15 Puzzling Everyday Objects That Are Stranger Than They Seem

The internet is packed with eagle-eyed detectives who spot what the rest of us miss. From odd trinkets in attics to bizarre things in plain sight, these 15 mysteries had everyone scratching their heads — until clever netizens solved them in record time.

“A friend of mine was recently on a flight sitting next to a family all wearing these things behind their ears. Can anyone ID it?”

Answer: Acupressure motion sickness patches.

“These two things floated to the ground just after a large plane passed low over my house. They’re gritty and rubbery, almost like dried paint. They also have a strong overly sweet smell.”

Answer: Reminds me of the flame retardant powder they have big planes fly over fires and drop, maybe a congealed chunk of it.

“What is this?”

Answer: “Today is my birthday and I turned 55. But nothing made me feel older than seeing this post and knowing immediately what these were. Flash bulbs. Oh my God, I’m so old.”

“I found this flat spoon-sized racket with a king handle.”

Answer: It’s a vintage letter opener.

“I found this in a random box of kitchen supplies.”

Answer: It’s to slice bread.

“I inherited this 10 years ago and I just found out it opens. Why?”

Answer: This is a perfume bottle.

“I found this at an old decommissioned salmon canning facility.”

Answer: It cleans the chimney.

“I found this hanging in the basement of our new house. Google has been zero help!”

Answer: It’s a horse brass strap, they hang off horse tack for decoration.

“I found this thing in my basement. I have no idea what it is.”

Answer: Looks like the base of a yarn winder. Toyota was in the fabric loom business originally.

Vintage furniture with an unclear purpose

Answer: It’s a rack for newspapers and magazines.

“I found this in our new house on the top landing banister rail. Seems like it’s meant to hold something but not sure what it is?”

Answer: It looks like a hair dryer holder. But it’s unclear why the previous owners chose such a strange place for it.

“What is this rainbow bar on top of cardboard boxes, like cereal?”

Answer: It is some kind of a printer’s check. If one of the colors is missing or the wrong color, the whole print does not pass quality control.

“My grandma is getting rid of a bunch of old silverware. I wonder what this is?”

Answer: It’s a sugar scuttle.

“What is this attachment on the shower wall in our apartment? It looks too wide to hold soap.”

Answer: It’s a soap dish/sponge holder.

“I found this under my bed, it must’ve belonged to the last au pair. What is this thing?”

Answer: It’s an orchestral conductor’s baton.

“My friend found this blue, ‘ring’. It’s stretchy, plastic and has an arrow on the top. Fits a man’s regular sized hand.”

Answer: That’s a ring for a piping bag. You use it to hold the bag closed.

Here, you can check out photos that make you look twice because of mind-bending optical illusions.