15 People Who Stumbled Upon Mysterious Objects with Curious Purposes

The most intriguing discoveries often come from the most unexpected places — like the back of an old drawer. From peculiar gadgets to baffling trinkets, people have stumbled upon objects that left them utterly perplexed. In this article, we’ve compiled a collection of curious finds that sparked confusion and curiosity. Each item holds a unique and fascinating story. Can you guess what these mysterious objects are?

1. “Clearing out things today and found this. Not sure what it is, wondering if anyone can help me out.”

Answer: “Looks like a decanter bottle stopper.”

2. “It almost looks like a fridge with a seat in it, and an opening for your head. About 4 or 5 feet tall, I think.”

Answer: It’s a personal sauna.

3. “I work in recycling and have found multiple objects like this. It’s made of some kind of silicone. What is this thing?”

Answer: It’s a magnetic bottle holder strap.

4. “It’s a small, lightweight, glass item. Doesn’t drain from top to bottom, and there are no moving parts.”

Answer: It’s an essential oil diffuser, a tea light goes at the bottom.

5. “An iron cone on either side of a gate outside the entry to a building in Bath, England.”

Answer: It’s a snuffer. A visitor to your house would use it to put out their torch.

6. “What is this cleaner used for? It’s found outside the office building.”

Answer: “I think it’s for drying wet umbrellas, though the ones I’ve seen usually have the microfiber side facing inward so as to have 2 sides wiping across the surface of the umbrella.”

7. “What are these metal things on the corners of these stairs, and what is their purpose?”

Answer: They’re corner dust guards. They make it easier to sweep dust out of the corners.

8. “My coworker saw this toilet in the women’s restroom at the Huntsville Space Center. Why is it shaped this way?”

Answer: It prevents the hover maneuver on normal sit-down toilets, which tends to lead to pee everywhere.

9. “It’s about 2 feet tall, hollow like a wiffle bat, with a suction on the bottom and a loose rubber sleeve around it.”

Answer: It’s to help put a compression hose on a source, we have one at work.

10. “A weird bench shelf thing I found near my house.”

Answer: It’s a bench for a mudroom to sit on while putting on one’s shoes. Storage areas are underneath for shoes and larger items.

11. “I walked past this many times while in Berlin and still can’t figure out what it is.”

Answer: It’s a clock specifically called Mengenlehreuhr or “set theory clock” in German.

12. “A small sterling silver ring attached to a hammered bowl”

Answer: It’s a caretaker’s feeding spoon. Looks a bit large for a baby, but would be a good size for helping feed an elderly or bedridden person.

13. “A cutting board type thing found in the kitchen section of a thrift store.”

Answer: “A friend of mine who had a stroke has one of these. It holds the meat while he cuts, since he doesn’t have very good use of his left hand. It is often used by handicapped people.”

14. “Looks like a bidet and has a lid with adjustable water temperature. The bowl however is a little wide to sit on.”

Answer: This type of bidet is more common in Europe. Your resort may have installed them if that’s where their clientele is from.

15. “This mystery item was received as a gift, no packaging. The material is firm foam and has a little give. What is this thing?”

Answer: “It appears to be a neck pillow/stretcher. Here’s a similar one.”

As we’ve seen, there are still countless objects in the world whose purpose remains a mystery to us.