Enchantment or advancement.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

If I offered you a couple of swords to pick from and one was all shiny and ornate and new, while the other was battered and ugly and old, which would you pick? Now if I told you that the old one had killed such and such a dragon, that it had been wielded at an ancient battle, and so on, which would you choose then?

Great illustration, lal!

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Even if the history is a sad or disturbing one it has the same effect - you might not choose that item if given a choice, if it had such a dark history

Although, The Ring has a very dark history and yet many still chose to take it. Maybe this has to do with what the stories say. Sauron used the Ring to gain great power. Others, knowing this, may desire that same power. To imitate him, or put right what he did. I think it is still partly the story that is the magnet, so to speak.

I'm pretty sure that in On Fairy Stories or some other essay, Tolkien talks about the magical 'pull' that stories have. I will find quotes in the morning, I think.