According to this, http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/images/ludwig_sets/super_classic/1967_super_classic.jpg, $522 for a Super Classic...without cymbals. I wonder what that converts to.

Lynn

Price-wise, were Rogers drums really the "cadillac" of drums back in the day? Most expensive?

If we assume the same year that I used (1966) it converts to $3753, here is the link to the inflation calculator:

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Wow, I just used the inflation calculator for my first, new Rogers set purchased in 1975 when I was in High School. The $700 I spent translates to $3,030 today! Of course, it took me a LOT longer to earn $700 in 1975 (probably the whole summer working part time at minimum wage) than it would take me to earn $3000 today. I think those 1975 dollars were harder earned than today's dollars making that set more valuable to me than anything else I've purchased since.

Wow! I meant to specify that the link I provided was for a '67 price. I don't imagine the price changed too much between '66 and '67, though. I just looked at a '64 Rogers catalog and the Buddy Rich Celebrity kit was $667.50!!!...in 1964!!!

Lynn

In around 1977...a music store by me would discount around 25%...I thought that was HUGE..but now...40-50 off is pretty common........

Most music stores gave a decent discount in those days, 20% or more.

And those Japanese kits could be had for $150, the list price in the catalogs was not realistic. I bought one of those kits in 1970, US Mercury, and it was less than $150, and had some stands thrown in as well. Cheap stuff, and built like it...

The Rogers kit I had bought a year prior, in 1968, cost me around $500-600 with some stands and cymbals: it was a 20-12-13-16 Londoner with a matching Powertone. A Rogers stand or 2, an import stand or 2, and a Rocket pedal - not the more expensive Swivomatic. A Zildjian ride, a crash, and some mystery hats too.

All told, a very good value for 1968. I negotiated the deal myself, I was 18 years old. It was money I had saved from my summer job flipping burgers, and my dad helped me a little too.

$600 in 1968 calcs to $3950 in 2012. A new DW kit, with stands and cymbals would cost at least that much, is US made and of high quality as Rogers was. Seems to make sense...

I must've got ripped off on my Rogers kit going by Dan's numbers.

I paid $1000 in 1973 for a Londoner 5 kit with an added 16x18 FT, Dynasonic snare, full hardware pack and full set of Zildjians (14 new beats, 20 ride, 18 crash).

That calculator says that's over 5k in today's $.

The music store gave me $350 in trade-in for a 4pc Gretsch set I had (wonder what that would be worth today?) and when the set came in we took it home after paying only $100 and promising to pay off the balance at $100/month.

Handshake deal - no paperwork, no interest. Try that at Guitar Center. :-)

They will be 40 years old in a month and I still have them. They are not for sale at any price. Too much time spent with them and too many memories.

Data Point. Ludwig Club Date purchased in 1967, 20/12/14. Came with Hihat stand, Speedmaster pedal, ZYN 14s and a 16 ZYN crash ride. BD mounted cymbal stand, retractable spurs, Luddy console mount. No snare.

$312.00