The world is as old as it is strange, and objects that were once meant for specific purposes can end up in our hands. Furthermore, technology advances at a breakneck pace, and there are new or activity-specific technologies that humans struggle to comprehend.
“I discovered this plugged into the wall at my Airbnb… the host claims it’s a night light.” “Could you please confirm?”
“I looked up square nightlights on the internet and it looks exactly like that.”
“A strange glass ball supported by screws in a metal frame that appears to be bronze or gold in colour.”
“It’s a Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder,” explains the speaker. Place a strip of card into one set of grooves in the section that curves behind the sphere, point the opposite side of the sphere toward the equator, and the sphere will focus the sunlight on the card, burning a track on it. The card has hours marked on it, and the brighter the sunshine was, the more the card was burned.”
“Found on a trek in Scotland’s Highlands. Handmade appearance and feel, with a hardwood handle and wire mesh”
“Fire extinguishers.” It’s used to put out minor fires. Here are some variants with lengthy handles.”
“A hole in my bathroom wall with a recessed shelf.”
“I renovated and refurbished an ancient house for a young couple a few years ago. There was a built-in wall heater that started off as a gas heater, but the burner was later removed and replaced with electric components. I simply gutted it, installed a contemporary plug, and left it. Their budget was really limited. There were no vents on the ancient gas wall heaters. The gas line would go through the bottom hole. Many of the vintage gas ones I’ve seen had later had an electric insert installed. I’ve removed many of these, leaving the metal liner in place and replacing it with a modern plug.”
“It’s made of Terracotta and features sunflowers on both ends.”
“That’s a taco holder.”
“Keychain. It disintegrates. The black is rubbery on the inside, firm, and weirdly formed. “The white piece is basically hard plastic that has been hollowed out.”
“There’s like a cell phone amplifier in that you put your phone in it and it basically megaphones the speaker,” she says.
“A culinary item with a wooden handle and three spikes (with holes in it) fastened to a spherical metal cup”
“It’s a funnel for creating fios de ovos, or egg threads, a Portuguese sweet.”
“This appears to be a typewriter, but the letters are arranged alphabetically.”
“This appears to be a typewriter, but the letters are arranged alphabetically.”
“What is this sliding lidded hinged wooden box?”
“This is an old school pencil case. As a kid, I had one.”
“A metal box with a lock and a hole in the front and the word ‘Nelson’ on it.” A dial on the back reads just under 22 with no units.”
“It’s a lock that’s used on shipping containers,” says the narrator. There is nothing exposed that can be cut when the pin is inserted and fastened.”
“When I got it, the glitter swirled on its own, as if air bubbles were forcing it up, yet the tube seemed to be sealed as far as I can tell.”
“It appears to be part of a night light.”
“A curved metal component with a leather strap connected.”
“It’s an Arm blaster.”
“There are no numbers or marks on it.” It’s comprised of a combination of plastic and metal. The metal component is attached to the handle via a screw.”
“It’s a watch band pin remover.”
“I came across an instrument at Goodwill; do you have any idea what it is?”
“It’s a door harp.” It hangs on the door and ‘chimes’ as visitors enter. It wouldn’t be tangled if it wasn’t intertwined.”
“Around 4-5 inches in diameter, the push here button depresses but does nothing when pressed. “It was discovered hanging under the kitchen sink.”
“It’s a disc that repels roaches.” The dates are there to remind you when it’s time to replace it.”
“Can you tell me what this folding hook is?”
“The red part you see is just basic weaved fabric, but it’s made of plastic.” The back of the book has an arrow and the cover opens up.”
“Used for taking lint off your clothes.”
“A large machine with a barrel underneath it, connected to a school building”
“Dust collection system, most likely from the woodshop”
What is the strangest object you’ve ever discovered, how did you figure it out, and how much did it cost? Tell us about it in the comments!
Preview photo credit KindaFreeRealEstate / Reddit
