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Vintage Pearl Drums?


type2guy

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I'm not a drummer. But I've got a set of vintage Pearl drums in Red Sparkle. I was wondering if there is a way to get a date on when they were made. Best I can tell the logo on the bass drum ?mount? makes it a '65ish drum.

 

Anyone know what year they were made? How about value? I'm thinking about selling them...need a fair price to ask. They're in generally good condition...not excellent...but good. Here's a couple of pictures I just snapped to help...the drums are dirty and kind of piled in the corner. Hope it's enough to give an idea.

 

pearl1.jpg

pearl2.jpg

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Notice that? You've already gotten two completely opposite responses. The first one basically took a look and said, "old drums, fairly beat up....you won't get much money." The second one saw the same thing and said, "I'm a Pearl fan, and these would be a cool thing to add to my Pearl collection." The second guy (or somebody like him) would obviously be more likely to give you more money than the first guy. If you're looking to sell them, you probably want to find more guys like CoolDrum3.

 

Just goes to show you that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

Here's what I'd do...

First of all, clean them up. It looks like a wrapped finish, so get some windex and rags and try to clean up the shells. Then look for something to clean up the chrome. Next, take the cleaned up kit and set it up and take a nice photo of it. One tip: think about the background in your photo...if you've got a nice spot outdoors to set it up, that can be nice....if you don't have any scenic places to take the photo, try to take it somewhere where there is NO background....in front of a blank white wall, etc.

 

Now, you want to find more guys like CoolDrum3...guys who are into Pearl drums. So, in addition to putting them up on e-bay, go to the Pearl drums forums and post some pictures (www.pearldrum.com). Here's the tricky part, the rules there don't allow you to sell anything or solicit in any way. So you can't just say, "Pearl vintage kit for sale" or they'll delete the thread. One of the forums is a "show us a photo of your kit" board, so I'd post a good set of photos there, and then write something to the effect that you've got this old kit, are looking for information about it, that you don't play it, and that you'll probably try to sell it at some point. This way, you're not officially saying "kit for sale", but anybody interested (like CoolDrum3) will be likely to contact you. Just be sure to dance around the selling issue and you should be ok.

 

Either that or just sell 'em to CoolDrum3! :D

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Thanks for the replys. The kit is really in good shape, except the 2 bands around the bass drum ?rings?.

 

I found this set for sale at an estate auction. I got them almost for free. They were sloppily covered in white "leatherette" covering. When I peeled it back I found the red sparkle underneath. So removed all the white. The only place that had a problem were the ring bands like I mentioned. There are some stands and cymbals I got with them, but I don't know if they actually go with the set or not.

 

I bought the drums for my son when he was 2. Was planning for the future. They got put in storage somewhere along the way when we moved and now he's 6 years old. He took up guitar somewhere along the way. So I'm kinda thinking about getting rid of these for some other equipment. They will clean up real nice for sure.

 

I'm not looking to get rich off 'em or anything, but I will take your advice and "present" them better if I try to sell them. I hadn't considered selling them over the net. Didn't know how much of a pain it is to ship drums.

 

Anyway, that's the story. Thanks for all the help. I think the drums are cool as hell. But I'm a guitar player and space is kinda limited right now...so.....

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The 'rings' are called 'hoops' on the bass drum, and 'rims' on other drums.

 

I don't know what to tell you about replacing/fixing/cleaning them. You can buy new replacements, but a true "vintage" freak would rather try to restore the originals. If they're wood, you could strip everything off them and refinish them, again angering potential "vintage" buyers.

 

Anyway, I doubt you'll get rich on them, but you want to get the most you can for them and/or find them a home where they'll be appreciated and not just thrashed. Online selling isn't that big of a deal, buyer pays shipping, etc. You might even be able to take the heads off and ship the drums "nested" inside each other...just make sure they're well padded/protected/etc. Who knows, you might get lucky and find a buyer locally and avoid shipping altogether.

 

One final option (although it won't get you any money) is to make some calls and check out donating them. I'm sure there's a school, church, or some other musical group somewhere that can't afford gear. Good for your karma and all that.

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Originally posted by Old Steve

Notice that? You've already gotten two completely opposite responses. The first one basically took a look and said, "old drums, fairly beat up....you won't get much money." The second one saw the same thing and said, "I'm a Pearl fan, and these would be a cool thing to add to my Pearl collection." The second guy (or somebody like him) would obviously be more likely to give you more money than the first guy. If you're looking to sell them, you probably want to find more guys like CoolDrum3.


Just goes to show you that one man's trash is another man's treasure.


 

Hmmmm, shows how easy it is to mis-read peoples' responses on an internet forum :(

 

I love 60's japanese/Pearl drums, why do you think I have that link to drumguru? My very first kit, that I got for xmas 1968 and still have, is a red sparkle jap kit just like that one. Gigged with it for years.

 

I also have a three piece orange sparkle "Norma" kit, a 4 piece "Tobasonic" kit in blue sparkle, and a GORGEOUS "U.S. Mercury" (World's Supreme Quality) in fake Ludwig psychedelic:

 

MercuryPsychKit.jpg

 

I also have some jap snares, Tempro, Apollo, Del Rey (Teisco).

 

They're great, I love 'em and collect 'em, but that kit will STILL only get around $150 ;)

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Originally posted by IAmThePhobes



Hmmmm, shows how easy it is to mis-read peoples' responses on an internet forum
:(

 

Sorry about the misinterpretation, my bad. I guess I read waaay too much into the $150 price estimate.

 

You're probably right about the $150, UNLESS he finds somebody who is really into the kit for some reason. That's why I was suggesting the Pearl forum. Regardless, it would be best if he could find a buyer who's into the vintage thing, rather than somebody who just sees a pile of old used drums. Obviously, I mistakenly put you in the latter category.

 

Love those U.S. Mercury drums! If you didn't show the closeup of the badge, I'd have sworn it was a Ludwig Psychodelic kit. They look practically brand new. It's also nice to finally know who produces the "world's supreme quality" kits....I always wondered about that. :D

 

Anyway, 1000 apologies. No offense intended.

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Type2Guy,

I'm halfway serious about that kit. Unfortunately, shipping drums can be expensive and you aren't exactly in my neighborhood. To boot, I don't really have the money right now (but I might be able to make an exception if they are in REALLY good condition and the shipping isn't going to cost an arm and a leg). See what you can do to clean them up a bit and get a nice array of pictures. Also, a rough estimate of weight would be nice so that I could crunch some shipping figures. Lastly, exactly what all is there? You mentioned there were stands and cymbals too, and I think I see a bit of another drum in the background. PM me with some more info and we'll talk.

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wow... how did you wind up with my old kit?

 

 

This is exactly what I had in the mid 60s. I thought they were junk, but one mans junk is anothers treasure! Funny that $150 is the figure thrown up. That is what the kit cost my parents at a music store in the mid 60s!

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