Many people don’t know about these items because they have never seen one. They have heard the music it makes. Steel drums can be hard to spot. They literally are made from steel barrels and then hammered out so that the metal makes a note when hit with a mallet. The quickest way to identify them is to see letters written on the different sections. Next you want to lightly tap on those sections to hear the note. You’ve found a steel drum!
Be careful not to hit the metal too hard or it will go out of tune. If you see any dents on the playing surface then that not probably won’t be possible to tune. but the other notes might work and could be good for practice. The one I found is a very small soprano. It may have been a souvenir. But I played it and it worked.
Their sizes can be as big as oil barrels for the bass steel drums. You probably won’t see any smaller than the one I show in the YouTube video above. You may also encounter “hang drums” which can fit into your lap and be played with fingers. The metal notes on these will be pushed outwards and not inwards like the steel drums. Hang drums are worth even more because there are so few being made.
So keep your eye out in the metal section of your thrift store because you may come across these instruments and make a quick buck by selling them on eBay. Instruments always keep their value and are good investments even if you want to keep it for yourself for awhile. That’s what I did. I played steel drums in high school from lead pan to bass. I have a soft spot for instruments when I see them in thrift stores.