Mini Blowout post: killer "B"s edition

As previously mentioned (see the very bottom part of this post), I made one last recent Blowout forums purchase.

As I often find myself doing, I was checking out the box/case breaks forum to vicariously enjoy some pack-busting and came across a thread where a guy busted a jumbo case of 2010 Topps football.  That's a set that interests me, so I decided to take a look.  Generally my habit is to scan through the post, glancing at the hits listed (and hopefully scans thereof) to see if there's anything that catches my interest.  I wasn't disappointed.

In case you couldn't tell, this is a cyan printing plate (1/1, natch) of former Michigan man/beast/machine Brandon Graham.  It's now in my possession and is my first plate (I snagged one other 1/1, a Justin Verlander Triple Threads White Whale, which isn't actually a plate), and I couldn't be happier.  Part of the deal (a great price, by the way) was this guy as a throw-in:

The guy had busted a case of 2009 Elite football and suggested I look through his results before we finalized a deal.  I'm happy to say that this kind of helpful seller is fairly common on Blowout's forums, and idiots are pretty rare.  A big thumbs up to seller Clayton/Nikki for an excellent transaction.

One thing I want to briefly highlight in this post (other than my being a total shill for those forums, which is no secret) is the value of viewing those threads of other people's breaks and being proactive about your interest in pulls.  Some people are just there to show off their pulls, but many are happy to get offers before they have to go to the trouble of a formal sell/trade post or eBay listing.  More importantly, you often get the inside track on a card, as I did with the Graham plate--a big BG collector noted his interest in the thread not long after I had privately messaged the poster (a more effective way of getting their attention, in my opinion), but by then it was too late--I was first.  So the next time you're looking for something from a specific set, instead of buying box after box, playing the odds hoping for it, see if someone else has pulled it for you and will give you a steal of a deal.