I can only imagine that, when these people found these strange things, they were super confused. After all, they don't really look like the regular, everyday things we're used to seeing.
But I guess that's what the internet is for. People made these things, after all, which means someone out there will have the answers we've all been dying to hear.
Apparently, a lot of land surveyors also have Reddit accounts, and they tend to use them. In this case, a bunch of people (surveyors and otherwise) could pinpoint that this thing is a railroad spike. As for how old it is, it's probably impossible to tell.
A couple of commenters chimed in and determined that this thing must be some kind of solar powered battery cell. Which would make sense, since, in OP's own words, "I had a solar powered Pikachu car ornament that broke apart a long time ago, must be it!"
Reddit user JDLang360 came in with a pretty solid explanation:
"My cousin built something similar for his overlanding rig. You fill the black tube up with water, and the sun heats it throughout the day. Put a little air pressure to it and you have a warm shower in the middle of nowhere."
If you know, you know, I guess.
The fact that it's by a fireplace is actually a huge clue. Reddit user walkerswood figured it out pretty quickly. It's an andiron, which is used to help circulate air in a wood burning fire.
Reddit user blahblahbush was almost a little too quick with the right answer for these strange things. They're apparently stirrup power connectors, which are used for electrical work of some kind. Another mystery solved.
Considering the fact that it's roughly 4x5 inches in size, it probably isn't a piece of jewelry. In fact, Reddit user Flobbert_Pox had a better answer for it:
"Given the shape and similar items returned from an image search, it looks like a wall hanging depicting an eye to ward evil." Cool!
To be honest, I probably would've never guessed what this thing is supposed to be. But according to Redditor Dr-Deadmeat, "you can invert the jacket into the pocket and carry it as a fanny pack." The world is full of such amazing things.
Reddit user and expert finder gn_like_lasagna figured out that it's a polenta cauldron. As the name implies, it's a cauldron specifically designed to cook polenta (an Italian cornmeal dish). I'm sure it could be used for other things, too.
Redditor LittleCooties confirmed that this little thing is, in fact, a paste jar. They were pretty good at clarifying that the paste in question is meat paste, not glue (think fish paste or pate). Yeah, I was not expecting that.
According to Reddit user Steve12345678911, it's a stainless steel soap bar.
Since I was confused at the idea of stainless steel soap, I figured you might be, too. Luckily, Redditor AsleepAtTheWheel88 had a really good explanation: "They’re used to get odors like onion and garlic off of hands while cooking. Something about the stainless steel makes the smell disappear."
A couple of Redditors identified it as a hammer-style saw setting tool. According to user Collarsmith:
"The chunky peg would go into the hardy hole on an anvil, or a hole on a stump. The screw would be turned and raised up until the saw was entering the jaws of the tool at the correct angle, and then the tool could be struck by a hammer to bend every other saw tooth upward. Then the saw could be flipped over, and the other teeth bent to the other side."
Whatever it is, it looks super moldy, which is kind of troubling.
But. it looks like that isn't even the case. After Reddit user midrandom suggested they might be sea urchins, OP did a little Googling and found out that they're sea potatoes! Probably nothing like land potatoes, though.
Since the device was found in OP's parents' hotel room, they were kind of worried that it was some kind of spy camera.
And... well, it is a camera. Redditor ProblimaticSolutions confirmed this, but also said, "I think your parents can rest easy though because you can see the protective film is still on it (pull tab at the bottom)." Still, what a weird find.
It's definitely a bench of some kind. According to Redditor krakenatorr, "It's just a U shaped chair/stool." Other comments chimed in, saying that it's probably used for putting on shoes and things like that.
Because lots of people know about things like these (apparently), there were plenty of comments chiming in with the right answer. They're fire beaters, which are used for beating out bushfires. Apparently, they're supposed to have longer handles.
According to Redditor funk1875, it's some kind of garden tool, possibly an aerator. Though they aren't 100% sure about this, it seems to be the best bet for a right answer.
Reddit user OutspokenLurker really came in clutch with the right answer here. It's an ash cleanout, which is "a trap door in a fireplace floor about this. When the fire was out, you could brush the ash into that hole."
There were countless responses to this post, and the overwhelming consensus is that this was once the cab for a super old tractor, left untouched for years.
There were some people thinking it was a barbecue basket, but considering how small the thing is, that kind of wouldn't make sense. Luckily, even more people thought it was an old Soap Saver, which would make way more sense!
It always amazes me how quickly some people can find the answers to these strange things. Reddit user nitro479 knew right away that this is "part of a Mason jar sprayer." It's used to turn a mason jar into a spray bottle. How crazy is that?
A couple of Reddit users popped in to say that this thing is probably an old carburetor tag, specifically for a Chevrolet car model. I can't get over how on the mark that is.
Once again, plenty of people knew what this thing was right away. It's a little device used to get sheets and racks out of the oven safely. I guess they must be pretty common, even though this is my first time seeing one.
Reddit user Remarkable-Cycle2025 said, "Looks like SMR target that wasn't polished." This ended up being the right answer. But what are these things used for, exactly? According to the same user:
"They are used in laser measurement... Highly accurate measurements can be taken on machinery, automobile assembly, aircraft assembly, etc."
There were a surprising amount of people in the Reddit comments who knew what this thing was. It's used to transport the queen bee from one hive to another. How specific.
According to Reddit user Able_Kaleidoscope_61, they're most likely some kind of structural support parts for carrying extra loads and stuff. I guess that would make sense, since they're on the back of the bus and all.
So, no one's really sure what it could be used for now, but the general consensus (and there was a lot of back and forth in the post's comment section) is that it was at one point some kind of water tank for an old, steam powered train.
Multiple commenters chimed in, trying to guess what this thing is used for. The most common answer is that it was for potpourri, which would make a lot of sense either way.
(Banana for scale, of course.) According to Redditor tacobot1977:
"It's a water filter filling primer disc. You screw the red part into the filter and stick the black part under the faucet to force water through the filter before you put it into the pitcher for filtering/drinking." Easy as pie.
This is something no one wants to just find in their home. According to pretty much every person who commented on this post, it's some kind of cockroach repellant or trap. Gross, but helpful, I guess.
OP got an answer from Reddit user Flobbert_Pox pretty quickly: "It's a transmission fork. It goes in a sewing machine." I think specifically for an older machine, but maybe more modern ones have them too.
