When my girls were small, the Cabbage Patch crze had just started. I remember one year, before Christmas, there was something called a "Koosa (sp?)"..some special type of Cabbage Patch..the girls wanted it..I, and my two secretaries, spent the betetr part of a week calling all over the tri-state area trying to find two of them..Finally, got lucky, paid like 3x retail, plus FedEX costs, to get them here for Christmas..a week later, they ended up in the attic, where they stayed for the next 20 years, until we sold the house.
I think a lot of the collectible craze is fueled by the "Antiques Roadshow" syndrome..
I have moved many, many times over the years and culled the cr@p from the ‘collectibles’, mostly souvenirs.
Will never part with my kids’ art and sculpture efforts - have dragged them from pillar to post for decades. I’m sure they will have a good laugh & a few tears when they sort it out from my ‘estate’.
After watching those “Hoarder” shows - I am motivated to check my shoe boxes;)