This guide is for people who want to list a drum or drums for sale who do not necessarily know a lot about drums.

If you want to list a drum for sale here are some pointers, things that I think drummers and drum buyers will want to know before purchasing a drum.

1) Start with the drums' size; that is it's diameter in inches by it's depth in inches. This is the drum shells size, so to get the most accurate measurment you have to take the heads off, I know it's extra work but this will come in handy later. an example of the drum size should read: for sale a 12 inch dia. X 15 inch deep tom tom.

2) The next thing you should include is the drum maker, and this can be found, usually by reading the badge that is secured by way of a grommet to the outside of the drum. You should make every effort to include a detailed, focused photo of the drum badge as this will help buyers identify the era and many times where the drum was manufactured. Some examples of manufacturers are: Ludwig, Rogers, Slingerland, Yamaha, Tama, DW, etc.

3) So far We have dealt with things that are fairly straight forward, next We will deal with the drums' finish, that is, what is the outside covering of the shell. Here again, include a photo or two of the drums exterior, that way potential buyers are going to be able to see if this drum will match their drum set or maybe they just want a phsycedelic red drum like their dad had from the sixties! There are many, many, many drum coverings and there are many natural exterior wood finishes so if you are not sure of the finish, just say so and let your nice photo's speak for themselves! Some examples of drum finishes are: white marine pearl, black diamond pearl, black oyster pearl, silver sparkle, gold sparkle, blue sparkle, green sparkle, champagne sparkle, butcher block, koa, white, black, duco, and so non and so on. Natural wood finishes will be as varied as the wood types: maple, birdseye maple, birch, cherry, ash,alder, and so on.On metal shell drums some examples of the finishes may be:Chrome, brass, chrome over brass, and aluminum. A note on the finishes: Please let your buyers know if there is a split or tear or defect in the finish, usually this will not affect the sound/playability but for someone trying to restore a set this can be a somewhat bigger issue. It is a good idea to include a photo of the defect, that way it is the buyers decision to continue the purchase.

4) Next you are going to want to convey to your potential buyers what type of material the drum shell is made from, that is; solid wood, plywood, plastic, metal, fiberglass or other materials, and here is another good reason for taking at least one of the heads off. Included a picture of the inside of the drum! If you haven't been able to identifly the drum from the exterior, many times you can find ink stamps, paper stamps or other identifying markers inside the drum.You also, should include the thickness of the drum shell in fractions of an inch. If the shell is made of wood try to "count" the number of plys that the shell is made of and let your buyers know: 3 ply wood shell. Another good reason to take one of the heads off! If it is obvious to you, let your buyers know if there are any extra holes in the shell, included a photo if possible.

5) We're getting there! Next: the drums hardware, that is, the hoops, tension lugs, tension rods, snare mechanisms, and the drums mounting mechanisms. There are so many different things to go over here that I won't try to include everything, just a list of what you should include as a minimum. Do you remember back to step one? The Diameter of the drum? well this is also the diameter of the hoop, so in our first example the hoop diameter will be: 12 inch hoop diameter. you will also include the number of tension lugs/rods, (how many holes around the hoop), such as: 12 inch diameter, 8 lug hoop. Some examples of the hoops will be: 8 inch chrome hoop with 6 lugs, 12 inch chrome over brass hoop with 8 lugs, 14 inch, 10 lug hoop, etc.You have also included a couple of good photos of the hardware, right? if you don't know anything about the tension lugs just take and include some good close up photos, if a drum buyer is looking for a specific style drum, this will help the buyer identify if the drum is right for them. Don't be afraid to tell your potential buyers that a piece is missing or broken, many times people shopping on ebay will have spare parts or will know where to aquire spare parts!

6) Lastly, Do not as a seller claim a drum is a certain type or manufacture of drum if you do not know for sure, let your photos speak for themselves. Encourage your potential buyers to ask questions if they are not sure about a drum you posted or if they can't see a certain part of the drum. Clearing up a potential problem before it happens is always easier than afterwards! I hope you find this guide helpful, if you include the 5 pieces of information outlined here, your potential buyers will be able to make a well informed decision on wheter or not to bid on your item. Good luck!