The kit that got away

There was a mid-late 60s Ludwig gold sparkle kit w/ matching canister seat, Zildjian cymbals, and a Rogers Dynasonic snare. It needed a lot of restorative work including replacing missing hardware pieces, bringing two of the shells back into round, and shell delamination issues.

The guy wanted near pristine collector money for it. No one came close to that and I found out later that he got in a pinch and he ended up selling everything for less than $350.

I’m curious to know what he was originally asking

He told me turned town offers of $1,200 and $1,400. I told him he should've taken one of the offers because I was nowhere that kind of money. Water damage+out of round shells+ply separation+missing hardware = lots of time and money.
 
He told me turned town offers of $1,200 and $1,400. I told him he should've taken one of the offers because I was nowhere that kind of money. Water damage+out of round shells+ply separation+missing hardware = lots of time and money.
Wow. Then he ends up at $350? I don’t think he got the offers for $1200, eh?
 
this exact kit....

Ayotdream.jpg

a "Ray Era" maple satin finish with the wood hoops and the black stripe. They had one in the local drum shop for a few years back in the 90's, and I just never committed to saving for and buying it. Sooo frustrated now!!!
 
Recording Custom set, circa 2010. Let it go in an anglerfish moment when I saw something shinier and had to have that instead. Always regetted letting it go but got it back when I got my 9000GA drums.

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Just happened to me. Pork pie 20th anniversary rosewood snare on ebay. It's up to $1600 and that was my cut off. Been looking for one of those forever.

Oh well, I did get my own custom steambent rosewood pork pie made so no huge loss.
 
a kit that didn't get away, per se, as you guys are outlining, but I remember when my folks decided to buy me my first professional level kit. I had committed to go to college for music, had my eyes set on North Texas. I went to Medley Music (Those who remember this store, it was the best!) outside of Philly. My guy tried to get me to buy a kit by this canadian company, Ayotte. I was in awe of my buddies DW Short Stack kit. Instead of buying the Ayotte kit with wood hoops, 18-22 kicks, 12-14 toms, I opted for the DW Short Stack. It was a fun kit to play. When I arrived to Denton, TX in August 2000, so many people had Ayotte kits and they sounded SOOOO good. Then, Matt Chamberlain came and did a clinic with his right out of the box Ayottes, and THEY sounded amazing.

I regret not buying that kit. I eventually found my dream kit, in December 2019, with my Sugar Percussion kit, but I always wonder about that Ayotte kit!
 
I've had snares that got away, but no kits. I was lucky on 2 fronts. My parents started me off with a brand new Ludwig /Zildjian kit in 1976, and through the decades since, on those occasions when I have found a kit that I drooled over, I was in a position to pull the trigger.

I see mentioned a lot of Ayotte misses here. I just recently stumbled upon mine when I wasn't looking. A 30+ year dream dropped right in front of me. I jumped on it without hesitation....
 
Sounds like a fish story to me. "Why it was as big as a Fiat 500 and put up a fight like you can't believe. Tokk everybody on board to keep me from falling of starboard. Then the line broke and away it went. Should've taken a picture of it."
 
Not a whole kit, but but a cymbal and a snare:
There was one of the Yamaha Elvin Jones snares for sale a couple of years ago for a very reasonable price (compared to the ridiculousness those things are fetching these days).
Another time I saw a 22' K Custom Dry Complex II. Again, reasonably priced in comparison. I've since picked up an original series, but the IIs are better.
Both times I probably could've swung the dough, but I thought "Better not right now. Beside I have plenty of cymbals/snares." If in doubt, do.
 
It's a program that automatically places a bid on something with a second or two to go so you take the auction right from under someones nose. If you're winning you don't know you've been sniped until the auction is finished so you can't do anything about it.

Really leaves a nasty taste in your mouth. Not as bad as it used to be but I rarely use ebay these days.

Doesn't ebay ask you to input the max amount you are willing to pay when you enter a bid? I thought ebay automatically increases your bid when subsequent bids come in until you reach your max amount . Sniping isn't really a thing if the final amount exceeds your maximum willingness to pay.
 
