There are certain Hides in games as well as Tusks that seem to have no particular value to them (other than selling them). Do they serve a greater function that this? ...or are they just another random/useless item, like calipers?

From my game they serve absolutely no purpose. Some hides you cannot skin for leather and they don't have much value. The tusks....I have yet to find something to do with them other than trying to make a pyramid...

Haelga apparently found an interesting use for a horker tusk...

I suspect it's stuff for Modders to use.

Some people ask for them in radiant quests, I know I've had to fetch a few mammoth tusks for people.

At the end of the day they are just trophy type items, if you have a hunter that shows off his kills then why not, but merchants are not going to see the same value that character sees in them.