Communities and brands are increasingly forging belonging through curated scarcity, exclusion, and deliberate barriers to entry rather than openness. Coach's 'trinketmaxxing' collection (adorned with charms signaling personalized in-group status) and the broader cultural embrace of collectible objects—Pop Mart blind boxes, limited Crocs releases—demonstrate how exclusion-through-acquisition has become the primary mechanism for tribal cohesion. Membership is purchased, curated, and performed through marked objects that signal both taste and access.