To me, one of the signs of a decadent society is when silly trinkets are valued more than true craftsmanship. The first time I noticed it was when I found that cheap plastic candy Pez dispensers (with no true historical value) going for thousands of dollars, while high quality solid wood furniture from the 19th century can be had for much less.
I am not including historical items (e.g. Action Comics #1, Honus Wagner cigarette trading card) though those have gotten out of hand as well.
My grandparents had a dining room table that was built in the 1700s, and it was in good condition. I would love to have something like that, not a f***ing overpriced handbag.
IIRC, eBay was originally started as a site to sell/trade Pez dispensers.