At my local diner, the menus are all stained with coffee rings. It's funny how the wear and tear tells a better story than anything new. I have these jeans with holes from years of wearing them, and I keep them for the memories. Imperfect stuff just sticks with you, it's like a record of real life. Your grandma's cookbook is proof of that, all those stains mean more than a clean page. Makes me want to hold on to the messy things more.
Oh totally, I read this thing once about how veteran war game players love when their miniatures get chipped and painted, like the damage adds flavor. A beat-up game piece tells its own story, you know?