What would the internet be without a bunch of random things people needed help identifying? Seriously, there are so many things out there that we’ve probably never seen, and definitely don’t have a clue about.
Like whatever the heck the things in this list are. Maybe to someone somewhere, they’re all perfectly normal. But for the rest of us, we need some answers.
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“Ceramic Frog Statue? Maybe an incense burner? It has holes on the bottom and a stem with a hole on the top of it.”
To me, it almost looks like a (literal) flower frog. But it wouldn’t be the right shape I think.
Well, it is something you’d probably use with plants. As wikedishrag on Reddit points out, it’s called a water bell, and you water plants with it via the holes on the bottom. Cool!
“As seen on I-70 somewhere in Missouri.”
If I were on that highway and drove by those things, I’d probably be thinking, “what the heck are they?”
Luckily, someone out there knows them. As it turns out, Reddit user jackrats had the answer. They’re things called Sodars , which are used to check winds in certain areas to see if they’d be good for turbines.
“These rods with weights on them on the inside of the outer wall on a ferry in Nova Scotia.”
I don’t know a thing about ferries, so I wouldn’t be the person to ask, that’s for sure. Luckily, you don’t have to look to me for answers, since the good people of Reddit did all the work for us.
They’re some kind of dampers, which are used to absorb vibrations and keep the structure of the ship sound, apparently.
“Six identical formed foam pieces, rubber tubing with an adapter to fit into a plastic cap, a hydrometer and other small accessories together in a kit.”
Sometimes a mystery thing has a really random explanation. Like this strange kit, which, according to Syllables_17 on Reddit, is for making bottle rockets. Very random, but probably useful to someone out there.
“Large, white container found on flatbed on the highway in Midwest US. Says ‘Urgent’ on the label.”
It’s amazing how many strange things you can find while driving on the highway. Even things that seem slightly concerning.
But worry not! This thing is just a shipping container for a jet engine, according to Redditor furiousrichie.
“Handheld item consists of hollow shaft and a side chamber containing some sort of reddish brown reddish material.”
For some reason, my gut instinct was telling me that this is some kind of plumbing tool. But I couldn’t be more wrong.
According to Reddit, it’s nothing more but a super old ink pot and quill holder. Pretty cool, though.
“One red, one yellow. Made of light plastic.”
And of course, a banana for scale. Not that this picture would need it, since those plastic things look pretty small anyway.
The big mystery? They’re just projectiles for kids’ toys, like those toy guns or shooters. I’m betting they get lost pretty easily.
“Found this rusted piece of metal in our driveway, worried it might be from one of our cars.”
For car owners, there’s nothing worse than finding a random part that could’ve come from the vehicle. And for this car owner, this item really is a missing piece from their car.
More specifically, as Redditor brock_lee points out, it’s a brake shield that’s horribly rusted and broken. Yikes.
“Small clear Blob at the beach. There are hundreds lying about on the shore of the Gulf in Texas. Looks similar to a Jellyfish in nature but not sentient.”
Not jellyfish, but close. raineykatz on Reddit points out that they’re comb jellies , which end up looking like this when they die and wash up on the beach, I guess.
“Open top gray brick box in foyer. Approximately 24″W x 24″L x 18″H. Located in a house built in 1964 in Minnesota.”
People who are older than I am would apparently remember things like this. It’s nothing more than a strange planter that’s indoors for some reason. For fake plants? I’m not even sure.
“Small orange item attached to base. There are many of them stuck around the area. Sticky/Foam-like texture.”
My first thought was that this thing was a weird caterpillar. Which is almost the case.
A few Reddit users figured out that this is a dummy caterpillar, which is used for eco surveying, or some kind of science experiment.
“Found this in an antique store, labeled ‘Electronic Test Device – unknown as to use.'”
If not even the antiques store that carries it knows what it is, you have a real mystery on your hands. Luckily, that doesn’t mean there won’t be someone out there with the answer.
Like Redditor ttech32, who quickly identified it as a Pony Relay, which is something that would’ve been used for telegraphs way back in the day.
“Pieces of very thin metal wire (?) in a raspberry oats bar from a local cafe.”
Well, whatever this tiny bit of metal is, it probably isn’t the kind of thing you’d want to find in food.
Especially since they’re most likely bristles from those metal cleaning brushes/pads. Do not swallow, and probably let the staff know about it.
“Straw-like tube on one end, with a solid gray piece shaped like a cane.”
This mystery item could’ve been anything, but according to Redditor off_gluten, it’s one very specific thing.
It’s the inner structure of a dog chew toy. How anyone would be able to identify that is beyond me, but here we are.
“Hollow metal tube with two removable plugs on the end. There was some grey grease like substance in the tube.”
Just by looking at it, you may be able to guess that it’s some kind of electrical component. And that would be right; many Reddit users chimed in to say that it’s an electrical connector. Don’t ask me how it works, though!
“Hard plastic mask(?) of some sort. Very rigid, might be custom? Red Velcro harness and straps.”
Whatever this thing is, it doesn’t look like it would be all that comfortable to wear.
Reddit user Hummer_und_Sichel had the answers, calling it a facial orthosis, which is something used to help heal facial scarring. You really do learn something new every day.
“What are these tiny metal hanging trays? One tray comes out of the other.”
Believe it or not, this thing is an old oil lamp. A bunch of different Reddit users chimed in with this, and it seems like it’s the only answer that makes sense.
It’s so interesting how many of these mystery things are just old items people used a long time ago.
“Hidden camera in air vent? Women’s bathroom in a restaurant. Want to make sure I’m not overreacting but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this in any other restaurant bathrooms before.”
Luckily, this isn’t something to panic over. It’s simply some kind of humidity detector, not a hidden camera. That’s actually such a relief.
“These two wooden balls that are about the size of my palm and have some metal symbols nailed into them.”
For some reason, the first thing that came to mind when I saw these were bocce balls. Which is funny, because I’ve never played bocce ball in my life.
But as luck would have it, that’s exactly what these are! Who would’ve thought?
“A house down the road from me has these plastic spikes on the corner of their fence. Any idea what they’re for?”
If you’d asked me about this thing, I’d have no clue. But if you ask Reddit, you’ll get an answer.
This little spiky pad is a deterrent for cats and other animals, to keep them from climbing up the fence. So simple!
