Seller's Remorse

[Old Dog new Cans]

This is another non-drum related story, but I think you can relate. I recently sold a Meucci pool cue that I had purchased when I was 21 years old. Absolutely in amazing condition, it was one of the nicest cues I had personally ever seen. Spent about $180 on it. I believe I sold it for $45 more than that. But as soon as I did, I messaged the guy and said "PLEASE Don't ever sell this cue!" I gave him my contact info. He said if I ever needed it back, he'd sell it to me. Which was cool. I had that cue for over 25 years. It was just sitting. Needed to be played.

 

[RickP]

I am pretty mercenary when it comes to gear . I have very little sentimental attachment to anything I own , so buyers remorse is rare for me . I generally sell things to either make room or to finance another purchase . If I am not using something regularly , it gets sold .

I currently have 3 kits with 20” bass drums and that is at least one too many , so they are all up for sale and the once one sells , the others are no longer for sale .

 

[Matt Suda]

I guess I have seller’s remorse for letting go of gear at a lower price than I could’ve gotten. I just sold a 20” K Custom Dark Ride for $180, when I probably could’ve held on a bit longer and gotten at least $200. I hate negotiating.

 

[Hewitt2]

Sold a pristine set of Paiste 15” sound edge black label hats to go along with a whole set of mint blue label 602 crashes and rides.

yeah I needed money at the money but it still hurts.

 

[yammyfan]

I had a late 70s/early 80s tobacco fade Tama Superstar 22/12/13/16 in standard sizes. Billy Cobham had one in the same finish. Only paid £300 for it in 2006.

I'd kill for it back, great gigging kit.

Also had another 1984 last of the chicagos 402 with bowtie lugs that I part exed.

Off topic a bit but did the Tama's look like this? I saw this kit on NYE and figured that it was the backline kit for the club I played that night. Maybe I'll make them an offer for it if it's a halfway decent kit.

 

[EricT43]

I have donater's remorse. I had a Premier XPK kit that I bought new in the mid-90's. I left it at a friend's house where we were rehearsing (in gig bags), and someone there dropped the bass drum, and it damaged the reso-side edge a bit. It still sounded fine, but I don't want to play on damaged gear, you know? I put it up for sale, didn't get any bites, so I donated it to a school where a friend teaches music. I got a brand new Stage Custom to "replace" it as my rehearsal kit, but quickly found out that the Stage Customs are not quite in the same league. Wish I could have it back, it was a great-sounding kit. But at least I know the kids are getting some use out of it.

I don't get seller's remorse too much these days, because I'm a little smarter about appreciating when I have something special (to me at least), and when I have something ordinary. I'll sell of the ordinary stuff and keep the special. Like the Fender Jazz Bass Plus that I spent a whole summer paying for on layaway when I was 18 years old. I mean, the Jazz Bass Plus was not the pinnacle of Fender's achievement, but I worked my ass off for that bass and I'm never selling it.

When I get buyer's remorse, it's usually a sign that I made a great choice and bought some really good stuff. Buyer's remorse often disappears the first time I play a gig with the new gear.

 

[Pootle]

Around ‘94, I took my cymbal set into a music shop and sold for cash, Sabian AAs 13 Fusion Hats, 17 & 18 Medium Crashes, 21 Dry Ride and a 10 splash. I obviously got an awful deal but needed the money. Stupid really but I was young..

 

[Larry]

I had a guy just last week trying to locate a set I got from his brother off Ebay. The guy I impulsed purchased the set from, his name is Doug Altman, who by sheer dumb luck, turned out to be the drummer for Bobby Sherman, Ricky Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Souther Hillman Furay band, and others. He was getting out of the business due to health issues. I got his personal set, not what he used with those acts. But I had sold the set about 2 years ago, a set of Ludwig Hollywood 1966 drums in champagne sparkle. I managed to dig up the guys name who I sold it to. So I passed the name along to Doug's brother. I'm wondering why he's so hot to get his brother's set back. I'm not having a good feeling about Doug. I didn't ask, and his brother didn't offer any info. I still gig Doug's Soultone cymbals I got from him. Love 'em.

