What do you enjoy about finding items?

As a longtime fan of the Diablo franchise, I am dismayed when I see someone say that it is all about the items. Even so, I cannot deny that finding items can be thrilling Diablo 3 items.

Looking back, in Diablo I got excited when I found:
Truly unique quest items (e.g. Arkaine's Valor)Elixirs that permanently increased my statsSpellbooks that gave me new abilities

In Diablo 2, I got excited when I found:
Set items, in hopes of some day collecting them all (or at least one full set)Runes, in hopes of one day making one of those game-changing runewordsCharms, which felt like permanent increases to my stats that I could customizeExceptional/Elite versions of common items - just seeing the cooler name amid the garbage was inspiring

I recognize that the item experiences from Diablo 2 that I most enjoyed were added in the Lord of Destruction expansion, which added many new itemization systems. It is my hope that the [first] expansion to Diablo 3 adds similar depth to itemization diablo 3 items buy.

Until then, I find myself reflecting on the excitement of the present item hunt. In Diablo 3, I get excited when I find:
Recipes, in hopes of one day finding them allSet items for the reason above, though I've only ever found one diablo 3 accounts
I did not find a single legendary, set or recipe until I had already played through all acts of Diablo 3 no fewer than 9 times. That is a long time to wait for an item thrill.

But I argue that the problem for a player like me isn't a lack of awesome items, or the time between upgrades - it is the UI. The character sheet is detailed and thorough, and more accurate than Diablo 2's sheet ever was, but it is a plain boring wall of text. There is no excitement in increasing those numbers. I am a visual person - and I am not alone. Watching meters increase; seeing slots filled in a journal; even just seeing a number change color to indicate progress - these things convey excitement.

These UI changes would instantly increase my interest in the game as I wait for an expansion:
Show the base item name on my identified gear. I want to be reminded that the really great armor I have is a "___", so that I can actually feel a little bit of that excitement again whenever I see another unidentified item of that type drop.Update the crafting UI to show all recipes and distinguish those that I learned through leveling, found as drops, and have yet to find. Let me reflect on the progress that I have made while teasing me with what more I have to find. Let me see the items I might one day craft, without having to leave the game and shuffle through webpages.Sort the Blacksmith UI by level, not by slot. I never think "I hate my boots. Haedrig! Make me better boots!", but I sometimes think "I just hit a new level. Haedrig! What can you make for me?"Update the character sheet to provide a quick visual representation of how well I am protected against each element. Let me see the percentage visually and without a mouse hover - the raw rating is meaningless. Let me see how my offensive stats balance against each other. Let me see how much of my estimated sheet DPS is from flat damage, from elemental damage, and from critical hits.

What do you enjoy about finding items?