Nuclear Holocaust would probably be close.
People collect because it fills a space in their lives. It's not that they don't have lives to keep them busy enough, but these items represent something they believe in and stand as a visual extension of a wonderful experience (the books/movies). But it also represents something larger-- something that's not easy to describe which is bigger, I think, than the movies. Tolkien touches on some amazing thoughts and ideas, and he had a way of expressing these ideas powerfully.
So many of his ideas as represented in a fantasy world stand right along side real world events and ideals, and at times even stand above them as convincing, even if a bit idealistic. But good myths, legends, and fantasies are not mere escapisms. They help us to weigh what we believe in against a different backdrop when we have grown numb to these ideals in real life. The entire concept of Fellowship and Friendship took on a deeper meaning for me, and the impact from the books and films carried over into real life.
The statues are a powerful reminders of things we ought never to outgrow: like determination, dedication, and wisdom. To give up the statues would be akin to giving up hope, faith, and credence in these longstanding ideals.
There are those who just take the statues at face value-- some people just don't like how they look for one reason or another and they sell them off. Others do have family tragedies that require them to make the sacrifice. But by and large, the passion that drove us all into collecting existed before the statues came along, and was not *created* but *awakened* when they became available.
I hope that giving up my collection will never be a decision I will ever have to make. To this day, just seeing them around the house never fails to bring a smile.
wow, that was really beautifully said.