This is a question for those whose experience of trading is more institutionally based. Can anyone comment on what a typical block trading screen looks like. I have a link to what I mean here http://www.mandirect.com/trading-tools/quotes_body.cfm As best as I can tell theres a second upstairs market that is off the usual screen that allows larger players to transact futures in sizes much larger than would be possible through the standard electronic front. My main question is this: Is this second source of liquidity similar in profile to that of the mainstream retail market? By this I mean does it maintain tight liquidity and spreads all the time or is it primarily just a forum for blocks being negotiated between private parties. What i really mean is if usually you could only move ten contracts in a market is it possible to negotiate similar prices for say 100 for example using a facility like this? Anyone who knows what the order book looks like or has any experience working orders this way and could comment on it? I read that 60 percent of the NYSE volume is actually comprised of these 10k and above blocks negotiated through big block facilities like this.