Beyond Two-Four

We’re official: Killer Drum Deals is now offering select merchandise for our loyal readers. A very small percentage of sales of these items actually goes to us, which will in turn help to support this site. Order here. Thanks in advance for your support.

Today’s Killer Deal: A decent price on a wharehouse resealed mini-4-track recorder at SameDayMusic.com

Craigslist is potentially one of the best sources of buying used drum gear. But it has its positives and negatives. The biggest negative is that Craiglist only breaks down to the level of musical instruments and no further. Searching for drum gear either means typing in a search term for something specific, which is a shot in the dark, or–what I do–monitoring the entire list of musical instruments regularly. Try both. It can also be risky buying used gear, especially from pseudo-anonymous sellers.

Here are, though, eight tips on what do when you find something to consider buying.

1. Read the item description carefully. Is information missing, like the kind of Tama drumset, or are the cymbals A Zildjians or Zs? Are they honest about the condition of the gear?
2. Cross-check what’s advertised with what you can by the drums for new. Surprisingly, many sellers overvalue their drums. Used drums should be priced noticeably under what their new value is. A good deal is often easy to spot in these first two steps.
3. Email first, even if the post says to call. A response by email indicates a true commitment to sell the drums. If it takes five days to return an email, you’re either too late, or the seller isn’t motivated.
4. Phone after email contact has been confirmed.
5. Buy in person, and be careful of those who will only meet in a neutral location (it could be an indication of the gear being hot, or stolen)
6. When meeting in person, ask why they are selling the gear. This question can also be asked over email first.
7. Finally, ask if the person selling is the original owner. This question will double check whether the gear is truly theirs or not.
8. If there are any inconsistencies in the seller’s story, walk away.

Lastly, as a buyer, you have a responsibility to also be honest and straight-forward. Play honest, play firm and play nice. Good luck.