What Is So Special With Topps 2011 American Pie?

I am trying to figure why so many people have a boner over the new Topps American Pie release. I know there is some reminiscing and nostalgia involved which can be fun and has done well in the past but the main reason people buy sets like this is the hits included and this release seems to be seriously “reaching” when it comes to the personalities included on the checklist. While previous American Pie releases included relics from Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe the best this set can muster is the likes of AJ Hammer, Tia Carrere. and Dean Cain. Hell, out of the 6 different “relic” sets only 1 is a true relic (American Pie/Pieces Relics), the rest are made up of The Walk of Fame, Letters and Fold-Out Letters (Manu-patches), stamps and coins.

OK, Jimi Hendrix does have a true relic in the set and John Wayne, James Cagney, Duke Ellington and Gary Cooper do have stamp or coin relics but come on…

There are some autographs that make up for the lack of relics including Charlie Sheen, cut signatures of the Odd Couple, Cheech and Chong and some quad-cuts from Gilligan’s Island and some buyback cards signed by Paul McCartney and right now there is a Richard Nixon cut sig/relic card up for sale at $12,000 BIN but when you look at the autograph card numbers they are extremely limited making it more likely that your 3 hits will be relics or a Wilmer Valderrama chicken scratch.

Like I said back in August when I did a review of the set, this seems to be a rushed attempt by Topps to counter Panini and Leaf's nostalgic sets and they did a pitiful job with it. I will probably pick up a blaster to have a closer look and I may hunt down some of the American Pieces relics but when it comes to the better nostalgic sets I think Panini may have a slight edge with their Americana release.