BIZARRE: Amazon dark rabbit hole weird pics - What They Never Told You

'The deep, dark rabbit hole of Amazon' subreddit has been around for quite some time. Ever since it was created in 2014, it has been steadily growing and gaining a strong foothold on the platform. With over 33k members, it's the perfect outlet to showcase some of the craziest finds ever discovered on Amazon and poke fun at the side of consumerism where the level of weirdness is way above normal.

"Have you ever seen something for sale on Amazon that made you step back and say, 'What the [hell]?'" the moderator asks in the community description. "Link that product here!" Well, hundreds of users accepted the invitation. "Also, general WTF's *about* Amazon, e.g., their shipping policies, their customer service? Share that, too!" People over there always seem to be on the lookout for the strangest, wackiest, and most ridiculous products and reviews to share with fellow members of the group, and they do not disappoint.

Some of the most important rules to consider before sharing something with the group is that the post cannot include any affiliate links, although it should state the price and the description somewhere in the title.

Moreover, one of the most important rules is that the item must be weird. "Your post must contain items on Amazon that are unusual, weird, or bizarre content that, well, you wouldn't EXPECT to find on Amazon," the moderator explained. "Gag gifts must be weird, not just funny. 'Weird' items are subjective, and links can be removed for being too normal at moderator discretion."

It’s safe to say that society has become obsessed with discussing products lately. And it’s easy to see why, as today we’re bombarded with legions of stuff that’s available to buy at the click of a button. From genius product design ideas to strange-looking ones, folks are uncovering heaps of original ideas and unnecessary temptations. It seems like the digital world has become a true treasure trove of the ridiculous and the bizarre that certainly challenges the boundaries of imagination.

While Amazon is just one site on the internet sphere that makes online ordering easier, it is definitely a force to reckon with. According to a blog post on Big Commerce, more than 197 million people around the world get on their devices and visit Amazon.com each month. "In 2018, Amazon’s share of the US ecommerce market hit 49%. That’s 5% of all retail spent across the entire country."

"To put things in perspective, this is more than Amazon’s top three competitors combined, with eBay coming in at 6.6%, Apple at 3.9% and Walmart at 3.7%," it states. "Needless to say, Amazon is the leader in online sales, with no sign of slowing down anytime soon."

Small wonder, as Amazon offers us virtually any item we can think of. The function and purpose are debatable, but they tend to genuinely surprise us by being so extreme that they even seem unreal. It’s entertaining to see the things people over on 'The deep, dark rabbit hole of Amazon' share with the world, but featuring peculiar products online seems to have become a running trend. See, their explosive growth has inspired other social media projects that tend to appeal to audiences of all types.

Previously, we reached out to an expert in uncovering all the bizarre stuff on Amazon, Drew Fairweather. About 10 years ago, he founded the notorious 'The Worst Things For Sale' (TWTFS) project while simply looking through the site. "[I] realized that there were bizarre, weird, and hilarious items always peeking out from under what I was actually trying to find," he told Bored Panda. "Once you realize the breadth of bizarre things available there, you can't un-see them!"

"Since buying items is the main creative outlet of most people — most Americans, at least — people enjoy seeing unusual items for sale," he continued. Fairweather also notices items "that seem normal — branded waffle irons, pink screwdrivers — that have a strange or sinister subtext hidden beneath the sales pitch." 

Fairweather explained he digs up most of these items on his own, although followers also help with suggestions. "I tend to stay away from novelty items, which are those intentionally created to be 'wacky,' since there's nothing unusual or sinister about these."

"I'd rather write about something like Extylus, which is a stylus for your smartphone that you strap to your finger, so you can use your finger to control your smartphone."

"As with any items manufactured and sold, these were all created with the purpose of making money! A lot of these companies, I'd imagine, start with someone having an idea they hope will be popular, a niche product that will become the next Beanie Baby or Scrub Daddy. They're then put through the wringer of marketing to become one of the abominations I write about, like Bumper Dumper, the toilet you attach to the trailer hitch of your truck," he told us. 

The ultimate goal, in Fairweather’s opinion, is to make people think about what they’re buying and why. "These products are mostly made of plastic, manufactured by underpaid factory workers, sold at a premium to people who don't need them."

"They're a colossal waste of energy and material resources, and it engenders suffering from the human cost of manual labor, the occupational health hazards experienced by the workers, and the ecological damage done by extracting these limited resources from the Earth."

"The very richest people accumulate wealth and use their power to strip the rest of us of health and happiness, then sell it back to us, one plastic piece at a time. We don't need any of these things! It's all a symptom of a society which has prioritized the accumulation of the wealthy over all other aspects," Fairweather concluded. 

But if we can agree on one thing, the things featured in this list are extremely entertaining to look at. We’re curious to hear your thoughts about these ridiculous items. Which of these products did you love or hate most? Did anything in particular stand out to you the most? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments!