lol they dont have a purpose really.
ATC's you can trade and collect like baseball cards, but for artist/crafters If you have a whole set (nine in a set) you can frame them. Or just stick them in a book so later you can look at them all and be inspired.
Inchies (1inch X 1inch squares) are kinda the same but they come in sets of 12. I like to frame sets of inchies and hang them by my craft table, but indivdual ones can be made into brooches, magnets, framed or just collected and saved They are super fun and I love seeing what other come up with!