In this day and age, when you can hop on Amazon and find literally millions of items for sale, it’s hard to be surprised by anything anymore. So when we find something cute, quirky or bizarre, our response is more likely to be, “Of course that exists,” than, “Wow!” And that’s exactly what the Of Course That’s A Thing subreddit is all about. This community, which was created a decade ago, has amassed an impressive 2 million members who are dedicated to sharing all of the unique things out there that, well, aren’t actually that surprising. 

You can say, “Of course that’s a thing,” about almost anything nowadays. Sexy pet clothes, “cheese burgers” that are literally just slices of cheese between a bun, and confetti glitter fruity cereal flavored fruit spread? Of course! Why not? If you’re a fan of makeup, you might be interested in knowing you can purchase your very own Cheetos eyeshadow palette. And if you want Corn Flakes branded underwear, no worries! You can find it! Capitalism has gotten out of hand in many ways, including with the creation of novelty items, so today, let’s take a moment to enjoy some of the strangest ones. 

People are always trying to invent the newest “next big thing.” That’s why shows like Shark Tank exist. Our needs (or perceived needs) as consumers will never end. We will always come up with another problem that needs solving or cute thing that we’ve just got to have. And while these novelty purchases can certainly be questionable ethically, as we all know consuming too much isn’t great for the environment, we have to admit that many of them are entertaining.

There is no end to the bizarre products you can find online. In fact, Reader’s Digest recently published a list of some of the weirdest things you can purchase on Amazon in 2023. For example, have you ever seen a mini hand squirrel? It’s not a puppet exactly, but rather five separate finger puppets, including four legs and the head of a squirrel. And you know those massive, wacky, waving inflatable tube men that are often spotted outside of car dealerships and businesses on the side of the highway trying to grab driver’s attention? Well, apparently, you can purchase a mini one for your own personal use. 

If your feet have always dreamed of being nestled into warm, soft loaves of French bread, Amazon has the baguette slippers you’ve always been looking for as well. But if those don’t satisfy your carb cravings, you can also buy a giant baguette pillow. Because of course that exists, right? And if you want to update your handbag to give more of a barnyard vibe, you can purchase a rubber chicken purse on Amazon too. Or are you worried about how much time you’ve been spending on the toilet? Don’t worry, there’s a toilet timer for sale that actually made it onto Shark Tank as well!  

While you might think of Shark Tank as a prestigious program for upcoming inventors, the show has also managed to feature some bizarre and questionable products that might have you saying, “Of course that’s a thing.” One of which was called the Ionic Ear, which was a bluetooth device that would literally be implanted into a person’s ear. It would need to be charged by plugging an AC adapter into the user’s ear, and it would require FDA approvals plus clinical trials to ever get the product off the ground. So unfortunately for the inventor, this product didn't take off.