Im usually a whorder in RPGS and very rarely use items, always saving them for a rainy day that never comes. Earthbound and this style don't mix too well

To be honest with you, I never really saw a need to use items in EarthBound. Fairies keep PP high and you can heal everyone with that when needed, including status ailments. Bags of Dragonite and Bottle Rockets etc can be useful but not majorly necessary. And if you die, then you can just use the hospitals and hotels to get all your HP/PP back because you make so much money throughout the game. Though to be honest, I pretty much never use items in RPGs in general unless absolutely necessary, I prefer to just use magic to heal and what not.

Earthbound's appeal is more charm than anything, which is really subjective. It's charmed enough people to send its price through the rough, though.

It definitely isn't a perfect RPG, and there are lots of other RPGs I'd recommend before Earthbound. It's the kind of game you play when you're looking for a different RPG, not a better one.

I'm also an RPG item hoarder, so that was my least favourite aspect. It did give it the charm of an older game, which I can appreciate. It made the early game harder, but by the end-game there's no shortage of great items, and everything else becomes vendor trash.