Growing up, stuff used to be important because it was expensive and difficult to get.
Over the last 40 years I've seen the value of anything used drop, most has fallen to virtually zero as almost everything is cheap and easy to replace, perhaps functionally, but not aesthetically.
Most of my workshop is populated with stuff that I value, but in the cold light of day, is worthless: nails are a case in point, as are slotted head screws. Dad left me boxes, I sorted them, put them in trays and there they sat for 20 years. If I needed a screw I bought modern ones with cross head, Torx or allen head...so all the old ones have gone as scrap.
Same with furniture: my neighbour does house clearances: dark (mahogany) furniture from the 1900s used to have value, now it is junk. He said recently we know the price of everything and the value of nothing. I understand...
Information is the same: before the internet information and knowledge had value, today it is almost worthless.
