Well I learned something new today about the Casascius coin. That's a solid trivia question. Is that one yours???
If we think we're in mania mode, just wait until after January/February when most people get their bonuses, with the media having 1-2 more months of pumping/fudding to spread the word around. I met with my friend yesterday who works at Fox News, and she said everyone is buzzing about Bitcoin like crazy in the offices/sets.
I don't actively use Coinbase, but I got an email from them today saying that the demand is super high, so much that it's creating "extreme volatility and stress on our systems." Perhaps if the exchanges struggle to scale, it'll keep some of the buying frenzy at bay, like letting people through a funnel.