The power of the insignificant

A couple of weeks ago, someone bought a pair of sandals and specs for an obscene amount of money. Suffice to say that the money would have been enough to built schools in over a hundred villages. The reason why it was priced so high is even more baffling given that Gandhi the owner of the revered specs and sandals would have never bothered to pay so much for them. I bet he would have been much happier if 60 crore Indians followed at least one of his principles he fought so much for.
Why is it that people are so passionate about such insignificant things while the workings of great minds are confined to the realms of legends and never brought down to practical mortal levels? Why would the world value Shakespeare’s original manuscripts to millions while the most important thing, his writing, is available at every street corner bookshop? What’s important, the paper or the words?
Maybe, the Kohinoor diamond is worth the money. The piece itself has a value in terms of its rarity and beauty. But Gandhi’s slippers are placed on a pedestal way above all other slippers of the world because it was worn by Gandhi and not because it’s the most beautiful or durable slipper in the world. What is worth the money and time is Gandhi’s ideals, a commodity that’s getting so rare nowadays that soon nothing will be left to even auction even if a buyers wants to pay for it.