• Get a Feel for Vintage Drums

• Value Vintage Drums

• Find Vintage Drums on eBay

• Buy Vintage Drums With Confidence

Get a Feel for Vintage Drums

Get a Feel for Vintage Drums

Drums form the essential rhythm and backbone for all types of music, including rock, jazz, country, pop, and classical. You'll find complete vintage drum sets as well as individual pieces to round out your set on eBay.

Discover vintage drum sets

Yesterday's drum sets were simple and small compared to today's elaborate sets. They typically included three pieces (3 pc) or four pieces (4 pc), but can sometimes have five pieces (5 pc) similar to today's basic drum sets.

Read vintage drum listings carefully and examine accompanying photos to determine what comes with a vintage drum set. Some vintage drum sets only include drums while others come with everything you need to play.

Be prepared to buy vintage ride cymbals, vintage crash cymbals, vintage hi-hat cymbals, vintage cymbal stands (straight and boom), vintage hi-hat stands, vintage drum stands, vintage drum thrones, vintage drum pedals, vintage drum rims, and vintage drum mounts separately.

Discover individual vintage drums

Single vintage snare drums, vintage bass drums, and vintage toms are easier to find than complete vintage drum sets. Vintage snare drums are probably the most plentiful type of vintage drum. After all, drummers always like to have more than one snare.

Value Vintage Drums

Value Vintage Drums

Study up on which vintage drums are most in demand and learn how to evaluate key drum features before you buy. To determine the value of vintage drums:

• Do your homework: Search Completed Listings on eBay to find out how much buyers typically pay for specific brands, models, and woods. Vintage maple drums, vintage birch drums, vintage mahogany drums, vintage beech drums, and vintage rosewood drums can vary in price and availability.

• Talk to musicians and vintage drum collectors: Connect with other musicians and vintage drum collectors on eBay's Music & Musicians Discussion Board to increase your knowledge.

• Look for original vintage drums: Originality plays a large role in determining the value of vintage drums and all-original condition is a must for many vintage drum collectors. Modifications, whether to a part or to the whole drum, will decrease value for vintage drum collectors. Replacement heads and snares are an exception.

• Examine vintage drum colors: Vintage drums feature unique and striking colors that help define their aesthetic appeal. Colors can run the gamut, but favorites like black oyster and champagne sparkle may fetch a higher price. Likewise, vintage drum finishes such as marine white pearl add to the visual attraction and desirability of vintage drums.

• Assess the overall condition of vintage drums: Whether you want to collect vintage drums or just want a particular sound or look, scrutinize the overall condition before you buy. Look for signs of wear and tear such as scratches, scuffs, gouges, cracks, or stains. You also want to be clear if anything needs repair, doesn't work properly, or has missing parts.

Get your drums appraised

If you plan to resell your vintage drums once you get them home, have them appraised by a local drum dealer. Certain services also estimate value by mail or over the Internet. Be prepared to supply information about the drums, including the manufacturer, age, model, shell depth and width, condition, defects, and alterations. You will also have to provide photos.

Find Vintage Drums on eBay

Find Vintage Drums on eBay

Once you know what type of vintage drums you want, go to the Musical Instruments portal and click the Drums link under Percussion. Type the word "vintage" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Check the "Search title and description" box to expand your search.

Use the Categories list on the left side of the page to narrow down listings by drum type. You'll find links for Sets, Mixed Lots, Snare, Toms, Other, Bass, and World. As you dig deeper into the site, you'll be able to narrow your choices further by brand.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Vintage Drums With Confidence

Buy Vintage Drums With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.