How many times have you stumbled upon something that surprised you? I bet it happens all the time. And, while you're trying to figure it out, guess what? There's probably somebody out there who already found the answer. That's the case with the following examples below.
These folks needed to identify certain objects, and they reached out to others on the internet for help. I'm sharing just a few of their discoveries here. Check them out, and let me know which one surprised you the most.
"Found in a library toolbox. Wooden handle with metal spokes, about 15cm long. Can be tightened or loosened by 5mm, but otherwise, parts don't move."
The clever people at Reddit identified this as a type cleaner. You can use it to clean a typewriter. Wow, I never knew this even existed, ha, ha.
"It’s about two feet long. Wooden handle and metal end thingy. Looks pretty old 1930-1960 maybe? I thought it might be used to take off boots perhaps?"
"It's a washing stick for agitating water in an old-fashioned copper tub, that they used to light fires under to boil the laundry. Yeah, I know. Crazy!"
Somebody found this curious object on their deck, and they wondered what it actually was. So naturally, they went to Reddit to find out. And to their surprise, the answer was pretty simple: It's just a can crusher.
"What is this thing? About 7 inches long, made of glass. It has a metal screen at each end of the bulb, and the metal part unscrews."
Take a wild guess. I bet you'll be surprised by what this actually is. Ready? It's a vacuum attachment for mothballs. What? I told you, ha, ha!
“I can’t remember what this was for if I ever even knew. What is this thing?”
If you guessed these are some kind of tongs, you would be right. They’re tongs for lifting hot jars, so you don’t burn your fingers. Nice.
"What is this metal device? The metal arm is in a fixed position with a clamp device and a circular piece that rotates on one axis."
So apparently, this looks like it goes onto a sewing mannequin. This piece is a hem gauge. How interesting is that?
"Found this stuck underneath my car. has a speaker, mic, and a button, nothing happens when pressed."
Check this out, "Somebody was trying to prank you. It’s a programmable sound machine. Like they use in those cheesy birthday cards that sing." OMG, haha. Some pranksters, huh?
Speaking of things found in cars, what do you think of this?
"Found this under my passenger seat. It has magnets on the back. Is this a GPS tracker someone put in my car?"
Oh, yes, that's right. That's exactly what it is. Wow! Watch out.
"We found this in the parking lot at work and have no idea where it could have come from. As you slide the black tab up and down the silver part spins. I’ve never seen anything like it."
Apparently, it’s from a quick adjustment crescent wrench. The hole you see on the bottom is what keeps it secured on the wrench, and looks like it got unscrewed and fell out.
"What are the small black plastic cones that are found on cars, usually on the front bumper?"
Have you ever seen these attachments on a car? The clever folks at Reddit enlightened me and said they're deer whistles. "When you're going fast enough, they make a shrill sound like a dog whistle. It's supposed to scare deer away from the road."
“What is this thing? It’s not scissors and it closes with a snap.”
If you're into lighting candles, you can actually use this object. What do you think it is, huh? Apparently, they're a pair of authentic antique Victorian wick-trimming scissors. Aha!
"What is this rusty old metal piece that resembles ear muffs?
This ladies and gentlemen is a carburetor float. "In the carb, a bowl at the bottom fills with gas to drink from. As the fuel level rises, the float does too, shutting off the valve when the right angle is reached. From here it’s atomized into a fine spray in the in-cylinder where it goes boom." Wow!
Somebody witnessed two guys with an extendable rod with the end in a river. They had the bottom in the river for at least 15 minutes, when they pulled it out it seemed very heavy.
What do you think they were doing there? Don't be alarmed, as it turns out they were filming underwater footage for their YouTube channel, hee-hee.
Somebody found this odd-looking round object with handles that resemble scissors. What in the heck do you think its purpose could be, huh? I have no idea. As it turns out, it’s a tool to take the top off of a boiled egg. OMG, what? I've never heard of that.
"Found this while cleaning out the attic. It's wood, looks handmade, measures 20cm, but I have no idea what it is or does!"
“I believe it’s a Yacouba Double Spoon — a symbol of hospitality in traditional African art. It represents 2 very distinct universes that are opposite.”
Nice!
"Brass, 4” (long side) 3″ (short side), has a hinge that opens at a 90° angle. The inside of the smaller side has ribs along the inside."
What do you think is that? Would you believe if I told you that it’s an old bubble-blowing wand, pre-1800s?” OMG, haha! That's so fun.
"Wire rack with six square spaces... It was picked up at a school fundraiser in the mid-2000's."
Okay, here's the kicker — it's actually a s'mores basket. I never knew such a thing existed.
Somebody stumbled upon this odd wheel-like object, and they had no idea what it was. I have to admit I don't know either. Well, check this out it's actually a rotating tie holder that gets mounted to a wall. How cool is that?
They sure did for me. I had no idea that you could use a s'mores basket, for example, hee-hee. Or that they were blowing bubbles back in the 1800s. Aren't these objects so fascinating or what?
