Really it highlights general financial illiteracy towards the difference between speculation and investment. People often give stock traders grief for doing worse than random picks over long term but the average person does /way/ worse given things like Beanie Babies and other "collectables". A very good rule of thumb is that if they say it is collectable when it is sold there is no bonus value.

An actual investment gives some sort of returns for holding it or can be used to generate more returns. A $60 box of spark plugs for a mechanic is an investment as they can make say $600 over a few customers. Filling your closet with spark plugs while they eventually become obsolete is not an investment.