Not all good deals are gone. I got a 4-piece Slingerland with a 50's Zildjian about a month ago for $75.00...Later model Slingerland HSS series, Cymbals have some small cracks, but worth it.

Most of my good deals have been online.....C/L and eBay primarily. I also have to say thanks to friends. I have a drummer friend whose neighbor was selling a kit but not really advertising. I set up a day to see my buddy to pay him for a drum he gave me and also checked out and bought the other kit. 67 Ludwigs with Paiste 602's for $250.00. Cymbals are cracked in some areas (not badly) only extra holes on drums is a tom mount. You have to keep your eyes and wallet open at all times.

The deals I quoted used to be pretty much every day though.........

I used to see 2-3 kits a nite in the paper it seems.........

Ludwig/Slingerland the majority of them.............

Actually 15-20 years ago was more the heyday of those deals............

A lot of the times it's where you would least expect it,

A Parking lot yard sale one time for me found a 1960 Ludwig school festival cheap.

Once found an Mij Snare drum in the woods really! it's a cheapie but it is still a real drum! I once answered an ad in a Newspaper for a Donald Duck Drum set. It turned out to be a 1930's radio King Drum Set, It took extensive restoration but I'll own it until I'm not here any longer. ok this was just something else to chew on!:)

Hey Guys; Really appreciate all the excellent responses. Been finding this kind of like stock market trading, (not that I know anything about that) but dealing in things I can appreciate, and that can potentially 'appreciate' for themselves. Also find that the internet can be a blessing as well as a curse. Much more, and easier access to potential deals, but also much more savvy vendors.

I've got lots of patience, though not quite as much money. I currently have several kits, all of which I want to keep for various reasons, and I could just walk away and be happy, (as would the wife) with what I've got, but I love seeing all the old vintage kits and finishes, and seeing what the going values are and what deals can potentially be had, and I've gotten quite sucked into the whole thing, not to mention reading a lot of the threads here on VDF. It makes me a little queazy thinking about the music gear I've let go of over the years that has dramatically increased in value since. Don't even know if I'd have the cahones to be able to buy, AND sell some nice vintage drums, but it is fun to watch, and try to be ready if a sweet deal presents itself. Now that spring is here, I think I'll plan get more organized with my yard sailing, and try to get out to some estate sales and pawn shops, and flea markets. I love treasure hunting, I just have to try not to get too distracted by it and neglect my other responsibilities. Thanks again to all, for the great responses and tips!

I've been watching one auction server and two or three internet pawn shops for about 18 months 'till I stumbled upon one really great deal - my current vintage drums. During those 18 months, I saw a FEW other really good deals, several good ones and lots of usual and bad deals. Patience. The drums will come to you, you just have to wait and not get hasty (Like I did. Now I have debts and lots of drums I suddenly don't want.)

Have a kit or three in mind BEFORE you trek out. Unfocused pursuit will most likely net you pain and regret. The hunt is fun, but the capture is rapture. There are only a couple of specific kits I'm watching for ... and I don't mind missing them if the deal is not right. The key is to nab one or two perfect specimens. Those will quell any undesired panic when you get a potential in your sights. They will also keep you from screaming, "damn the kid's college fund, it's a RADIOKING!!!"

Marriage is a beautiful and lasting thing when you maintain your wits about you in the presence of Vintage drums.

It seems even 4 or 5 years ago it was easier, a lot of people were still not using ebay, and not a lot of people knew about craigslist yet. I used to find a whole kit with cymbals for $100 - $500 on craigslist about every week or two, but eventually everyone caught on.

In 2007 or 2008, don't quite remember, I found a Ludwig Oyster Black 20-12-14, matching Jazz Fest, AND a Gretsch 20-12-14, matching Progressive Jazz snare, plus about 20 old A's and 602's, all for $800! The crazy part was that I found the craigslist ad a week after it was posted, and two people had already checked out the drums but passed on them because they thought they were too old and dirty. Today that same ad would have about 100 replies within 5 minutes!

-Bill

As others have said, patience is the key. I've been impatient on more than one occasion and paid too much for a kit that's not as good as I'd hoped. And while the likes of Ebay (we have something similar here) have made it easier for sellers to value their items and made it much harder to find deals, they are still to be had. My latest kit cost me $1 (buy it now) - the guy just wanted it gone from his house- right time and place, the kit had been listed for about 10 seconds.

I'm probably a bit like you, not so keen on selling my kits. So while the $1 kit was a great deal it's ultimately going to cost me money restoring it and I wasn't really in the market for another kit. It's just too nice to sell though.

The last kit I bought on cl was a 20, 12, 14 1962 Slingerland in wmp. The guy wanted $200 for it. There was no pic and he had it advertised as "white drumset" I ended up getting it for $150!

So there's still hope with some due diligence it seems. I won't give up yet. It's too much fun seeing what pops up. Craigslist here in Ottawa has maybe 3 to 7 listings in the musical instruments section per day, total. Kijiji, (don't know if that's in U.S. or not) is much more popular, same idea though. Toronto or Montreal have quite a bit more action, and if a really fantastic deal comes up, either place is within driving distance, so I try to keep my eyes open in several places at once. 65 Ludwig bop Super Classic came up this weekend in this parameter, but they're asking $3,000... not even worth making an offer, (maybe if it were a downbeat) and it didn't even have original bass hoops, (no extra holes though). Just picked up a nice 67 blue oyster pearl, Super Classic a few months ago, which I'm quite pleased with, so it's not like I'm in any sort of panic. Appreciate all the advice on patience and discernment, and I'm finding that the more research I do, the more receptive I am at recognizing a good deal when I see one. Also fun to keep an eye on some of the adventures here on VDF. Thanks again guys.