Hi

So, items such as microscope... carpet... bugle.... what's the point? What is the reason I should invest resources in making these? Do they have a function?

Most buildings have at least one crafted item that you need in order to build them. Take a look at the Townhall blueprints, for example - ruby rings, ruby pendants, scepters, hourglasses, mantles... (Look at the List of Recipes under the Help menu to see what you need for each building, or go to the recipe under your Craft and Construction menu if you've got the blueprint in your Library.)

The only exceptions are the boat and the climbing gear, which give you access to parts of the Wild Pet map that you can't reach otherwise. I don't bother catching wild pets any more, so I don't use these, or the Cartographer's Guild. I just buy and breed.