20 People Who Found Mysterious Objects and Hit the Web to Find Out What They Are

Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Gadgets or inventions from 10 years ago were considered modern at the time, but today we could consider them obsolete. Perhaps when traveling to a city we had not visited before or renting an old house we will come across unusual objects whose enigma leads us to investigate and discover more about their origin and usefulness.

At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we have collected images of some unusual objects whose owners asked other users for help to solve their mysteries.

1. “What is this old chair? Has foot rests, a panel in the center that looks removable, and loops under the arm rests.”

Answer: Antique bench to be pulled by a horse. The middle compartment is for storing gloves.

2. “What are these two cylinders on an elevator/lift control panel labeled ABCD?”

Answer: These are key cylinders. The letters indicate where the key is located, as they can be configured for use on any of the floors.

3. “Found in family members workshop, appears to be cast steel or iron, hand for scale.”

Answer: It is an antique hook for hanging the mail bag.

4. “Empty red metal frame on sidewalk”

Answer: It was for the emergency telephone box used by the fire department.

5. “I bought a house. I found this thing in the basement wall. What’s it for?”

Answer: It is a vintage fire alarm.

6. “Weird hand plane? I bought this plane(?) in a store in Las Angeles last weekend for $2.”

Answer: It is part of an eyebolt, a woodworking tool used to work concave surfaces.

7. “When you crank it, it lifts the pan about 1/2 inch then drops it back down. That seems to be the only function. You can only crank it in one direction. What is it?”

Answer: This is a casagrande cup, it is needed to determine the liquid limit of a soil sample.

8. “Metal (copper?) inlay on hotel room shelf?”

Answer: It is used for guests to place the keys without damaging the wooden part of the shelves.

9. “Found in a washroom in London. What is this thing in the middle? (Doesn’t have anything in it currently.)”

Answer: It is a vintage liquid soap dispenser.

10. “I found this at a thrift store in the kitchen section. It’s something to do with baking, and that’s all I know. What is this thing? Manufacturer is ’Moline.’”

Answer: Pastry cutter, probably more for attaching than for cutting.

11. “Trying to figure out what this is. Saw it at an estate sale.”

Answer: It is an antique watch without a dial.

12. “What type of spoon is this? It has to have a name right....”

Answer: It is a cream soup spoon.

13. “What is this wooden box that resembles a telephone? Bought in Corbridge, UK. Seller didn’t know what it was.”

Answer: This is a primitive flint (a fire lighting device, it was widely used before the invention of matches).

14. “Funny-shaped case at the airport. Octagonal base with a conical/pyramid top and an indented underside.”

Answer: It is a hat case.

15. “Looks like a safety pin on the top, no idea what the others are.”

Answer: This is a needle for shirt collars.

16. “Sitting in a jar on the table at an izakaya in Tokyo”

Answer: It is a fork used to remove pieces of meat from the barbecue.

17. “Think it’s an oil pourer salad, any ideas?”

Answer: It is a cup for mineral water which is famous in Karlovy Vary.

18. “Found in an antique shop for $1, made of wood. Only writing on label is ’BX LT.’”

Answer: It is a wooden sewing egg, in which threads can be stored.

19. “Spoon-shaped implement with a strainer/filter on one end and a mouthpiece on the other.”

Answer: It is a bombilla, a tube through which they drink mate (in Paraguay, Argentina and other South American countries).

20. “Found at the base of a hiking trail at a park. Three identical wooden poles, about mid-thigh height, each with a chain hanging down facing a central concrete circle. Absolutely no clue what this is.”

Answer: apparently there are bears in the park, these posts with chains allow to secure the garbage containers, but it seems that this time it didn’t work.

What strange object have you come across and had to research to find out its name or method of use?