have to buy it regardless of the price, if a Slingerland set seems overpriced you can just bide your time until a less expensive example comes along because in all likelihood one will. All this tends to keep the price on these down, as I said before...great if you're buying, less so if you're selling.

I have vintage Ludwig, Rogers, Premier, Beverley, Camco, and Slingerland. I personally over my 50 years of drumming "I started very young" and being around other drummer friends when we were all coming up, who played Slingerland when I played Ludwig exclusively until a few years ago, personally never looked at Slingerland as anything but equal to the other major brands. I don't see any super deals on Slingerland's on eBay. The rock maple shells on my Avante set are some of the best shells I have ever seen or owned.

I think another good aspect of this is that Slingerland changed ownership in the 1970's from being family owned to not family owned. Another thing to look at is that by the 1970's both Pearl & Tama were fast becoming big names and very much competing with Ludwig,Slingerland,Gretsch,& Rogers. Neil Peart has said it numerous times that while he owned a Slingerland kit, he was never endorsed or even approached by the company. By the mid 1970's both Pearl and Tama had huge names on their roster. So I feel companies went into " defense " mode and either competed as hard as they can, or kinda tapered off. Ludwig and Gretsch carried on. Some good years,some bad, but have endured. Rogers & Slingerland sadly fell to the side. And It wasn't because they weren't as good as the others, but maybe their overall business sense wasn't as good.

I think the answer to why the price of Slingerland drums tends to be lower than that of equivalent Ludwigs is just that they were not associated with as many big name rock players.

People tend to seek out similar equipment to that of musicians they wish to emulate, hence the continued popularity of endorsement deals.

More famous rock drummers played Ludwig. Ludwig made a lot of drums, Slingerland made a lot of drums. Demand is higher for the Ludwigs, so price goes up.

I sought out a Slingerland kit for a couple of reasons. One, I've always liked being a little bit different when it comes to music gear: if everyone's playing Gibsons and Fenders, I'll try out a Guild or Epiphone. So while I think vintage Ludwigs are beautiful, well-made, great-sounding drums, I would rather have a Slingerland kit. I think the lugs and the hoops look cool.

Second, since I DO associate Slingerland with Gene Krupa, I have the hero artist connection.

For me, it's a good thing that there's less competition for vintage Slingerland drums. That meant that I got to buy my 5-piece set, with original snare, for under $400.

Collectors market verses utility. Collector market is what drives the value of ludwig. Utility wise, slingerlands are fantastic. Especially early 60s with that round over edge. I had an early 60's 20 12 16 that I sold to a friend. Its sound was miles better than my club date kit that iv'e had all these years. There was no comparison. The tuning was easier.

Jason

I think ARCHxANGEL and Starship Krupa hit the nail on the head. In the present Ludwig and Gretsch still exist. Name recognition still exist. Ludwig had a more known roster of Rock players and endorsers. Most people 35 or so and under have not been exposed to Slingerland like us older drummers who remember Slingerland very well. So let's say Craig's list seller has a drum set that deceased family member owned for decades and it's a Slingerland set. They may think it is in the category of MIJ sets, etc. if it has LUDWIG across the bass drum head they are more likely to assume this is a better drum and worth more. I have seen some crappy MIJ Ludwig sets on CL that are way overpriced. That's probably why I got that nice Slingerland 5 piece set cymbals and some hardware for $150. It was a guys friend's set who had passed away and left it to him, and it had sat in a closet for over 20 years. He probably thought it was just a inexpensive set, where as if it had been a Ludwig he would have probably wanted more. This makes sense to me.