I don't consider myself a "collector", but I do have a collection of vintage drums/cymbals that I play.
First off: I'm not a collector or am I very knowledgeable about collector drums.
If you care about it, you'll seek out the knowledge. If not, no biggie. I know tons of people who play vintage gear who know nothing about it--they just know if sounds good.
I just want to know how many guys who are collectors will actually play their drums?
Do you restore them to playable condition?
If you have a snare that is lets say 70-80 years old, would you play it?
There are collectors that have so many drums that they couldn't possibly play them all regularly. There are some collectors who buy drums/cymbals and merely store/collect/hoard them, just like some people do with Beanie Babies or old coins or Hot Wheels. There are some collectors who enjoy playing what they have, and some who will not for fear of putting stick marks on that immaculate original head, or won't tune it for fear of stripping out the original tension rods.
I do restore drums to playable condition, because I play them. I just restored a Gretsch round badge drum set, because all of the drums were mis-matched. I didn't restore it to original condition, but rather made it look pretty. To contrast, I have a 1928 Slingerland snare, and I play it regularly--it's one of my go-to snares. But, the throw-off is sketchy. I'm not going to replace the throw-off, because it's not in *that* bad of condition. It still functions, but I just don't want to mess with it--more out of laziness than wanting to preserve the originality of the snare.
I understand that the og heads might not be able to take much and you wouldn't want to beat the crap out of them for sure but, What about new skins?
Heads are meant to be played and replaced. They get worn out, like guitar strings or saxophone reeds. If you happen to have the original, unblemished heads, and the drum is desirable and in tip-top shape, I would recommend removing the original heads and storing them in the event that you want to sell it in the future for the most money. But, if they're beat up or unoriginal, by all means, do what you will with them. If that worn out old 1970s Remo Ambassador still sounds good to you, play it.
EDIT: Those are calfskin heads, and look to be in decent condition. Given the dryness of the shell (all of the holes), those heads won't sound very "lively". Carefully take those heads off and put some new heads on. You might have to buy specific heads (Aquarian American Vintage) if the shell is slightly oversized. If you choose to sell the snare, having the original heads is a plus.
I picked up an antique snare that is in good shape and I want to tune it up and hear what it can do.
But should I?
Did you buy it to collect it, play it, or flip it? Answering those questions will give you your answer.
