One of the oft-forgotten pillars of the old web was the collector's site - whether storefront or information center, photo archive or newsblog, there were a whole lot of sites detailing the exploits of people who collect stuff.
While there's an untapped ocean of collector sites floating around the remains of Web 1.0, the sites I've curated here are all toy-related because, well, that's the main thing I collect.
Have you ever seen someone so passionate about rubber ducks? One can only wonder where the webmaster of this site, last seen in 2012, is now. Probably off somewhere looking for the latest in bathtime friends.
The attention to detail on display here is remarkable, with each make and model of rubber duck given a detailed write-up.
Part of larger virtual-pet centered site network Mystic Fortress (which honestly deserves its own article), Electronic Furby is a great starting point for anyone in the current day looking to learn more about 1998's attempt at artificial life.
With lovely, authentic web design and a personal voice, each of the webmaster's Furbys is given their own webpage (something I recently started doing for my BJD).
To 2000s babies, this site is best remembered for its detailed information on Nintendo DS and Wii game modding, but the majority of the site is dedicated to firmware mods for Sony's Aibo robotic dog.
Both sections of the site are interesting reads, especially for those with an interest in hacking and robotics. (While off-topic for this article, the Animal Crossing Wild World map editor documentation is especially fun to look through.)