Not at all sure this qualifies. The other thread was geared towards kits that you had a chance at purchasing but missed out on ... and they still haunt you.

I think this thread has I do with the pinnacle of kit snagging effort. I hope I'm right.

Mine is a kit I currently own and will never part with. I love a natural wood finish kit. There's just something "right" about it. Like most of the members here, I wore out cats dreaming of this kit or that.

One of my dream kits has been a Slingerland from 1979 with a sweet wood finish. There were so many to choose from. Rosewood, Oakwood, Teakwood, Cherrywood, Sprucewood, Walnut, Maple, Mahogany, ... most all in either lacquer or oil rub. The problem - this was at a time when 5 ply was standard and 3 ply was pretty much a special order. I didn't want a 5 ply kit. To me, the wood finish requires a 3 ply shell for the warm woody round tone. That on top of the fact that they only offered these for maybe a year ... it was a difficult prospect.

I located a sweet Slingerland 79 3 ply Oakwood Lacquer kit from a member here and Jumped at the chance. We agreed on a price and I got it. It needed a tiny bit of work and some new heads.

Oh my. What a kit. It is flat out the best sounding kit I've ever owned. To my eyes, it's also the best looking.

I am so grateful that I fineally captured it. I absolutely love playing this kit. It is the kit that is most talked about after gigs.

It's the one kit that I honestly cherish and am so so so filled with joy that it didn't slip by me.

has to be my newly acquired octa -plus ss 77/78/

Mine would have to be two kits: my late 50s Slingerland kit and my '67 Ludwig kit.

I got the Slingerland kit off feeBay. With 40-some-odd seconds left, I had to sign back into my account for some reason. I got my bid in with 4 or 5 seconds left. Thought I was too late, but when the page reloaded I had won the auction - praise the Lord!

I traded a DW kit for the Ludwigs with a fellow VDF member. I was hoping to just sell the DWs, and almost didn't let him tell me what all he had to trade. I'm glad I did though! I love this kit more than I ever loved the DWs. He seems to be loving the DWs, so it worked out wonderfully.

Mine goes back to my first real kit. A 5pc Rogers in sliver sparkle with chrome powertone snare. Fullerton era. It was 1971-72 and my only source was the local paper. I saw the ad for a Rogers set. My parents agreed to get me something used for my birthday. My Mom called the number and the guy answered and said the kit had just sold. But he took out number incase. He called back a few days later saying the deal fell through and we could have them. $300 and came with rogers hi hat, cymbal stands, bass pedal, throne and cases. Cymbals were 14" A hats, a 22" ride with a huge square bell. 16" and 18" crashes. $300 was still a good amount of money back then. My Grandparents chipped in and I had $100 I saved from cutting grass and yard work odd jobs over the summer. I was one happy boy! Up in the attic I have some old pics of me and the Rogers. Soon as I find them I'll post a few pics.

Next up was a recent purchase on VDF. A 60's Slingerland kit in light blue pearl. There were quite a few members in front of me by the time I saw the ad. But got in line anyway. I thought they'd be long gone as the price was VERY reasonable! One by one they passed and I had my shot. I struck a deal and sent the cash. Wife and I drove to NJ where Alex greeted us and showed us the kit. This was my ticket back into a classic Slingerland kit. I had a blast getting them back together and learning the history behind them. I have been enjoying them ever since. I'm already into my next project kit. flower

Two of my three current kits.

My modern Sonors, which I bought practically brand new with complete hardware and everything for about half their usual price. The seller apparently wasn't much skilled in auction system, because he put them up with bidding price and Buy now! being the same. As I was working out with him when and how I'm gonna get them, he wrote me that someone else offered him more money off the site and that he'll sell them to him. Few minutes later, though, he said it wouldn't be fair and I ended up having them and enjoying every minute of playing them. My dad offered him more money, as we were loading them in the car, but he said it's ok. What a nice guy!

And of course my White Oyster Amatis. I saw the ad and thought "Hmmm, 2000 CZK (about only 100 dollars!) for a complete kit in such a nice finish? Sure looks totally sweet, but they're not 3ply. I'll pass." But then I thought it over and snagged them. When the guy was handing them to me, his phone rang and someone asked him whether he still had them. He then told me it was second guy who called him just after he made the deal with me. Lucky me!

Mine was just last week. I was bidding on a Gretsch 4165 snare . I was outbidded within the last minute, probably by proxy. I was contacted by the seller that the high bidder was unable to pay for the auction, so he gave me a Second Chance Offer for the snare at my highest bid, which really wasn't that much for this Gretsch 10 lug model. It's currently taking it's cross county trek from West to East coast. :)

- Tim

Years ago, I started searching for a Ludwig kit....would find one close to what I desired, but would pass it up (hard to do after 20 years of looking) Then as the "drum god" shined down through the clouds on that rainy morning, Craigslist Tulsa (which I never have checked previously)....TAH DAH!! After numerous emails, and pictures...it was the ONE! 1965 Super Classic in Sparkling Blue Pearl....Original from the factory, with original heads, hardware, and in their original cases! Not a pit one nor even a light scratch anywhere. I know what you are saying...."what is the big deal, these show up every now and then...why all the years"? Well, this kit is stamped with the day I was born! And all these years, I thought Ludwig took that Friday off!

My rare purchase from last year was a 1960 Slingerland fiesta pearl 4 piece kit in sizes 12, 14, 16, 20. I bought it in Phily from the grandson of the original owner. The set is in excellent condition and sounds wonderful. It came in original canvas bags, travel case with all hardware and 5 vintage Zild "A" cymbals. It's a keeper! I feel very lucky to have found this set In this rare finish.