White Marine Pearl covered drums always look classy to me. It is the finish so many of the great drummers of the past chose. All the drum companies offered it but not all the drum brands used the word "marine" and some just called it white pearl. I have heard some use the expression "mother of pearl" to describe white marine pearl. One catalog just called it "marine pearl" and left out the word white. It doesn't matter what you call it; it's a beautiful finish. Sometimes you find vintage white pearl drums that have remained very white. This set has yellowed with age and light exposure. Most vintage white pearl sets have yellowed to some degree. I like the yellowing on these drums because it gives them character and makes them look more vintage. If you see an old set that's very white, chances are they have been recovered.
I had decided not to buy for a while when I got a call from a collector friend urging me to check out this set I am featuring this month. They were on Facebook Marketplace and the price had come down to an acceptable number. There's nothing wrong with starting high, but no need to be ridiculous. I always check on the similar items selling on E-bay, etc. to see about where the price should be on any item. You can ask anything you want but has one sold for anywhere near the amount you are asking is the important question. I messaged the guy who by the way was not that far away that I was interested. I didn't ask if they were still available. That's a wasted question. If they are not, he'll tell you. This set is a Ludwig Super Classic with a 22x14 bass drum, 16X16 floor tom. 13X9 rack tom, and a 14x5 chrome Supraphonic snare. The Keystone badges are nice and the interiors are painted with Resa-Cote white. That's what Ludwig called their interior paint. The chrome is not bad but has some "flea bite" pitting on the lugs. The finish is nice with the yellow tint consistent on all the drums. All the mounts work well, and the kit tunes up and plays and sounds great. They really have the 1960s vibe.
I drove to the city and met the owner at his home. Some sellers and buyers want to meet at a public location, but he welcomed me to come to his nice home. I enjoyed meeting him and seeing his other great drums and good stuff he had collected. We had so much in common being about the same age. His dear mother had made a scrap book of his bands over the years. I loved looking at that because it was much like my own experience having played with bands since school days. There's nothing quite like meeting someone who has shared a path of life similar to your own. I paid him with cash, loaded up the Ludwigs and drove home feeling pretty lucky.
Phil Wilson