What is the purpose of ears in Diablo II

This is something that has always puzzled me since the release of diablo 2. What is the purpose of collecting ears? I know that if I kill someone in PvP I get an ear with their name attached to it. Do these offer any value or is it just a "treasure"?

Ears are just a "trophy" to show that you killed someone. Ears can be sold for 1 gold, but apart from that, they are useless.

No, they don't have any value other than you can show off who you have killed in PvP. They are just a trophy for Player kills.

They have more of a relevance in hardcore to show that you killed OR died in pvp combat. Some players in the PvP community hold them ransom over other combatants.