I will reiterate something already stated, because it's also happened to me: People have asked where I got my gear/mount/title because they were unfamiliar with it. I've seen many, many posts (here and reddit) where people post images of PVP gear, asking others where they can find it because they've never seen it before.
You're 100% delusional if you think mounts/minions are "pure pve territory". PVP has what, 6, soon to be 7 (then 8 with S4) mounts? We recently had a minion added via wolf marks, and another added as a random feast drop. Stop being ridiculous.
FWIW, I've been congratulated by FC members and a neighbor for placing in the top 100, not to mention anyone in an actual PVP area for instant "street cred".
Your analogy is wholly unrelatable because these exclusive rewards aren't "useful" goods, they're trophies. The trophies are up for grabs for anyone meeting the minimal requirements to participate in the contest, and awarded to the winners as defined by a set of pre-defined rules and criteria. None of what you said has any bearing on the topic at hand.
And yet here you are, trying to obtain something you supposedly don't care about. Wut?
Pro Tip: Everything is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. My grandfather said, about any problems, "In 100 years it won't matter", because you'll be dead and gone. So let me revel in the my achievements, on display through my "exclusive" winnings. Clearly they're lusted after, if only by you (which we all know isn't true).
IDK about you, but I still play this game with players from our previous MMO, who know about my past and current achievements. Get more friends and be able to relate? IDK what to tell you.