18 Mysterious Objects That Required Internet Detectives to Solve

Strange objects show up in the most unexpected places—tucked in a desk drawer, tossed over a fence, or sitting right on your hotel pillow. Most people would never figure out what they are. Luckily, online communities love a good mystery, and these 18 puzzling finds finally got their answers.

1. Mystery scissors. They were part of the inventory I took over from the previous tenant.

• It’s for cutting sausages and eggs. © Dirtfloorcustoms / Reddit

2. My girlfriend found this when we moved in. It was probably left by the previous tenant, an older woman. We have no idea what it is.

• Boutonniere vase! Tiny little vase for flowers that pins to your lapel. Usually worn at weddings, etc. © GraywarenGrim / Reddit

3. Small metal man with triangle markings, found in my change dish at home. Is this thing blessing or cursing my home?

• I believe it’s part of hoop earrings: LAUREL BURCH GOLDTONE TRIBAL MEN & WOMEN BEADED HOOP EARRINGS K559C © MasticatingSheep / Reddit

4. I found this blue hand, which can be folded in multiple positions, on my new desk in the hospital. Maybe a laptop holder?

• Surgical device called a “lead hand.” It’s used for hand surgery to hold fingers stretched out. © NoxaNoxa / Reddit

5. Pink plastic object thrown over neighbor’s wall.

• Looks to me like the brake off a kid’s scooter. Was likely a more vibrant color and has been bleached by the sun. © Jacktheforkie / Reddit

6. Blue, puck-shaped, fragrant object, slightly squishy, delivered with my Amazon order, which was sunscreen.

• This looks like a toilet cleaner. Take off the plastic, pop it in the top part of your toilet, and you get magical blue water that doesn’t really clean anything. © SmellyFace6* / Reddit

7. My wife found a bowl with a hole and a handle on the inside. Any clue what it could be?

• It is a lid to an old chamber wastewater jar. © PeteyMitch42 / Reddit

8. What is this round metallic thing that just landed in our pasture? Had a parachute too.

• It’s for radar system calibration. They are hollow aluminum spheres. © Bonger14 / Reddit

9. What are these small plastic cones I keep finding around my house? Thought they were my dog’s teeth at first, but they are soft and squishy.

• My dog recently found an old “sun” toy shaped like that. Need to find the offending toy to confirm. 99% sure that it is. I’ve never had the spikes come off before! © IAmMitchConnor / Reddit

10. Small, gray fabric stuffed item with black stitching on the outside. Shaped like a figure.

• It’s the Nail from a Hollow Knight plush! It has a magnet inside so they can hold it. © desktopmilitia / Reddit

11. Completely stumped on what this could be. I thought it might be a Victorian-era tie-on pocket at first, but it’s made completely differently from ones I can find online.

• Given the floral embroidery, a lady’s “pocket” rather than a miser’s purse. Worn on the petticoat under the overdress. Accessed through a slit in the overdress and hung off the petticoat string. Fairly inaccessible to pick-pockets, too. Women have been complaining about not having pockets for so long, this is one of the early ones! © opinionatedash**k / Reddit

12. Rectangular, slimy piece found with my clothes on my washing machine.

• Definitely a lidocaine patch. © ICDIWABH42 / Reddit

13. Heavy glass with attached toothed rim

• It’s just a drinking glass used for iced drinks. The glass keeps the ice from pouring into your mouth. © scroopiedoopie / Reddit

14. Mini pot with paw prints on it. Received at an animal rescue benefit.

• To put cat whiskers in that you find around the house when they fall out. © Skreamies1 / Reddit

15. What happened to this squirrel in our driveway?

• I personally think the most likely possibility is that the squirrel was eating mushrooms or black walnuts that dropped this black powder around him. We live in a rural area, so naturally, squirrel food is abundant. I also think this is the cutest/most pleasant version of the story, so that’s what I need to believe. © Fuzzy-Yellow3905 / Reddit

16. My Uber driver’s hand. Can’t for the life of me work out what this is.

• This is a wireless satellite accelerator, which is a driving aid for people with mobility needs. It functions as an alternative accelerator pedal, allowing a driver to accelerate a vehicle by pressing a small lever with their thumb. The device is designed to be worn like a glove, providing maximum freedom of movement and allowing for two-handed driving. It uses Bluetooth technology to connect wirelessly to the vehicle’s electronic system. © No_Pin2510 / Reddit

17. A girl left this at my place. What is it?

• It’s a foot massage stick made out of resin. © sulfrie / Reddit

18. This was placed near my pillow at a hotel.

• Worry dolls! You tell them your worries and stick them under your pillow, and they take your worries away while you sleep. © Designer_Ring_67 / Reddit

Strangers on the internet have helped solve these everyday mysteries—but sometimes, strangers do something even more powerful in real life. These 16 people experienced tiny acts of unexpected kindness that stayed with them forever: 16 Tiny Acts From Strangers That Left Permanent Marks on People