Sims 2 Legacy - Items disappearing from sim inventory slowly

I have had this issue with multiple sims- after getting an item in their sim inventory (like the infamous computer or objects they dug from "Dig for Treasure", the item will be visible for some time (not sure how long) and then will disappear without a trace. it's hard to tell how long they are sticking around since the game pauses while in  the inventory. No error pops up with testingcheats on, the item- whatever it is- just quietly disappears. Not sure if it happens with every sim, but some sims have been able to keep their ReNuYu Porta-Chug in their inventory. I wonder if this is related to the memory and token issues that are also happening. Super frustrating- means I can't have this sim fish or paint to earn simoleons because they will lose whatever they made or got.