I Bought A Drum Set for $50--Can I Flip It? (Part I)

I got a great deal on a used drum kit--can I add to it, fix it up, make it sound good, and sell it?
Will it sell? Stay tuned for Part II to find out!

[@DrumAttic]

What a fun project! Dig it!

[@christhedrummerkimball]

Thanks! Once I finish putting part II online I think I'll use the proceeds to buy another set and do the same thing again, it was quite fun! Thanks for watching!

[@joerico9461]

When can you come do mine LOL looks great 👍

[@christhedrummerkimball]

Thank you, and thanks for watching (and I have confidence you can do a great job on yours!)

[@PUNKROCKERS4LIFE7968]

It's cool u can play jazz and big band .all I can do is play punk rock and metal

[@christhedrummerkimball]

I'm sure you can play jazz, too, it just takes getting used to the swing feel. Thanks for watching!

[@iRideuWatch]

Why do you clean the cymbals that you have no intention of playing? Just curious why you don't let the person who is going to play it decide.

[@christhedrummerkimball]

You make a good point. But I have found that when they're new and shiny looking it makes people much happier when they purchase the sat.

[@adderon7476]

Making less than minimum wage...there you have it folks. Refurbishing cheap sets isn't worth the time usually unless it's at least 40 years old but most of those are long gone or have already been refurbished

[@christhedrummerkimball]

Exactly. You do it for the love of the drums, not to try and make money, unless, as you say, you're a serious collector of rare or very old drums. Thanks for watching!

[@agr8fuldad]

I've often thought about flipping sets. I'm curious how much you were able to flip it for and how long it took.

[@christhedrummerkimball]

I way under-charged at $250, I know that because it sold in less than 12 hours! Problem is, there seems to be a limit on what you can get for an inexpensive kit--about $275 to $300, but that's with decent cymbals. If you get a set that needs parts, you'll spend way more getting the parts than you can get back in the sale of a full set. I'm going to do this again, though, and see if I can bump up the price. Usually, unless you get the set incredibly cheap, you're not going to make too much money. It's fun, though! Thanks for watching!

[@agr8fuldad]

I think I'm going to try your cymbal cleaning technique on a cymbal I've had for a few decades. It's a 1979 22" Paiste Sound Creation Dark Ride. Though I'm nervous about ruining it. It's a rare transition ride Paiste made. Thanks for making great content! I especially like the video on sewer pipe "North" drums.

[@christhedrummerkimball]

@@agr8fuldad Thanks! As far as the cymbal, cleaning it will probably remove any printed logos, but other than that, it should make your cymbal look beautiful. Just be sure to use a circular motion going with the grooves. Going against the grooves can scratch the surface. Good luck, and thanks again for watching!

[@adderon7476]

Cover the logos with electrical tape if you don't want to take them off. Barkeeper's friend is ok but it scratches the cymbals a bit. I recommend the cymbal manufacturer cleaners if you can afford them. Especially for B8 alloys like Sabians and Paistes but good luck finding the Paiste cleaner anymore

[@danielreily2701]

Hi Chris. Now I think you already know what I am going to say here. You really missed the only thing worth buying was that "K" crash cymbal that the guy offered to you. The ZBT 's are pressed from sheets , cast cymbals only but then again a personal opinion , those are toys, no matter how much shine they have. Crap cymbals can never be improved ,a case of you get what you pay for. Reminds me of when Porsche produced the 924 , Zildjian simply did not need to put these out ,they are ruining the name of the no.1 cymbal maker but other companies have done the same ( Paiste for example). Yes your just selling the stuff on but the real trick is buying quality musical instruments at a cheap price and restoring them . Put the best strings on a $20 guitar and it will still sound awful but better than before. I have never hear of the Fender name on drums , those look like CB drums which are toys intended for parents to get out of spending a heap of cash only to find their talented child lasted only 2 weeks on the drums. Those shells look like they sound....not good. Having lived in the states ,I envy the opportunities you have with pawn shops etc. selling on occasions fantastic drums for ridiculously low prices because they don't know what they have. I did it. Please don't think that all I can say is negative but there is wisdom in my rant. By the way I like the Bonham influence there. Peace and love .

[@christhedrummerkimball]

You are absolutely correct, but my goal with this flip-the-kit thing is to put together a kit a beginner can afford that is decent enough for him or her to have fun with. Or, maybe a drummer who just wants a knock-around kit for a practice room, or something. The price they wanted for the K was fair, but more than I paid for the whole set. It would have priced the whole package out of the beginner price range. For my serious kits I, personally, use almost exclusively A Zildjian (the top of the line versions), but so many people can't afford good cymbals, and I don't want that to stand in the way of someone starting to enjoy the drums. I figure as time goes on, if they end up loving the drums, they can gradually replace the cheap cymbals with good ones (that's what I did when I was young). I also agree that Zildjian isn't doing their brand any favors by putting their name on cheap stuff. That being said, however, I am using a ZBT ride on my practice kit, and it actually sounds great. Maybe that's just a really unusual example, like Herbie in The Love Bug (am I showing my age??:)) Thank you for watching and for your thoughtful comment!

[@danielreily2701]

@@christhedrummerkimball You know I once jumped on a kit at an outside gig and I hit a 16" ZBT and it really did sound great and had a tone and volume that really cut through. It sounded great but Chris let me be a cymbal snob , I too could not afford good cymbals ,I brought my first Zildjian hi hats at 14 and was shaking at spending so much money ( $60, 1968 !!). I have got great bass drum tone from cheap drums but hard to get good tom resonance from shells similar to your $50 kit. Snare drums respond to good new heads and tight tuning. I had a VW beetle ,so did we all !!

[@christhedrummerkimball]

@@danielreily2701 My first "good" cymbal was my 20" A. Zildjian ride which my dad gave me as a present when I was 14 (1973). It sounded great then and still sounds great now. I think it was right after that I started trying to only buy good cymbals. For Christmas this year my family gave me a brand new A Zildjian 16" medium thin crash. I'm going to use it with my practice kit. I have a couple of cheap cymbals right now on that kit mixed in with some good ones, but being a cymbal snob myself, even on the practice kit I'm gradually replacing the lower-end cymbals with top-of-the-line ones! Thanks again for watching the video and commenting--I appreciate it.