12 People Who Stumbled Upon Curious Objects and Thought “Wait a Minute...”

Sometimes, the most intriguing discoveries come from the unlikeliest places — like the forgotten corner of an old drawer. From odd gadgets to puzzling trinkets, people have uncovered objects that sparked confusion and curiosity. We’ve rounded up some of the most baffling finds, each with its own surprising explanation.

1. “What is this silicone ‘thing?!’ The teardrop side is metal and will magnetize to the round side that is magnetic.”

Answer: It is a shower curtain weight to keep the curtain straight. Incredibly useful for clawfoot and freestanding tubs. The “button” goes on the interior of the curtain, and the tail hangs on the outside over the lip of the bath.

2. “Seen on a biker: leather looking wrap with studs; not sure if attached to helmet, jacket, or head.”

Answer: Looks like he’s protecting his rat tail.

3. “This white, square object fell out of my hat drawer while moving! Never seen it before now.”

Answer: It’s a camera. It’s not connected to anything, though. It looks like a webcam where someone popped the front off.

4. “Old school travel comb?! I found it stuck behind a drawer in our bathroom.”

Answer: Used in the 1970s to style Afro hairstyle. It fluffs out frizzy hair. The iron version of this comb is to place on a burner to get it hot and use it for hairstyling.

5. “I found this in a kitchen drawer. It’s 12 inches long and weighs 2 pounds. The scoop is flat and is 3.5 inches in diameter. I think it’s made of silver.”

Answer: That is a salamander. A specialty tool for making crème brûlée. They’ve been obsolete since cooks started to keep tiny blowtorches in the kitchen. You heat it on a burner, and then hold it over the crème brûlée to caramelize the top layer.

6. “This device was found in a kitchen drawer (lighter for scale).”

Answer: It’s a doughnut holder — the English type, not the one with the hole in it — you hold it in this tool and then inject jam (jelly) into it with a jam syringe.

7. ’’I found this hidden under the floorboards in my boyfriend’s place. Is it what I think it is?’’

Answer: Hmm, it’s used to remove the top of soft-boiled eggs.

8. “Hollow silver oval found in our kitchen drawer, we don’t remember buying it. Banana for scale.”

Answer: It’s stainless steel soap. It’s to rub on your hands after chopping onions or garlic. It gets the smell off.

9. “I found this tool in the kitchen drawer of a beachfront condo. Wondering what it’s used for. No writing or logos on it.”

Answer: It’s a bottle/jar opener, designed to fit varies jar lid sizes.

10. “I found this inside a drawer in my parents’ house. It’s a soft and flexible plastic pouch with red gel and a metal disc inside. The pouch is filled with some kind of gel or liquid.”

Answer: Hand warmer. You can “click” the metal piece, and it will start a chemical reaction and heat the pad.

11. “I found this thing in my junk drawer. It’s over 2 inches. There is nothing that separates the 2 holes from the inside.”
(Pen for scale)

Answer: Put a couple of quarters inside from the side so you have change for the pay phone to call a cab. This was a thing before everyone had cell phones. (It’s specifically to hold coins to call a cab.)

12. “Excited about this find!”

Answer: That’s what I saw, too. It’s a lobster.

And here are even more mind-bending mysteries that had people turning to the internet to solve one simple but perplexing question: “What is this thing used for?”