What a thing: the strangest finds. Issue 138

We regularly come across things that are not immediately recognizable. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.

1. "Brass, 10 x 7.5 cm, hinge opens at 90°. Smaller part ribbed on the inside"



Answer

: This is an old bubble blowing stick, pre-1800s."

2. "A wooden object about 90 cm long and 45 cm high. A metal strip in the middle, possibly metal tips"



Answer:

"This is a 'shaping cone' used to form raw felt into cone shapes for making hats. The felt is wrapped around the cone and then cut in half (along the metal band) to make 2 halves, which is the first step in forming a hat from wool felt."

3. "Key rings with some plastic stuff"



Answer

: "It's just an anti-stress toy."

4. "Something like a lipstick, 10-12 cm, with a logo and the inscription "Produced by Hiromi Yamamoto". One AAA battery, does not work."



Answer

: "Some kind of electric massager/skin care wand."

5. "A strange bag in metal and velvet, with a cage inside, an adjustable vent on one side and another on the retractable side."



Answer

: "This is an antique portable foot warmer/warmer."

6. "Wooden sticks in a cafe in Florence"



Answer

: "These are newspaper cases. The chopsticks have a slot through which the newspaper is passed. Usually the size of large-format newspapers."

7. "Long handle like a shovel, but something like a basket/rake at the end?"



Answer:

"It's definitely a telescopic fruit picker."

8. "What are those little white boxes around our hotel bed?"



Answer: "I assume that they fix the cover on the spring block. By inserting a screwdriver into the groove, you can open the cover."

9. "They were inside a golf tournament gift set. About 18 centimeters long, semi-rigid plastic."



Answer: "It's a tool called an antistatic spatula."

10. "What is the red tip used for? Can't get a straight answer"



Answer

: "I'm guessing it's for opening cans in the old style, with a push tab so you don't cut your finger."

12. "I found this in a bag of shrimp chips. Something very hard and transparent."



Answer

: "This is what shrimp chips look like before they're deep fried."

12. "I bought an old house and found this in a closet, untouched from the 1960s to today, any idea what it is?"



Answer

: "You're holding it wrong. I think it's a nose with a mustache from a joke shop, only without the elastic."

13. "My friend and I found this red cylindrical object near his apartment. It's about 5 centimeters tall with a silver needle at the end."



"If it's 3D printed, it's probably a My Hero Academia cosplay bullet — prop."

14. "What are those buttons on the floor under the sink in the universityAnna? They don't seem to do anything when you press them."



Answer

: "It's a foot-pedal faucet valve that's now being replaced by hand-operated sensors on the faucet. It's a real valve, and it's actually more reliable, but more expensive."

15. "Found this item at the bottom of a dresser drawer. It weighs about 1 gram, 3 centimeters long and is made of hard translucent plastic. What is it?"



Answer: "I think it's a toy water bottle for a hamster. I remember I had something similar when I was little, in a Littlest Pet Shop set."

16. "What is that foldable metal thing attached to my back porch?"



Answer

: "It's a can crusher."

17. "Found this in my office and can't figure out what it's for. It's metal and only about a millimeter thick."



Answer

: "This is the key to the paper towel dispensers in the restrooms."

18. "Silicone cup? This thing came to my parents in the mail from an unknown address. The material is malleable."



Answer

: "This is an anti-cellulite device."

19. "What is this thing? It's not scissors and closes with a click"



Answer

: "This is a pair of real antique Victorian scissors for trimming the wick and extinguishing the candles."

20. "I can't remember what it was for, or maybe I didn't know at all. What is this thing?"



Answer

: "These are tongs for lifting hot jars so as not to burn your fingers."

21. "From a chewing gum machine. Plastic with foam rubber ends. Slightly weighted."



Answer

: "It's a toy."

22. "Does anyone know what it could be?"



Answer: "This is a fragment of a Victorian purse."

23. "Bought a new shirt. This little bag was tagged. What is it for?"



Answer

: "These are collar bones. They can be inserted into the collar to make it stand."

24. "Found this under my passenger seat. There are magnets in the back. Is this a GPS tracker that someone installed in my car?"



Answer

: "This is indeed a GPS tracker, but not the most inconspicuous."

25. "What could it be?"



Answer

: "This is a tool to remove the top from a boiled egg."