17 Weird Objects That Would Never Have Been Identified Without The Help Of The Internet
It never ceases to amaze me that people are just living their lives normally, yet somehow still finding weird things that they can't quite seem to identify. Luckily, the kind folks over at the r/whatisthisthing subreddit are happy to help. Here are 17 recent finds from the sub and what they turned out to be:
1.This set of hinged metal claws with a hook inside found at a flea market in Paris:
u/DirtWesternSpaghetti / Via reddit.com
"Looks like they are pheasant tongs."
2.These long, wavy wooden sticks that a previous tenant left in someone's kitchen:
"Our Abelskiver pan came with these for turning the abelskivers. Here's an example."
3.This spring-shaped item found at a local thrift store:
"Google Lens answered it in one second. A magazine rack."
When another user asked why it had rounded ends, u/gnuoyedonig replied, "Art Deco: because they could!"
4.These metal handle-shaped objects attached to the back of the chairs at a Victorian music hall:
"It is a wire holder for hats. The wire would hold the brim of the hat against the seat."
When asked if it was intended for the person sitting in the seat or the person sitting behind the seat, u/Yves_and_Mallory replied, "It's for the person sitting behind the chair. Hats used to be a far more common accessory. Nearly every man wore one, and custom dictated that you removed said hat in the theatre, so everyone needed a place to put their hat."
5.This handheld tool with a bone handle and tiny rounded end:
u/daikondon / Via reddit.com
"Super neat find! This is a ball dental burnisher from the 19th century. Looks the same as these."
6.This tiny metal object with one rounded, looped end and one point:
"This item is called a stiletto. It can be used as a pin or to curve/pivot fabric during sewing. It's used to 'poke out' corners of the fabric. Sometimes sold in a set with a screwdriver."
7.This metal device with a spinning handle found in a scrap yard in Belgium:
u/88GoldenEagle88 / Via reddit.com
"It is a manual paper curling machine, like this one."
8.This flat base with wooden handles and metal nails:
9.This wooden, rusted item found outside someone's apartment complex:
u/threeclubs / Via reddit.com
"It's an early slide projector or 'magic lantern.'
10.This brooch from 1937 with a spinning dial of numbers:
11.This container of clear liquid enclosed in a wooden container found in an old house in Sweden:
u/IronLPB / Via reddit.com
"Probably for this; an old Swedish fire extinguisher."
12.This clear, bubble-like item with little green bits floating around inside found on the beach in Aruba:
"Sailor's eyeball [a species of algae]."
13.This watch-like object featuring concentric circles and a leather strap:
u/lubidulia / Via reddit.com
"It’s an ankle pedometer. Similar to this one."
"Looks to me like a mechanical pedometer; you strap it to your ankle, point the arrow in the direction you're going, and the 'cog' on the side is to reset it to zero. The rings give you the distance based on different step lengths.
Here's a similar one. Also, if you gently roll it side to side, you should hear a faint 'clunk' each time - that's the recording mechanism."
14.This long brass spoon with a looped handle and drainage holes:
15.This little door connecting someone's kitchen and living room:
u/aliceqtpie5 / Via reddit.com
"You have a telephone nook, and it’s extra special because of the cabinet, which lets you get to the phone from either side."
"Definitely agree! And the little slot at the bottom is for a phone book."
16.This little coin-shaped item someone found stuck in their staircase:
"These show up here from time to time; it's an old token you could customize with a machine at a penny arcade. Here's what the machine looked like. I doubt it has much value, but it would be interesting to see what it says."
17.And finally, this 2.5" tall plastic, magnetic sculpture of a woman found in a vintage shop in Austin, Texas:
u/drybonespwns / Via reddit.com
"It's a gimmick where the girl will pop out of the bathtub easily when you use the tweezers, but when you have someone else do it, they can't. I don't know exactly how it works, but I'm guessing the polarity change has something to do with the tweezers."
If you enjoyed looking at all these interesting objects, check out some other items identified by the internet here:
16 Things People Found And Never Would Have Been Able To Identify Without The Help Of The Internet
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
