Once you've picked a drum kit that meets your needs, it pays to know how to get the best price possible for your kit. There are a few things that you can do to work out the best price possible. Go online and find the best price quote that you can for your kit (and cymbals/hardware if you're buying them separately), print it out and take it to a music store. Tell them what kit you're interested in, but don't show them your printout yet. Get a price quote from them. If their quote does not beat the one you found online, show them your printout. Remember that there are often shipping costs when purchasing online that you need to factor in; however, there is usually no tax online. So, you need to factor that in, too. Tell them that you are going to buy the kit, and who you buy it from depends on who can give you the best price.

If the store offers you a lower price, don't jump on it just yet. Try to get them to write your quote down as proof to show other companies. Many times they won't write it down, but you can write it down for your reference. Go to another store, or if another store is not near you, you can begin emailing companies online with your lowest quote. Many times they will say that they need proof of your quote, but if you do not have proof that's ok. Simply telling them that you are going to buy the kit at that quoted price, and if they want to make a sale they need to beat it usually gets them working out better prices for you. If they don't, try somewhere else.

Keep going in this manner, getting quotes and trying to get them beat by other companies until you get the best deal you can. This is time consuming, but if you want the best deal possible, it's necessary. With a little work and patience, you will get the best price for your kit.

As a side note, also remember that many times you can find your kit used for a great price. If you find one used at a good price, you can use that information when wheeling and dealing, telling the company that you may purchase the used one. This will often make them try to work out a more "motivating" deal for you. They want to make the sale.

Remember, patience is key in getting the best deal. It will take a little work, but in the end it will pay off.