Valje congas/bongos

[Dangler]

Seen these on Craigslist and was wondering what the real value of this set is

http://nanaimo.en.craigslist.ca/msg/1637041595.html

[bongosnotbombs]

I would value that set somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000 American.
$9,000 Canadian is $8,833 American, and is of course WAY too much.
Very nice set of drums though.

[pdxisbest]

I would go to the upper end of that range ($3,000); 4 drums and a set of bongos, vintage, in excellent condition.... You'd pay $2,500 for that set if it were LP Classics. Valje's are double the quality and sound of LP.

[Psych1]

We have this discussion a lot but what the "value" is and what you may be able to buy or sell them for are all different. Some folks, like BNB, like to get a good deal - and, he does. Others don't care about price because that isn't an issue for them. Lots of collectors out there. Vintage instruments on eBay in Japan can sometimes go for 5 times more than in the US. They sometimes pay $30 for a good melon. I can get 5 for under $1.

[KING CONGA]

The bottom line is that the product is worth as much as YOU are willing to pay reguardless of it's fair or unfair market value, what it is worth to you?
How anyone may feel about that is totally irrelevant.
My recently restored Requena, is it worth $3,000.00? Heck nooooooooooooo!!! but I tell you this, if someone would offer me that amount for it I just might consider it .

[bongosnotbombs]

It's true I like a good deal .

I based my estimate on what I see and hear Valjes going for. $600 dollars for a Valje is top dollar from what I have seen,
usually I see Valjes sell between $300 and $500 per drum depending on condition. Locally there is a guy who
has been trying to sell a pair of Valjes for over a year, his asking price is $575 I think for the one and
around $475 for the other. Since he hasn't sold them in over a year I'm assuming he is asking too much.
I also have a friend that has bought 2 full sets of 3 Valjes over the last two years or so, and I know what he paid for them and sold one set for.

There is a set of blue Gon Bops that has been on Ebay for at least 9 months at $3,000, again no sale, overpriced.
But when Gon Bops are sold at around $300 a drum and Valjes at around $400 a drum they tend to sell quickly. Higher than
that the drums tend to linger or drop.

That skin on skin bongo I bought started out at $400 and didn't sell for 2 months until the price went down incrementally to $275.

When I see used and vintage bongos and congas being sold at prices that are the same or approaching new custom drums like SOS and Matt Smith, they don't move very quickly and sometimes not at all.

However, this particluar Valje set is a nice complete set, with that rare super tumba, so for the right person it might achieve $3,000, which would be $600 a drum.

[Anonimo]

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[bongosnotbombs]

I've got a full set of Ralph's Resolution drums. Great instruments. I was just playing them now.
They are slightly different from Valjes, mainly they are one inch shorter and the belly is lower.
Ralph's drums also come with a very nice conga bag and conga stand included in the price.
The bongos also have a different design. I don't remember if Ralph offers a super tumba either.

[Anonimo]

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[RitmoBoricua]

Them Resolution drums look really good. No doubt they need to bear the name Valje on them.

[Kona]

Hi guys (n-gals?)

I'm the guy with these drums for sale.

I would like to clear the air a bit. I don't really want to sell the drums - they're very special to me. I know they are probably worth close to what some have placed them at here. I was absolutley not trying to or was it ever my intent to 'rip' anyone off with the sale of these drums. I put that price on them to see if someone would be willing to pay that for this complete set of drums and if so be happy about it. I chose that price because it's what I would accept to see these drums go out the door. I've been offered $5,000 for them and backed out of the deal. I thought the buyer was going to be upset but instead he understood and said he wouldn't sell them either.

There is a 33yr history with these drums and me so that means something - you can hardly put a value on that. But, at 9k, it would soften the blow on me for selling them.

Like I said in my add - I don't know anyone with a complete set of these - including s/tumba & bongos.........that's got to be worth something to a collector too. I will add in closing that I would not sell these drums to anyone that appeared to be unhappy with the drums or price. If ever I do sell them I would want them to go to a happy home - a happy drummer.

I'll leave them for sale for a while and if no one's interested I'd kind of be relieved. They are SOME beautiful drums.

Great Forum !
Happy drumming &
Cheers,

Gary

[Kona]

UPDATE:
I took the drums off the market for a while. I'm not playing them much these days if at all. I've got into the Vintage drum kit life this last year or so & I'm playing a very nice 58 Gretsch kit right now. So - I've put the Valje's back on the block. I have other very personal reasons for doing that.

This is one of the listings - I have it at Kijiji as well.
http://nanaimo.en.craigslist.ca/msg/1881664813.html

I would be willing to share the of the shipping cost as well.

Please email me if you or anyone you know is interested. I have detailed photos of the drums and - if need be - Ray Ayotte would not mind being contacted regarding how they got to his store in the late 70's. Ray told me Tom Flores made the SuperTumba as a special order for him (to be sold in his Drums Only! store in Vancouver) & Tom only made a few SuperTumbas.

Gary

[Anonimo]

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[Kona]

Hi Leedy2 - nice to see you here.
I was only going by what Ray told me about the drum lately. I will let him know what you said here - thanks. I don't know if Ray was refering to my particular drum or just that compared to the other three sizes that were made there were not many STumbas made.

Ya - the economy sucks right now....but there is a lot of people with a lot of money out there and one of those people may want my particular set of drums. Man...I saw where a Gretsch snare drum sold for over $25,000 recently....so some people have money to buy this stuff. I know right after I sell them I will wish I hadn't.

Maybe you can tell me this..........How many complete sets (when I say complete I'm refering to Q C T ST & matching bongos) do you know of? I'm just curious because I continually get told mine may be the only complete set out there....if not, then one of a very few. I personally don't know of anyone that has one. I see collectors that have lots of Valjes but none with a set like mine.

Thanks again for the information - it's all good.

Gary

UPDATE:
I took the drums off the market for a while. I'm not playing them much these days if at all. I've got into the Vintage drum kit life this last year or so & I'm playing a very nice 58 Gretsch kit right now. So - I've put the Valje's back on the block. I have other very personal reasons for doing that.

This is one of the listings - I have it at Kijiji as well.
http://nanaimo.en.craigslist.ca/msg/1881664813.html

I would be willing to share the of the shipping cost as well.

Please email me if you or anyone you know is interested. I have detailed photos of the drums and - if need be - Ray Ayotte would not mind being contacted regarding how they got to his store in the late 70's. Ray told me Tom Flores made the SuperTumba as a special order for him (to be sold in his Drums Only! store in Vancouver) & Tom only made a few SuperTumbas.

Gary

Kona
Bad time to sell specially at that price. NO one is buying . and by the way you can tell Ray Ayotte he was not the only one to have super tumba I sold them at store I worked in New York back then 60-70's he made quit a few of them. He was the first to make that hugh 14'' inch drum and soon after gonbops copied that size.There was also an other store in New york back then called Casa America that carried Valje drums and had those large drums .

[Anonimo]

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