[brimble]

"Collectibles" bubbles have been a feature of (at least) American society for many decades. The tendency of some people to fall for marketing that describes some mass-market junk as an "investment" or "collectible" and to think they're really getting in on something good, is documented in Fussell's Class, so it was already a recognizable trend by 1983.

[EDIT] This is distinct from, or a useful subcategory of, some other "manias" or bubbles chiefly because the effect is often deliberately cultivated by a manufacturer or trade group, and the goods are mass-market in price and quality and lacking in (meaningful) natural constraints on supply. Think Franklin Mint junk on the Shopping Channel, or Precious Moments, or early '90s Topps cards. Pop-culture themed dinner plates intended only for display. Or Beanie Babies.