Where do those random items in the UCLA Store come from?

And who decides to put them in there in the first place?

Take a stroll through the aisles of the UCLA Store in Ackerman Union, and you’re sure to find some things that could cause even the most eccentric of students to lift an eyebrow.

From marshmallow stress relievers to giant mugs that can hold a half gallon of your least offensive student-budget coffee, there is really something for everyone in the UCLA Store. Those who enjoy carrying dishes sized to the point of absurdity and squeezing toys with creepily innocent faces need look no further than here.

The student with a more refined palate for unnecessary objects might feel themselves drawn to the wind-up music boxes situated on a cluttered table toward the back of the store. I found myself grinning and mesmerized while listening to each of these classic tunes plucked in time to the force with which I spun the handle. The miniature metal tines moved and sang as each rounded pin affixed to the twirling cylinder struck them in going by.

For your $12.95, I’d say this is the most rewarding and relaxing object you could buy, especially with finals around the corner.

Now, if you’re someone who enjoys a plastic monkey blowing air onto your freshly painted nails (wait, what?). … Oh, yes. They’ve got you covered too.

Imagine the person who orders these things, flipping through the catalog and landing on this cute, little guy. They might think, ‘Would UCLA students appreciate this? Of course they would!’ The funny thing is, the buyer would appear to be right. This particular shelf looked to be sold out of the banana-ed grey button model, having only the ones with pink finger rests left.

In my search for the person who flips through the catalog, I found Carol Bluee-Walker, the buyer for the school supplies, sportswear and cosmetics department (yes, the monkeys!). The woman with the ordering power sat down with me to answer some questions about how these purchases come about. She stressed that buying decisions are made based on current trends and the student demographic we have on campus.

“A lot of these things are trendy things. It’s just fun!” she said. “We go to vendor shows, one particular show called Camex, to see what’s cool and applies to the age group.” Carol also pointed out the value in visiting and talking to buyers at other stores, to find out what is resonating with their students. Ultimately, she said she enjoys connecting with the students by asking UCLA store employees directly if they would buy an item she is thinking about ordering. She also said she likes getting out on the sales floor to see the trends for herself on the students that are walking in the door.

The truth is, even if some of the items seem funny, you have to recognize and appreciate the amount of work and thought that goes into the process of narrowing the options to a final set of choices that will end up on the shelves.

There were plenty of other exciting finds I saw that I could tell you about, including the UCLA-branded army of nutcrackers, and a box of questionably demonic Santa and snowman pens with light up eyes and punching arms, but you’ll probably have more fun if you just swing by the store and have a look at what you can discover for yourself.

They really do cover all their bases!