15 Mystery Objects That Baffled the Internet—Here’s What They Really Are

You might agonize over an odd-looking gadget or a mysterious stain, wondering what on earth it is. But for the internet’s army of sleuths, it’s just another quick puzzle to solve. From bizarre household objects to unexplained marks on everyday items, there’s always someone out there who knows exactly what you’re dealing with—and they’re more than happy to enlighten you.

1. A small blue plastic thing I found in the house. What is it?

Answer: I have this exact thing. It’s the antennae from a snail toy.

2. My neighbors put this facing our garden. We hope it's not a camera.

Answer 1: It’s a cat repeller.
Answer 2: No, it’s not a cat repeller. I saw my uncle use it to ward off insects.

3. What is this chicken-heart wire object with a handle?

Answer: “It’s a modern decoration made in the style of an old Rug Beater.”

4. What is this bubbling out of the ground in my yard? Purplish metallic, gooey inside. Keeps bubbling even if I dig a thin layer down with a shovel.

Answer: “Carpenter here, that looks to me like expanding foam. The manufacturers like to color them for brand recognition or purpose identification. All the signs are there. The even coloration, the outer skin that formed, and the familiar random expansion pattern.”

5. What is this metal object, roughly the size of a hand, guessing it’s around 700-800 grams?

Answer: “It’s an artificial hip replacement.”

“Now the real question is how did he come by this thing?” wondered a Redditor.

6. This large, ceramic, turquoise fire hydrant-looking thing has been in the family for decades. Resembles some sort of large lantern, but still unsure.

Answer: “I believe it’s a small heater, probably gas. Mostly decorative to protect people from the flame.”

7. What is this large wooden board with movable red and white beads on the rim?

Answer: “It’s called a Billard Nicolas. It appears to be a French game of some sort.”

8. Wooden block with 2 screws and a spring in between. What is it for?

Answer: “It’s a guitar pick holder.”

9. Found a small and rubbery item near my kitchen sink. What is this thing?

Answer: “It is used kind of like a keyring on certain measuring spoons or measuring cups.”

10. Copper object found on a beach in Scotland, about 3 inches long

Answer: It looks like the pull-string weight for a bathroom light string pull switch

11. What is this long thing with a glass bottom with plastic top that unscrews?

Answer: It looks like the lid to one of those pitchers where you put ice in the middle cylinder to keep the lemonade, etc., cold.

12. Pink golf ball wand...what could it be? About 2 feet long with a rubber golf ball at the end of the spring. Any guesses?

Answer: It’s not for golf. It’s a spring ball massager.

13. One side is an opener, but what is this 3-pronged clamp for?

Answer: “It’s for lifting the lid on Mason jars.”

14. Little pink spring thing. Made of rubber. With little space inside, not apt to hold a pencil or anything inside it.

Answer: “It wraps around phone and headphone cords by the plug to prevent them from breaking and fraying.”

15. Grid of small indents found at the beach, east coast of Scotland. No other related objects laying near it.

Answer: “This is a nice Stigmaria or a tree root fossil. The circles are scars where rootlets used to be attached to the main roots in spiral patterns.”

The internet is packed with mysterious objects waiting for someone to uncover their hidden meaning—so we’ve put together a list of the most intriguing ones.