congaplace.com

Hi,
Can I please get peoples educated guesses at what would be a fair price to buy or sell these drums for? As you can see there are plenty of blemishes and some scratched but only one major ding and no cracks. I am not sure of the exact sizes. Thanks for your help!

This is a nice platter. Based on Valjes current sales, I would say $800 to 1,000 for the pair.
These have been re-finished so to some that might make a difference in price.
Cheers.
K.C.

Thanks for your estimate. Now that you mention it it does look like they have been refinished and to me it looks like it is not the original color. They started off as a great deal but when you add in refinishing costs, new skins and shipping they become expensive, at least for me anyway.

Here is a set I sold recently on Ebay. They were in great shape.

Dario

it also looks like they are missing the bottom bands. I've watched sets in nicer condition than yours stay on craigslist for months at $800 and no sale. In this market you could sell them for $600 and probably get a buyer. I've seen sets of 3 Valjes go for 1200-1600 depending on condition. That's the usual. I'd say top dollar is $800 but you could be waiting a while for a sale.

In my opinion, I wouldn't sell them for less than $800. Even in their current state of condition, 1970's Valjes are probably going to be better than anything on the market today, unless it is a custom made drum.

Just a funny, true, story...

We were having our monthly rumba during the late Summer, and one of the cats who used to come, shows up with 3 1970's Valjes.

He was soo proud of his new purchase, I think he spent somewhere around $1400.00

Anyhow, he sets them up, replacing the L.P. Matadors we use most of the time - and after about 5 minutes, the rumbero mayores at the event stopped the rumba and put back the Matadors.

Reason? They didn't like the sound of the Valjes.

Poor guy who just dropped the dough looked so depressed... It was funny, but sad at the same time.

This all brings me to a conversation I had with a local rumbero, relating boutique drums and the crazy price of lessons. These two factors are keeping rumba, and conga playing, from people of more many poor or working class people. The same people who developed the instrument and music.

That is an interesting story. I respect Valje drums but have never been a fan of their sound for rumba. Having said that I have recorded with them (someone else's drums) and they have been when I have played them or heard others in my recording studio as well as on jazz gigs. I think different drums work better in different situations. Also the skins can have a lot to do with it as people have discussed a lot here in the forums.

Good points! When I played my Valjes back in the 70's in clubs with bands, the biggest complaint was from the bass player. My tumba, without a mic, would drowned out his bass at times. I still like the Valje drums sound. The picture Omelenko posted is the traditional Valje look with bleached skins.

congalero wrote:Good points! When I played my Valjes back in the 70's in clubs with bands, the biggest complaint was from the bass player. My tumba, without a mic, would drowned out his bass at times. I still like the Valje drums sound. The picture Omelenko posted is the traditional Valje look with bleached skins.

My Valje tumba has a similar bass sound, which is why I love Valjes for rumba, you hit that bombo with the tumba and everyone feels the bass, super funky. The Valje tumba has more bass than any conga I have ever heard, which is why I will never sell that drum. My number one rumba ax, next to my Sol quinto.

Just to balance this thread out, my friend Taikonoatama, from this board had a set of Valjes. The previous owner said that when he took these drums to Humbolt for the Afro-Cuban camp, Los Munquitos wanted to play the Valjes all the time because they sounded better than all the rest. I've also played them, a really nice sounding set of drums.

I wouldn't say Valjes were boutique drums, they used to be all there was in California next to Gon Bops, and before LP was everywhere, though Valjes are vintage and collectible, typically a Valje sells between $300 - $500 depending on condition, with some pristine examples going higher. If one is patient, you can find them for even less.

However every drum has it's individual characteristics and unique voice. Some may prefer one drum over the other regardless of who made it.

bongosnotbombs......The drums definitely HAVE the bottom bands on them.

Thebreeze wrote:bongosnotbombs......The drums definitely HAVE the bottom bands on them.

oh yeah, I see that now, the image is so dark it's hard to tell.