We like to think we know how the world works. Generally, this is true. But take a look around and it quickly becomes apparent that the world is jam-packed with stuff whose purpose isn't quite clear.
If you ever find yourself wondering what something is intended for, satisfy your curiosity by heading over to the r/whatisthisthing subreddit. You're almost certain to get a definitive answer.
Back when telephones were more of an appliance than a wireless, pocketable item, stuff like this was more common in homes. This appears to be a place to keep the phone, while the shelves could be used for phone books and yellow pages.
Plenty of commenters saw this and thought it was a subwoofer. It's solid wood with no wires, so that can't be it. It seems likely that this is a cajon, a simple type of percussion instrument.
This one is compelling, as it was clearly custom-built for something specific. It's too narrow for a microwave. I'd probably put my coffee station here, but it looks like this particular cabinet was designed for a stand mixer.
This coin holder thing is, well, a coin holder. This particular model was likely designed to hold onto war ration token coins.
French onion soup is amazing, and no one denies this. Does it need its own bowl? Probably not, but it has one. Here's an example.
These two things clearly interact with each other, but for what purpose? It's a radar testing system. Both of these things are reflectors to bounce radar signals off of.
Both the internet guy and OP need to think a little harder about this one, because it sure looks like a weather station to me. Turns out that's exactly what it is.
A hunting jacket is no substitute for a proper life jacket, but this type of jacket has built-in buoyancy. This is the inflation port.
These look old-timey, and they are old-timey. Known as seed corn drying racks, these are...drying racks. Drying racks for drying out seed corn.
This is a deactivated naval mine, sitting on top of the trolley it was transported on. Like WWII cannons, you'll sometimes see stuff like this in public parks.
You know how OP said this wasn't a marble because it wasn't heavy enough? Yeah, turns out it's actually just a marble.
If you've ever worked with heavy trucks, you've already identified this thing as a wheel chock. It's probably from a fire truck.
You can soften butter by storing it at room temperature, but if you were in a hurry, you could use something like this. Put butter in the part on the left, put water in the bowl, fit them together, and the butter will be softened.
This is a place to tie off exercise straps. That's the intended purpose, but it could also be used to hang plants or pretty much anything else.
These are relics of an era before plastic. Known as ampoules, they can be filled with something — usually single doses of medication — and then sealed off using a flame.
Depending on your familiarity with antique candy-making equipment, you may or may not get this one. It's designed to separate tendrils of liquid sugar to make into spun sugar.
Have you ever heard of a folly? Basically, it's an architectural feature with no purpose, put in place as a decoration. This is a folly. It used to be the cupola of a building, but it was removed and is now a folly.
This one is highly specific, and will be familiar only to those who've disassembled a certain type of cat drinking fountain. This is...well, part of a cat drinking fountain that the cat apparently gnawed off.
If you've ever bought a pressure washer, you probably have one of these lying around. It's a simple tool for cleaning out the nozzle. I guess this restaurant is now missing a pressure washer cleaner.
This is a weird one, as that gap is clearly there for a reason. It's more than likely a spot for a planter, although you'd need to ask the original builder to know for certain.
