How to Sell a Broken Drum Kit

Can you sell a drum kit that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with drum kits

These are the faults that move a drum kit down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

• Cracked cymbals, which are effectively finished
• Missing stands, pedals and clamps
• Damaged bearing edges that prevent proper tuning
• Wrapped shells with lifting or peeling covering

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £54 to £270. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £30 to £150. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

1. Lay out every shell, stand, pedal and cymbal and photograph together
2. Check each cymbal edge carefully for cracks
3. Inspect the bearing edges by removing a head

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

1. The kit fully set up, from the front
2. Each shell showing its size badge
3. All hardware laid out together
4. The bearing edges and lugs, plus any wrap damage or crack

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken drum kits want these confirmed:

• Brand, series and the size of every shell
• Every piece of hardware included, listed individually
• Whether cymbals are included, and which
• Shell, wrap, bearing edge and head condition

Brand, configuration and contents: “Pearl Export 5 Piece Drum Kit with Hardware, No Cymbals”. Saying whether cymbals are included belongs in the title, because it changes the price enormously and is the first thing asked.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

• Complete kits with hardware, stands and pedals
• Shells with no cracks or bearing edge damage
• Recognised makers with a resale following
• Cymbals included, which often carry much of the value

If the work would cost more than the gap between £150 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Lifts in September and before Christmas. Complete kits with hardware sell far faster than shell packs.

Getting it to the buyer

Bulky, heavy and multi-piece — almost always collection. Say how many boxes or trips it will take and whether it is upstairs.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken drum kit worth anything?

Yes — typically £30 to £150 at For Parts against £120 to £600 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Cracked cymbals, which are effectively finished

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are complete kits with hardware, stands and pedals and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty drum kit?

The fault itself, in detail. Say so in the title and the description. Cymbals are frequently worth as much as the shells and it is the first question every time. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.

See also: what drum kit is worth by condition · how to sell drum kit · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.