The world is full of mysteries. If you find something odd in your new home or come across a strange item, don’t stress over solving it alone. There’s a good chance other internet users can help you out. That’s exactly what a few folks did when they found mysterious objects and an online community had the right answer for them.
1. “Found this piece of glass that changes colors depending on how you look at it. Where could this have come from?”
Answer: “It’s a dichroic glass filter used for color correction in photographic printers.”
2. “What is this small brass container on a stick (that opens)? It says Windsor Castle on it and it’s about palm-sized.”
Answer: “It’s a miniature bed warmer.”
3. “It’s a little bigger than an AA battery and weighs about the same. It has a tiny pinhole on the top and a combination of numbers 5 to 9.”
Answer: “It’s a needle case with little compartments inside. The top doesn’t come off — the numbers indicate the size of the needles, which you take in and out through the little hole.”
4. “Found four of these capsules filled with what appears to be metal shavings?”
Answer: “It’s a pill for ruminant animals. It helps kill parasites, the big one being barber pole worms.”
5. “What is this tiny saucepan thing my husband inherited? It has a removable thing with holes around the edges.”
Answer: “It’s a single egg poacher. You put water in the bottom and an egg on top. It essentially poaches the egg.”
6. “What is this silver tweezy thing with triangle notches?”
Answer: “For holding paper/documents together.”
7. “The previous owner of the house left it in the garage. It’s a curved wooden slatted thing that pivots in the middle.”
Answer: “You’ll see 2 slots in the steel bar on the bottom — a length of wire goes in there to hold it open at the right width, then a glass panel rests on the top to form the tabletop.”
8. “Found in a library/art exchange. Appears to be a decorative copper dustpan.”
Answer: “For sweeping up crumbs off a table. Some call that style a ’silent butler.’”
9. “Wooden box found at a thrift store. The area behind each keyhole is drilled out, but they don’t connect behind the metal plate.”
Answer: “This is apparently a manual dexterity evaluation test used in neuropsych to evaluate fine motor skills. The random keyholes are intentional to require different approaches to inserting the key and rotating it. There would have been 25 little metal keys stored in the wooden bowl part of the thing.”
10. “Is this a kitchen item?”
11. “What’s this unusual small silver box with a wing on a chain inside?”
Answer: “It’s a purse hook. You hang it off of the table so your purse doesn’t touch the floor. The company that made this one is called Arbon and it’s from mid-century.”
12. “This building was found in a country estate in Scotland. It’s about the size of a large shed and has small slits and platforms on the outside.”
Answer: “It’s a ’Slovenian beehouse.’ It allows for multiple complete hives where the bees live, which I suppose is less like a hotel and more like condominiums.”
13. “I found this in the trash. Any ideas?”
14. “What is this ring my Uber driver would randomly click?”
15. “What is this thing? Chalk-like consistency, clear unmarked tube, tastes like lime. Banana for scale.”
There are plenty more items that leave people scratching their heads. In this article, we gathered 12 more that were a total mystery for those who came across them. If you immediately recognize any of them, let us know!