Much Better to Give Than to Receive

At BareBones, a novelty shop at Minnesota’s Mall of America with a focus on the human body, this season’s hot items included eyeballs and a book on poop, said Robin Savage, assistant manager at the store.

The wobbling eyeballs for $2.95 were winners with BareBones customers.

“They’re little plastic balls, and inside there’s a weighted eye, so when you roll it on the floor the eye always stays up.” The shop started with an inventory of 5,000 and sold out in mid-December.

Also popular were charts of the human anatomy, like those seen in doctor’s offices, showing body parts, organs and systems.

Another best-seller was “Everyone Poops,” by Taro Gomi, for $11.95. “We cannot keep them in stock,” Savage said.

“It’s just basically a children’s book . . . to make people feel comfortable when kids are being potty trained,” she said.