18 Times the Internet Teamed Up and Solved a Mystery
Reddit users are a great power. They can come together and solve mysteries behind the purposes of the most illogical and odd objects in as little as one minute. If you found a weird chair or unknown device in your car, just ask them. They’ll do all the detective work for you.
We at Bright Side adore solving mysteries and are sharing 20 of them that were cracked by Reddit users.
1. “I found it in a thrift store, no markings on it that I could find. It’s maybe about a foot long, pretty lightweight, entirely plastic.”
Answer: It’s a back-to-basics smoothie chill stir stick.
2. “The strange chair with a bowl attachment in my workplace bathroom”
3. " A little black device with some odd vent-like holes I found stuck to my vehicle, no letters on it or anything."
Answer: It’s a microphone for a hands-free car phone (could be a Bluetooth one to connect to your phone).
4. “A curved metal piece with an attached leather strap”
Answer: It’s an “arm blaster.”
5. “A textured wooden ball with a handheld holder”
Answer: A massage ball with a cup holder
6. “What are those 2 circle things on the dash of my ’05 Toyota Prius?”
Answer: They’re light sensors and water detectors for headlights and wipers.
7. “What is this credit card-sized packet of liquid with a ’coin’ inside?”
Answer: It’s a heating pad! Snap the little coin the other way and the insides should solidify and create heat. Boil it to reset.
8. “I know this is a chair, but what are the rods in the arms for? They go in and out and are made of metal.”
Answer: I have encountered these in some older homes in my area. They hold a tray that can be used to do anything you can really do on a flat surface.
9. “A heavy metal device that has instructions to set on the stove — the handle of the roller appears to have ’1880′ on it.”
Answer: It’s a crimping/fluting iron.
10. “My girlfriend found these small doors in trees in Scotland near Loch Lomond. There are some coins scattered in front of the door. What are these for?”
Answer: Those are called fairy doors (usually set into the base of a tree, behind which may be small spaces where people can leave notes, wishes, or gifts).
11. “I picked it up at an auction. It’s currently used as a side table. But what is it actually? Shoe for scale.”
Answer: It looks like a mid-century pedestal ashtray.
12. “What are these holes in the ground for? They are in the entryway to the Roman amphitheater in Pompeii.”
Answer: It is absolutely for a fence to create a separate pathway for the workforce and, I would assume, people who get to pass by the crowds.
13. “The pumpkin thing opens on a hinge, with a latch inside with a small glass jar. A sharp pin is attached to the jar.”
Answer: It might be a “vinaigrette,” a piece of jewelry containing smelling salts or perfume that women hung from a chatelaine chain in Victorian times.
14. “Found at Goodwill: the top part pushes down and springs back up when released. No markings anywhere on the item.”
Answer: This is a drawer divider. The springy part collapses down to fit in different drawer widths.
15. “What is this white table with a removable insert?”
Answer: We have those at early education centers. We store toys in the container, there should be a lid for it, and that’s used as a surface for the kids to play on.
16. “What sort of chair is this? Saw it at my doctor’s office.”
Answer: They’re risers. They make it easier for some to sit and get up. They also make them for beds. It’s a way to make the chair higher without buying a new chair.
17. “What is this thing? My friend has this elastic band in the front pouch of his Adidas sweater.”
Answer: You can invert the jacket into the pocket and carry it as a fanny pack.
18. “I work at a thrift store. Help me to find out what this thing is.”
Answer: It’s a tablet stand, some come shaped like hands.
What was the most unique or odd thing that you have ever found in a shop or at a relative’s house? Do your grandparents keep old, weird stuff around? What is it?
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