I used to make a bee-line for shiny powerful artefacts when I first started playing Morrowind, but now I prefer to collect things that are more mundane and yet fun to search for everywhere on the island:
- Ancient dagoth brandy bottles. I haven't looked how many there are actually were of those. I managed to find 5 so far.
- The 36 Sermons of Vivec. But no stealing allowed.
- greater and lesser Dagoths's souls. I like the idea of having all of House Dagoth screaling and kicking on a shelf.
- Extravagant Sapphire Amulets. I remember playing as a vampire once, and some quest requiring you to find a number of them, and how difficult it was to get them, so now I collect them in advance even though I have no intention of turning into a vampire.