The seller has included a phone number to contact him. He probably feels that by doing so he can negotiate a sale for the complete set. That is what I guess will happen. A downbeat set is a great set to play on.

I think you've nailed it down. I buy parts regularly from a couple of eBay sellers who usually take anything they get and strip down to sell, even selling the lugs separate from their respective mounting screws. Funny thing I guess... I'm buying parts from these guys to put stuff back together while they're just taking stuff apart. Never thought of it that way...

My wife (the "vick" -- short for Vicky -- part of "billnvick") has asked me a few times why I don't just do it that way... but then again, she's NOT a drummer. And no, she hasn't asked that for a while now...

BTW, in all fairness, I have to admit I have parted some items out -- but only when there is damage that is at the point I consider not worth repairing and too far gone. When you're pickin' barns, sheds, and garages that's what you find sometimes...

Maybe we could start a 'Drum Rescue' organization like

they do for animals...

Wow... definitely seems that we're all pretty passionate about this subject! I certainly do agree with everyone's thoughts and comments. I emailed the seller, in a polite way of course, asking why he was splitting the kit up. His response was that he hoped one buyer would buy them all.

As previously stated, what happens if that buyer gets only 2 of 3 drums?!! I know I'd be pretty upset!!

I really don't get it, you've got collectors hoarding vintage kits waiting until the market changes to sell at outrageous prices and then nitpicking about a guy breaking up a kit? What if you're the guy waiting for that one drum and.... SCORE! Really the market is what it is, some people are in this for the business , others for the nostalgia, some for the unique sound. To each his own, an owner has the right to do whatever he wants with a kit, I'd be more ****ed off at the folks buying and hiding vintage stuff so that it never sees the light of day than the guy breaking up a kit to get a bit more $$$ or to sel it quicker rather than waiting for the one person who's willing to pay top dollar.

just my opinion.

PC

PS his starting prices seem resonable, what do you think a kit like that entirely by itself would go for? 1200-1500? Just wondering as I'm not a vintage drum junkie yet, I'll have to wait until my kids finish college for that!

I only break up kits that are low quality - but have rarely done so. To me it is ludicrous to do so for the sake of getting a few more bucks, because that's all it is. Seller in fact pays 10% fee on each listing instead of a max of $100 if they go for more than 1000. SO, lets say the kit sells for 2k that means 200 or so in fees on split kits rather than 100 on the set sold together.

In other words, it only makes sense financially for a seller to split things up if the kit is worth less than 1000.

Hobbs

We are talking about drums here, right? If you're really not concerned about the "money", aspect, then what difference does it make if every drum on your kit was put together to make one beautiful looking and sounding kit? Let me guess, a kit that was made as a set will be more valueable,Hmmmm sounds like you do care about money.

The answer is simple. If there isn't a lucrid market for these things, there won't be a profit in them stripping them to sell. . As long as vintage drum collector's are willing to buy parts from these people, or single drums, they will continue to split up kits and strip good drums for max profit.

The U.S. has taken steps to protect certain things by controlling the market of them, therefore removing the incentive for the profiteer to continue his practices. i.e. shark fins, whale meat, ivory, conflict diamonds, etc. Granted drums are a different story, the solution is the same. Make the market go away.

toodles

drumhack Cool1guitar3guitar2Sumo DudeCar Driving2

Well, I look at it in a couple of different ways...

The fellow that strips drums down to parts and sells them... well, as much as I despise that practice, and would never do it, I see an up side to it.

Those shells / hardware are getting into the hands of someone that WILL do something with the parts. ie: finish a kit or an orphan and make it playable.

I've stripped down a gob of kits built in the last decade, beginners kits, just for parts to finish up others. I'm not so concerned about those. Especially since those are truly POS drums. Some older MIJ orphans I've stripped as well. Only when the shell is thrashed... extra holes, water damage, etc...

In my 'hope springs eternal' department is the Ludwig orphans I have. Someday I'm going to have to do something with those shells... most of the shells are too far gone to be any good for anything other than stripping, but some....

And lastly, thank heavens this is somewhat of a free country. I REALLY would not like to see anything as mind numbing as this become regulated. We are far to over regulated now...

i think keeping a kit together is the best if its original, but if u build a orphan kit not very many will pay the big buck that it cost putting it right, you'd make more parting it out at least the snare.