Well, you get the same sort of buzz as you would of as a kid walking into toy shop and seeing all those carded figures on the shelf waiting to be bought. That sentimental feeling is definitely a powerful driving force.
There's definitely an aesthetic quality of seeing the figure next to the image. Admittedly this could also be achieved without the need for a sealed figure, but there's also the challenge of being able to find certain figures still sealed. That Madine is known to exist in around 30 or so examples. But many more exist in fewer than 5. Some are only 1 known.
And of course you can still have the joy of looking at the carded figure and have a loose version as well to 'play' with.
I understand the thrill of the search for figures and I understand the toy shop buzz (although when I was a kid there wasn't a toy shop, we had a section in a supermarket that expanded at Christmas and the likes of Woolworths and Brown Thomas) - so I guess the enjoyment of opening and putting it on shelf is kind of the same.
That kind of money though - yikes.
EDIT: Sunday was the day I had been looking forward to with the Obi-Wan Kenobi gang on stage. I will always regret missing that but several people have commented about the centre overcrowded - I'm guessing very very noisy too. I'll take my nephew to the next one wherever it is and plan far in advance.
Also, am I the only person NOT surprised by the casting of Lars Mikkelson in the Ashoka series?? It was so obviously going to be him that I taught they announced it last year.