 

[mikyok]

Off topic a bit but did the Tama's look like this? I saw this kit on NYE and figured that it was the backline kit for the club I played that night. Maybe I'll make them an offer for it if it's a halfway decent kit.

View attachment 89996

No, the original Tama superstar was a different sport to these. It was their top line kit in the 80s.

I'd avoid that backline kit like the plague. Finish is similar.

Here's my old Superstar

 

[Keyholio]

I'm new to drumming but not new to music and collecting. "Good but not in fashion" is one reason NOT to sell. "It doesn't spark joy" is one good reason TO sell.

I've been building a home studio and rehearsal space kit by buying up inexpensive complete sets, keeping the good stuff and letting go of the rest. This has netted me some great stuff, especially some Paragon hats and a crash, a double leg DW hi hat stand, etc. But a willingness to let stuff go (like the great little 20" bass drum on my otherwise weak MIJ stencil '60's kit) has opened the door for better stuff.

Clearing out the space to make room for musicians will lead to more joy than a pile of drums and hardware blocking up the feng shui of your life. My band will be over at my space tonight -- and a cramped space full of extra unused gear would diminish the experience.

 

[Keyholio]

Years ago I traded a very nice 80's Japanese made candy apple red Fender Bullet for a Senheiser MD 421. At the time it made sense but in retrospect, not so much. Now I'm into the minimalist thing so I sell everything that's not remotely useful to me. I just traded a pair of heavy 80's Paiste HHs for a lovely 15" 70's Zildjian pair. Now I'm obsessing about the little fleabite on the top cymbal but they sound fantastic. I wonder if obsessiveness is a drummer thing? Maybe a musician thing in general. ...I digress.

Mics are always around. Unique guitars, not so much.

 

[dwsabianguy]

Just two things. A blue 5x14 Yamaha Birch Custom snare (not an absolute; evidently they were supplied with RC kits back in the 90s) that was my first "real" snare drum, and a 22" Sabian HH Rock Ride that was the sweetest-sounding heavy ride I've ever played. The rest of the stuff I've sold, I don't really miss, but those two are hard to replace.

 

[Fred D]

I had a guy just last week trying to locate a set I got from his brother off Ebay. The guy I impulsed purchased the set from, his name is Doug Altman, who by sheer dumb luck, turned out to be the drummer for Bobby Sherman, Ricky Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Souther Hillman Furay

I knew Doug. We used to gig at the same clubs in Hollywood.

 

[yammyfan]

No, the original Tama superstar was a different sport to these. It was their top line kit in the 80s.

I'd avoid that backline kit like the plague. Finish is similar.

Here's my old Superstar

Good to know. The backline kit is a Superstar as well but it looks kind of beaten up. The die-cast rims are appealing, however.

 

[gdmoore28]

Years ago I traded a very nice 80's Japanese made candy apple red Fender Bullet for a Senheiser MD 421. At the time it made sense but in retrospect, not so much.

I was going to simply reply "no" to this question until your post sparked a memory of the one musical instrument that I truly wish I'd never sold.

I'm not a guitar player, but when I worked in a music store we received a new Japanese Fender Squire Stratocaster that was the first (and only) guitar that ever felt 100% comfortable to me and actually made me want to practice on the thing. When there came a lull in my desire to play a guitar, I sold the Strat. Now, that remains as the only instrument that I've ever regretted selling, because I've yet to find another guitar that felt so natural in my hands.

When it comes to drums, though, I don't regret selling any of my kits. With only a couple of exceptions, I've thoroughly enjoyed the numerous kits I've owned, from Recording and Maple Customs to Pacifics to Ludwig Classics, they've all been fun and rewarding. But there are simply too many items on the menu to be stuck with one set for a lifetime. I've relished all (well, nearly all) the varieties.**

GeeDeeEmm

** The exceptions? (1) Original Mapex Saturn Pros; (2) Early long-lug Pearl Exports; (3) Early long-lug Yamaha Stage Customs. All three of these kits absolutely sucked.