I'm with Tenbones and Spinachcat, I LOVE gear, especially stuff that allows one to get a 'feel' for the setting. For example, my favourite section in Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog is the food and drink, as it has details on the culture that makes the stuff. My 5e Halfling Spear fighter doesn't touch ANY sort of cheese, because of what the hallucinogenic properties of Lurien Spring Cheese does to his kind. But he also loves apples and the northern ciders. It adds DETAIL to a character. No, it's not necessary, but it makes the world feel LIVED in. And that to me, is important in a setting.
So I LOVE gear books, even if they don't have stats.