Card Five: Rookie or Veteran/Retired Autographed Relic Card
Paradigm's biggest pulls are likely going to come from the final cards in many boxes. That's because the fifth card is an autographed relic card from one of 14 different insert sets. All of them are numbered to 99 or less, with some - like dual auto patch cards numbered to 10 and 1-of-1 dual autographed NFL logo cards - much more rare than that.
The About.com sample box produced a Career Highs Receiving Yards autographed triple relic card of Saints receiver Marques Colston, numbered 86/99.
The Last Word
Judged in a vacuum, Topps Paradigm Football certainly looks and feels the part of a successful super high end product. Still, it's unlikely that anyone will be able to consider taking the plunge without comparing it to its competitors in the super premium market, Playoff National Treasures and Upper Deck Exquisite Collection. It does have the advantage of being the most affordable of the three, with a much lower suggested price point than either of the two competing brands.
Maybe Topps set the bar unnecessarily high for itself by naming the set Paradigm, which implies a shift in conventional thinking. These are nice cards, but I don't think they quite set a new standard or definition for the super high end. I do think they serve as a worthy alternative to what's already out there, and I expect that many collectors will find that to be the case.
