Absolutely, in fact I'd argue that sentimental value is the main value for most of the shit people buy. If we cared only about the functionality, we wouldn't have artisanal woodworking, or small batch beers, or handmade sweaters. Literally everything we owned would be mass produced, since that's always cheaper (and usually better-designed). People wouldn't be drooling over unboxing videos, because products would come in unbleached cardboard packaging, devoid of any imagery or cutesy "getting started" pamphlets.

But you who does buy the cheapest, least exciting version of everything? A business. In a capitalist economy, sentimentality is just an expensive distraction. So sure, individuals may not feel much reverence for an AI-generated painting. But say you're working in the design department trying to come up with ideas for an upcoming trade show exhibit. Your boss wants to see something tomorrow morning. You could take the day to sketch out a few ideas...but instead you spend a few minutes clicking around in Midjourney, generating dozens of different permutations. Sure, some of them are garbage, but some of them went in directions you never would have thought of yourself. You pick your favorite designs and forward them to your boss before lunchtime. Meanwhile, your more traditional coworker is over there with their paper and markers, still grinding away on their first sketch. Their end result is certainly nice, but your boss has already chosen a design, and is now wondering if they should take down that job listing for a third designer.

My point is, a huge percentage of the economy is driven by business decisions, not individual decisions, and businesses couldn't care less whether something is "real". If we're lucky, the increased productivity from AI will free up more people's time to spend on artisanal crafts, and more individuals will be able to afford that kind of good.