Shipping drums

[isaacvining]

Forgive me if this topic has already been covered (i'm not got at accurate searches...).

I have a potential purchaser for my kit, but they aren't from the same state.

For you that have shipped drums, what steps do you go through to ship them? Take all the heads off and put the shells in each other? Ship one drum at a time? i'm not really sure the best way to go about this.

Also do you think it can all be done for $200? That's how much they're paying for shipping.

Thanks!

[Russ]

Are you talking about taking the kit with you somewhere? Or actually mailing it to a location via the post office?

[isaacvining]

Sorry for the confusion. I mean mailing it to another state via the post office/UPS/Fedex/whatever else.

[Russ]

In that case.. You can put all the drums inside the bass if you remove the reso heads and hardware, but you'll need a seperate box to store that. Ask them how much to ship after they weigh it in. If looking for boxes, check craigslist before buying your own, because quite often times there will be giveaways in the free section, saving you a little money. Shipping costs are dependent on the price of the mailing service, so you should call them beforehand and write down the rates you get so you can compare each against the other. Saves some gas too.

[HolyChina]

All what i know if it going from low humidity ex: Colorado to a higher humidity ex: Michigan the cane could mess something up for me it was my wrap.

[N2Bluz]

I'm lucky enough to work for a company that ships millions of dollars worth of packages on UPS and FedX every year. Commercial accounts pay a fraction of what the general public pay. If I need to ship something, I take it to work and give it to our shipping department. If I buy something, I have it shipped collect to my office.

[slinglander]

$200 will do it-I paid $150 shipping for a kit shipped UPS from a GC 100 miles away. Drums were nested and double bubble-wrapped(with big bubble type not the little stuff) in two big boxes from a set of cheap drums. Boxes need to take 22" kick with bubble wrap.

[signia fan]

I know shipping across the border it is nearly impossible to get anyone to ship a 22" kick. Goes over the size limit. I bid on a NOS radio King shell of a fleabay seller a couple weeks ago. He said would not ship to Canada, but if he did it was fed ex at 200% of the cost of the shell, $199!!!!!

Thanks for that. Seems he did not want the sale.

[kaosotis]

I was able to ship a 6 pc kit via UPS for a little over $200. I had Gator bags, so I actually used those, plus bubble wrap, to insulate the drums when nesting them. Got the kit in 3 boxes.

[isaacvining]

Thanks for all the info guys! This is very helpful.

[Mike_L]

$200 will do it-I paid $150 shipping for a kit shipped UPS from a GC 100 miles away. Drums were nested and double bubble-wrapped(with big bubble type not the little stuff) in two big boxes from a set of cheap drums. Boxes need to take 22" kick with bubble wrap.

I second this - bubble wrap and nesting. I've never done it, but seems like the best approach.

[atomcorr2]

go to your local music store and ask for boxes that drum sets came in.. they should have them.

[porkpieguy]

The guy that shipped my Pork Pies to me did an excellent job. He did the nesting thing with lots of bubble wrap and peanuts (I still think there's some foam floating around inside my 10" tom.

I think he left the bottom heads on, nested each layer, then shipped the heads and top rims in a separate box. I think the whole thing only took two boxes, but it's been a long time, and I can't remember exactly.

[late8]

If you're going to nest the shells within each other, make sure you keep them in the center of the box and stuff packing in each corner to ensure the shells don't shift during shipping and end up flush against the inside of the box. Double box if at all possible or use a dual layered cardboard box if double boxing in too costly or not practical. The outer box will protect the shells from damage. Pictured below are the boxes that Bish's Saturns were shipped in. I've circled where the box was damaged from shipping. If I'm not mistaken, I think he said there were some issues due to shipping?



Single ply cardboard boxes are prone to punctures from sharp edges or corners. If double boxing is impractical, dual ply boxes will be a cheaper alternative.



My Gretsch USA kit 4 pc kit was shipped in double boxes. Each drum had its own box and the hoops and heads were already installed. The outer box had two plys of cardboard (circled) plus bubble wrap between boxes for added protection.



Pack the floor tom legs separate from the shells:

[late8]

This pic is to give you a look at what kind of condition my boxes were shipped in. You can see some small dents in the boxes

[Russ]

Brb never shipping anything fragile again.

[kickinit]

Dude... when did you get a Saturn kit?!?

[marko138]

Just remember, UPS, FedEx, et al, DON'T GIVE A CRAP what is inside your package. It WILL get kicked around, thrown around, whatever. Marking FRAGILE on it won't make a bit of difference.

Package it well, like Rich documented above, and get insurance on it. Don't skimp.

[weezy]

Dude... when did you get a Saturn kit?!?

I suspect that's a repurposed picture of one of Bish's kits.

[Russ]

I suspect every kit in that store was one of Bish's.

[late8]

I suspect that's a repurposed picture of one of Bish's kits.

You nailed it!

I suspect every kit in that store was one of Bish's.

You double nailed it!

[drummer]

Updating this thread for 2025:

Shipping a standard 5‑piece acoustic drum kit, which includes a bass drum, snare, two toms, a floor tom, and often hardware and cymbals, across the U.S. in 2025 typically falls into the $100 to $500 range when using ground services with carriers like UPS or FedEx. Costs can vary considerably depending on weight, packaging, and distance. When you factor in extra weight or size, multiple boxes, packing materials, insurance, or delivery to a residential address, it’s wise to budget toward the higher end of that range or slightly above.

The main factors affecting shipping costs are the total weight of the kit after disassembly and packing, the dimensions of the boxes, which influence dimensional weight pricing, the distance shipped, and whether the delivery address is commercial or residential. Carriers may apply additional handling or oversized package surcharges if boxes are large, oddly shaped, or exceed certain weight thresholds. Proper packing (super important!), nesting toms inside the bass drum, stripping hardware, and using sturdy boxes, etc., can help reduce both risk and cost. Also, use bubble wrap or plastic air fillers rather than paper to keep the weight and cost down.

It’s also worth noting that sellers often pass along insurance and packaging costs, and shipping from or to a business address can be cheaper than residential delivery. In short, for a typical U.S. ground shipment of a 5‑piece kit in 2025, you should plan on around $200 ± $50 as a realistic estimate, assuming fairly efficient packing and no rush or expedited service. Of course, this can vary depending on any extras you're shipping with the kit.

So much of this depends on who's doing the shipping. Manufactures and stores are more experienced with this process and the kits are usually super compact already = keeps shipping costs down. But when guys are buying and selling drums on the net and packing them up themselves, that's where the costs can really soar if they don't know what they're doing.

Heed all the advice above and I think you'll be OK. I really like N2Bluz's comment about seeing if you know someone that ships for a living that might be able to help you out. That's not an option for many but if you can swing it, that's definitely the way to go as they get wholesale rates.