Gear flipping on a small island.

An island economy is different. When I lived in Los Angeles, I would constantly buy gear, use it, then resell it. I was a serial gear flipper.

Last year I moved to O’ahu. It is still quite easy to buy almost anything, but when it comes time to sell your mistakes, or any gear you are tired of, then there is a very small pool of drummers in this economy, and odds are, they are not looking for what you are selling.

Add to this situation, the cost of shipping to the mainland, and you cannot be competitive in your pricing when it comes to eBay etc.

The solution, trades!

Last year I bought a Yamaha Stage Custom Fusion five-piece with the 20” bass, at a drum store in Honolulu, (yes there is one). A brilliant, versatile drum set, arguably the standard for low priced kits everywhere. I paid a small premium over average retail for it, but it was clearly just too big and loud for what I needed.

Anyway, I had it on the local Craigslist for months and got nowhere. So I gave up on the for sale idea, and instead offered to trade it for a smaller bop, compact or jungle kit.

It took one day. The Yamaha kit is now in a local recording studio, and I took home a Sonor Force 3005 Full Maple Jungle Kit., 16X16 bass, 10X9 mounted, and 14X12 floor. A fair swap. He got more and larger drums, and I got more suitable drums for the music I am working on, and after half an hour with the waterless car wash, (the perfect drum cleaner), they shine like crazy. And I have a new Pork Pie Little Squealer snare on the way to complete the shell pack.

So anyone in a small rural town, far from anywhere, or on an island like me, take note, swapping gear can be the answer, and UPS gets nothing.

Cool backstory. My first thought was it it finally time to start making your own stave drums. As in snares as a beginning point. What kind of interesting wood can you source on these islands ?

It's the same story in my landlocked rural community. Craigslist basically is worthless for serious drummers as it's likely that if you don't want it, none of the other working drummers in town do. Our CL listings for drums are 99% "my kid never played these drums, $1200 OBO, practically new". Unlike your sitch, though, I do have the option of heading over to Seattle every now and again.

Buying stuff is always easier than getting rid of it (assuming that finances allow buying).

So after a while, the motto becomes 'Be careful what you buy'.

Sounds like it worked out OK for you though.

double_G said:

Cool backstory. My first thought was it it finally time to start making your own stave drums. As in snares as a beginning point. What kind of interesting wood can you source on these islands ?

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I can buy anything. Selling is the hard part. I am not good at making things, except perhaps music, (arguably). Koa is the local favorite wood. It is a certain type of acacia.

wildbill said:

Buying stuff is always easier than getting rid of it (assuming that finances allow buying).

So after a while, the motto becomes 'Be careful what you buy'.

Sounds like it worked out OK for you though.

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Or the motto could be that of the classic car guys, you never really own your kit, you are just the caretaker for a while. But true, the pleasure of buying can make us hasty.

thebarak said:

Or the motto could be that of the classic car guys, you never really own your kit, you are just the caretaker for a while. But true, the pleasure of buying can make us hasty.

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Hey ,I never heard that one - I like it - makes sense too...

I've only heard the 'caretaker' term used in reference to land, and only applied after a person's death.
"You don't really own the land, you are only its caretaker".

But a popular slogan can take on different meanings over time or geographic area.

The basic gist of it, is that the land (or the kit, or car), will survive on after you've passed.