I hear ya! It's nice to have a quiver full of arrows for whatever the situation. I'll still be interested in a late 70's early 80's No. 451 if I came across one though (6.5 engraved BB that I couldn't afford at the time).Best of luck to you in your search the that BB... and post up when ya get it. Are you in So Cal?

Here's a few shots of the snare bed on my BB for reference (from L to R).The first shot is of the batter side - no light leaks through 360° rotationNext is the snare side looking at the throwoff - light visible through the snare bed "crimp"Rotated 90° (between throw-off and butt)- no light leaksRotated 90° looking at the butt- light visible through the snare bed "crimp"Rotated 90° (between butt and throw-off)- no light leaksThey can be collectable and you will pay the price for the "mystic," but it is just that in my opinion. At the $1,000 price point you can get some really good snare drums... and in my mind if I'm going to shell out $1,000 I might as well see what else is available in the price range. Truthfully your audience could care less about the choice made in snares let alone whether or not the BB is vintage or contemporary... heck only a certain slice of drummers care about that! Maybe because I already have one that I really don't care about the hype for such a readily available drum and just see it more as a tool? I have to admit though that I did buy a 100th Anniversary engraved BB solely for aesthetic reasons. I was in the market for a vintage engraved BB from the 70's-80's era but at the price they were asking for them the substitutes became way too attractive. For me I would pass on a vintage model in favor of an unmolested drum for a lower price any day of the week.

Oh well... I was going to suggest meeting at a music store and letting you compare/evaluate my BB with a new one.