What's the deal with Snapchat selling all this goofy gear on Amazon?

Snapchat has always marched to its own drumbeat.

In its early days, CEO Evan Spiegel allegedly turned down an acquisition offer of more than $3 billion from Facebook, and has personally vetoed ad campaigns he thought just didn't jive with the brand.

Spiegel seems to care deeply about the fundamental essence of the brand he is building - and wants to control it.

This has left certain people asking the question: "So why does Snapchat keep releasing these goofy toys?" If you didn't know, Snapchat is currently selling the following on Amazon: a beach towel, a plushie, playing cards, and a backpack.

One of the reasons might be that Spiegel has a personal love for the Snapchat mascot, which is featured heavily in the physical products. Spiegel told Business Insider that he actually drew the icon himself, and that he named it "Ghostface Chillah" after Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah.

And sources at Snapchat tell us that in the midst of all the dealmaking drama, the meteoric growth, and the high-profile executive departures, there's a simple reason they keep releasing these toys: fun.

These were products that weren't at all designed to be released to the general public. They were made for employees, or for random giveaways, and Snapchat just decided it would be fun to start selling them on Amazon.

"He's a silly dude," Spiegel said about Ghostface Chillah. Indeed.

Here are the the pieces of Snapchat gear you can buy on Amazon.