Value lose if recovered
Q: Approximately how much value does a drum lose if it is recovered with aftermarket covering?
A: There are many factors to consider before we can answer this question. First, we need to know the condition of the drum and the finish, so we can determine how valuable and collectable the drum is in it's present state. If it is a rare or highly sought after drum in a desirable finish, but it's not the finish you wanted, it would certainly be better to find another drum that had a badly faded or cracked finish for this type of project. A good example would be if someone were looking for a wood shell Dynasonic in Jet Black wrap, it would be unwise to take one originally finished in Black Onyx and strip it down to refinish in the Jet Black.You would probably decrease it's value by well over 50%. On the other hand, if you had a wood shell Dynasonic with a badly scratched and cracked Jet Black wrap, and had it properly refinished in Black Onyx, you may actually increase it's value by 50% or more. This is assuming that there have been no modifications made to the shell, such as new holes for non-original hardware or drastically altered bearing edges. A good rule-of-thumb is if the drum is in very good to mint condition, refinishing will usually lessen it's value, but if there are serious problems with the original finish, rewrapping may increase it's value, provided you use a finish that was available from the manufacturer (from that era) and that the work is done to the manufacturer's original specifications.