15+ People Who Found Objects That Were Enigmas to Them, and Asked the Internet for Help

New technologies and inventions can sometimes be scary if you don’t know their purpose and how they work. For example, when trains were invented, many people thought it was dangerous to travel by them because they go too fast, and the human body can’t endure that. Now we know for sure that there’s nothing to be scared of, and things that are new for us only spark our interest, not fear.

We at Now I’ve Seen Everything prepared a collection of mysterious objects that people on the Internet shared to find out what their purpose is.

1. “Found in a handbag. It’s made of metal and both balls are glued fast. The bar moves. The 4 ends are not rounded, just clipped.”

Answer: “Ladies used to use these small whisks to degas carbonated drinks. I guess burping is not ladylike.”

2. “A small vintage ceramic container with a cork — I believe it’s from the 1940s.”

Answer: “It’s a soy sauce container, also called Hyo-chan. It could be a good collector’s item!”

3. “It looks to fit in your mouth, maybe made of woven medical fabric with thin plastic through the middle.”

Answer: “It’s a turkey caller.”

4. “Random-ish straight but not parallel lines next to my office building... What’s happening here?”

Answer: planning authorities often require developers to do “evaluation trial trenching” to make sure there are no important archaeological artifacts that might be destroyed by excavation.

5. “What is this small metal dish with an egg-shaped container and a miniature salami being cut?”

Answer: “That’s an old ’senftopf’ (German mustard pot).”

6. “A metallic pencil with a hard wick and a battery inside”

Answer: “Google image results lead to one of these being sold as an electric nail file.”

7. “What are the shoulders on this hospital food spoon for?”

Answer: “Those spoons fit into a dispenser. The little flanges hold it in.”

8. “I’ve had this thing for years but nobody knows what it is. 3.5 inches high, silver-plated, thin material. Shaped like a crown.”

Answer: “This is a spoon holder that sits on the edge of a bowl.”

9. “What is this weird, large barrel-looking thing hanging on a wire at a local park?”

Answer: “It is for a fire hose competition. They move the barrel back and forth with fire hoses.”

10. “Small cylindrical object found in a green pouch at the corner of wash rag. Appears to have a copper coil in it.”

Answer: “It is surgical gauze with RFID/X-Ray detection.”

11. “It collapses into 3 pieces. There’s a screw on the bottom attached to some kind of bit, which can spin.”

Answer: “This is likely a pepper mill without the knob to turn it. It’s like the original Greek Pepper Mill, only this one is missing the stand and the hand crank.”

12. “A wooden machine that features dials that are numbered, but a few are labeled ’parlor,’ ’ladies entrance,’ and ’bathroom.’”

Answer: “It’s a servants’ bell call indicator, similar one here. It’s used to show servants where the call for service has come from.”

13. “What is this glass object? It’s fairly heavy, has no markings, and has a very narrow hole on top.”

Answer: “It’s an oil candle.”

14. “Found it on a beach, it looks like it’s entirely made out of sand and is connected in a corkscrew design.”

Answer: these are sand collars. They are made of sand by female moon snails when they lay eggs.

15. “What are these wooden structures that look half-built and are randomly scattered across a field on a Swiss plateau?”

Answer: “These are hay bins. Here’s the modern version.”

16. “Can anyone tell me what the mirror underneath the lid of my trash can is for?”

Answer: “It may be a holder for a carbon odor filter. What you are seeing is not a mirror, but the backside of the brushed stainless steel exterior of the trash can.”

17. “What is this? I found it years ago at a thrift store and thought it was cute, but it doesn’t seem to actually have a purpose.”

Answer: “I think it’s a garden ornament. It looks like the base could be submerged beneath the soil to give it a crystal mushroom look.”

What is the most interesting object you own? Do you have an unfamiliar item at home that you need help figuring out? Share photos of these things in our comment section.