Recently, I've been looking at a bunch of PFPs and various "memberships," basically buying an avatar along with a sense of belonging.

I think the long-term value isn't about how good the picture looks, but whether this community can keep people engaged: having things to do, shared consensus, things that slowly accumulate like a brand.
But now attention is too expensive. Once the testnet incentives and points expectations come out, everyone starts talking about "whether the mainnet will issue tokens," and memberships become like lottery tickets... I also get tempted, after all, human nature.
But then I think, if in the end only the word "points" remains, then no matter how expensive the avatar is, it's just a picture.
Anyway, I'll keep the "puzzle piece" for now, and after a while, see whether it turns into a brand or just a flash in the pan.