15 Puzzling Objects We Definitely Need a Clear Explanation For

When people buy a house and move in, they sometimes find many unexpected surprises in their cupboards or the basement. Perhaps previous tenants, sometimes dating up to a century back, have left objects of great mystery. But it’s not only about old things we don’t use anymore but about new stuff that we aren’t used to seeing.

Now I’ve Seen Everything can’t make sense of these 15 objects, but maybe you’ll know what their purpose is before seeing the answer.

1. “What is this weird spiral of what looks like blonde hair? Found on a pineapple that came from Costa Rica.”

Answer: It might be a seed! They evolved to be carried long distances in the wind. We have very similar-looking ones in northern Australia. Incredibly similar in texture and appearance to hair. “Pelargonium seed” was the closest I could find, however, I’ve definitely seen hairier ones in the wild, so it might be different.

2. “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 appears to be a hair dryer holder.

3. “It’s my grandmother’s, it has 2 clips, and it spins. What is this?”

Answer: It’s known as a “fringe twister,” in this case, a double since it can do 2 strands at once. Here’s one, though not as nice, but it does the same thing. If you want to see it in action, watch this video.

4. “What are these strands/threads coming out of my crackers?”

Answer: I work in food manufacturing. This is 100% the frayed edges of the conveyors that take the crackers through the sheeting process before being transferred to the oven band. Contact the manufacturer with the codes and date on the box. It will help them in their investigation, and you will most likely get some free stuff.

5. “2 flat metal round disks with long stems attached by hinges — no markings, found in a new kitchen...”

Answer: It’s a flame snuffer used to extinguish the gel fuel can on a tabletop fireplace.

6. “A friend found this at Goodwill. It’s a toolbelt of some kind.”

Answer: It’s a fishing pole holder. Here is a similar one.

7. “A banana-sized and shaped old tool(?) found in an old barn in Sweden. It has a wooden handle with rusty metal tip.”

Answer: A seed dibber — it makes a hole in the dirt for planting a seed.

8. “There are 4 holes in the top, about 3 mm in diameter, a transparent/clear, sticky, gel-like substance on the bottom attaching it to the desk. Has 3 lobes.”

Answer: It’s for balloons. It is capable of holding 4 stems with balloons, making an impressive, helium-free indoor display.

9. “We have a few of these in our house and we don’t know what they are. Maybe a rubber band that had advertising on the back of the white thing?”

Answer: They’re cheap elastic bands for books. Keeps them from opening in backpacks. Here is a different one, but it works just the same.

10. “Found inside a musical instrument, it is the size of a big grape but there aren’t any holes big enough for it to have fallen inside.”

Answer: It’s a dust ball, a build-up of the dust common in violins, sometimes known as a mouse.

11. “Modular curved wooden pieces with 2 holes in each segment — only one hole in each segment goes completely through the wood.”

Answer: I found that this candleholder which, while obviously not identical to yours, has strong similarities. I’m thinking yours might have been made by a kid in a woodworking class as the cuts seem a little uneven.

12. “Stepped on this while cleaning out a room today. Hefty deer-shaped weight featuring 2 spiked prongs in the center.”

Answer: It’s a kinetic sculpture. It should sit on a pillar on the middle spike so it rocks back and forth.

13. “Real-life-looking eyeball, maybe glass? With 3 holes on the metal piece, found at a flea market.”

Answer: I have one of those! It’s a promotional keyring for a company that makes glass eyes for taxidermy.

14. “A chicken-heart wire object with a handle”

Answer: It’s a modern decoration made in the style of an old rug beater.

15. “These matchstick-sized metallic sticks with primary colors are confusing, what are they supposed to be used for?”

Answer: It’s a dice game. This eBay listing appears to have instructions, maybe you could message the seller and ask for a picture of the instructions.

Did you ever find anything so mysterious that you had no idea what its purpose was? Have you managed to crack that mystery?