I attended an Estate sale in 2012 where a guy had a mint 1966 Gretsch round badge in champagne sparkle in his basement.
18, 12, 14 with matching snare that still had the key in the key holder and perfectly smooth micro strainer.
He was the original owner and played the kit like 10 times total as a kid.
Original heads ... everything.
I asked what he wanted and he replied ... and I quote... "I dunno five hundred bucks"
I gulped and felt compelled to tell him that his price was insanely low.
I told him I would give him $2000 and he was thrilled (still low) but fair based on what he suggested... that kit would demand 10 to 15 grand right now.
I paid him and told him I would be back with a bigger car and cases ... I lived about an hour away and when I got home there were some things I had to tend to so I called and asked if I could come in the morning... he said that was no problem.
While on my way to his house the next morning he called my cell to tell me there was a problem ... his house had been broken into the night before and almost everything was gone.
I got there to get my money back and the police were there... the place was trashed ... the gentleman was crying.
I felt terrible.
the police actually questioned me for probably an hour ... which I understood.

but I still think about that kit to this day

a mid 60s Gretsch with an 18 ... prices are astronomical !!!
and this guy wanted $500
he really didn't know what he had.

Damn I wish I had those drums... they sounded amazing
 
Doesn't ebay ask you to input the max amount you are willing to pay when you enter a bid? I thought ebay automatically increases your bid when subsequent bids come in until you reach your max amount . Sniping isn't really a thing if the final amount exceeds your maximum willingness to pay.

It is if there's nothing you can do about it. You must do some sniping yourself if you're justifying it ?

If I lose the bidding war that's cool but having an automated app that shithouses you at the last second that's just cheating!
 
It is if there's nothing you can do about it. You must do some sniping yourself if you're justifying it ?

If I lose the bidding war that's cool but having an automated app that shithouses you at the last second that's just cheating!

But the point I'm making is that concerns with sniping are non existent if you are entering the maximum you are willing to pay at the outset of your bid. Ebay will automatically increase your bid for you until you reach that point. When I win on Ebay (including at the last second) it's because the maximum I was willing to pay was the most of all interested bidders. It's not some grand strategy, just basic math.

Sniping is only a concern if you get outbid at the last second and you feel like you could have bid more. When I get outbid it's because I didn't want to pay that final amount. It doesn't matter if that happens at the last second or 3-days prior. It's a price I'm no longer comfortable with.
 
But the point I'm making is that concerns with sniping are non existent if you are entering the maximum you are willing to pay at the outset of your bid. Ebay will automatically increase your bid for you until you reach that point. When I win on Ebay (including at the last second) it's because the maximum I was willing to pay was the most of all interested bidders. It's not some grand strategy, just basic math.

Sniping is only a concern if you get outbid at the last second and you feel like you could have bid more. When I get outbid it's because I didn't want to pay that final amount. It doesn't matter if that happens at the last second or 3-days prior. It's a price I'm no longer comfortable with.

this is exactly what I stated in an earlier post in this thread. I've been on both ends of it and do think it sucks to lose an auction you think you're about to win though. I still think bidding in the dying seconds is an effective strategy- maybe more so when you are bidding against people who don't use eBay frequently.
 
Not to derail, I have sniped a bid before, however my last ebay transaction I almost lost on a helluva deal, I don’t understand how this one worked but read below.

It was for the 6.5x14 Bronze sensi that I now have, I snipe bidded up to $435.00 (I know unbelievable for a brand new tagged bronze snare, usually go upwards of $600 on average.).
I was in the loop so I got the email with less than a minute that the winning bid was at $440.00.
Didn’t have enough time so I was like “bleep it”, and let it go begrudgingly was a little upset at the sniper but that’s the game, I’ve done so myself and felt great on that end.

About an hour or so later, the seller messages me saying he’ll honor my $435 bid as he has under stock and boom!
Got the brand new tagged snare for even $5 less than the winner who bid at $440.00.
Just guess it was my turn to get a lucky draw.
 
I have had people in the past send me nasty messages through EBay because I submitted my highest price at the start and then these other people put in dozens of bids going up in small increments and they are less than my max bid .
I have been accused of “ not playing fair”, sniping (which I don’t use ) and “not bidding fairly”.
 
I have had people in the past send me nasty messages through EBay because I submitted my highest price at the start and then these other people put in dozens of bids going up in small increments and they are less than my max bid .
I have been accused of “ not playing fair”, sniping (which I don’t use ) and “not bidding fairly”.

I've seen articles about bidding strategies and opening with a high max bid was seen as a good one. seems like it can scare some people away early on. I guess this might upset a seller since it might eliminate the bidding war towards the end if people know right away it's already too high. if the auction is set with no reserve though the seller shouldn't be getting upset with you (not that they should be upset with someone bidding on their item in the first place).
 
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