Let's face it, asking for help isn't always easy. But there are a lot of times when it's necessary, which means swallowing your pride and finding someone who can help you.
The pictures in this list show things that people found and couldn't identify, but got answers by asking the internet. It just goes to show you that there's no such thing as a dumb question.
Reddit user stilloldbull2 said that this thing is a "large ship bumper/fender. They are used to keep huge ships from smashing into the pier. It must have washed up during a storm." And what do you know? That's it!
You might think that it couldn't possibly be glass, given how it's been dropped but never broken. But it actually is just glass. No one could really say why it glows in the dark, though.
This thing almost looks like some kind of cork for a wine bottle, but that's not quite what it is. According to Redditor bingley777, it's a "bottle stopper, possibly for wine/port but more likely a personal decanter." Apparently, the name on the thing is of a company that makes stoppers, too.
Apparently, OP never uses their mop, or else they'd probably know that this is the part of a mop bucket that you use to ring water off the mop head. To each their own, I guess.
Sometimes, you figure out the answer right after you ask about it. In this case, OP realized shortly after posting their question that this is a holder for paper towels. A weird one, but it'll still get the job done.
Sometimes, people post these kinds of things to Reddit and end up getting a flood of comments with guesses and answers. This time, only one person commented on the post. Reddit user raineykatz, who gave their best guess:
"I think that's an old punch needle rug making tool." And they were right!
Reddit user PimentoCheesehead had a very educated guess for this one: "Looks like a Japanese hearth pole/hook, used for hanging a pot or kettle over a fire." And their guess ended up being the right one and everything!
I bet you anything this is a thermostat for heated floors.
According to the Reddit comments that all said the same thing, I was right! The floors won't heat up right away, which is why OP was confused when turning it on didn't seem to do anything at first.
Apparently, a lot of people out there can just identify artillery shells on sight, because there were so many comments on this post, all saying the same thing.
It's a 90mm shell casing, probably from a tank or something. I guess people use these old shells as furniture and stands? Weird.
You might already know what these are, especially if you spend a lot of time around beaches and lakes. They're just rafts, probably for people to swim out to or tie their boats to. It was seriously as easy as that.
The consensus here seems to be that this is some kind of old switch. Reddit user bananafishandchips gave a bit more information on why it looks like this, saying, "Right after electrification many homes had a post light installed atop the newel."
Reddit user discardedlife1845 knew exactly what this thing is:
"It's a low voltage temporary earthing clamp. They're used to temporarily earth sections of a circuit or metal structures (like scaffolding) as a safety precaution."
Reddit user jackrats, who's really good at finding random things like this, had the answer. They commented, "It's a tiki mug. The hole in the front is for a straw." So, definitely not a planter. I guess the people who were selling it had no clue, either.
Actually, I think I've seen someone ask about this kind of thing before. Back before electrical wires were buried underground, they entered the house from a spot near the roof. This is the kind of thing they'd be connected to. Reddit user jackrats called it a weatherhead.
Reddit user brock_lee had a pretty good guess that ended up being right:
"I think it's to make carbonation bubbles. When you pour a beer, for instance, the streams of bubbles are actually produced on imperfections in, or even 'dirt' on, the glass. These imperfections on your glass are there to create an interesting pattern of bubbles."
I'm not going to lie, I didn't expect the answer to be what it ended up being. According to a bunch of different Redditors in the comments section, these little shoes are antique wedding cake toppers. Who would've thought?
After a few guesses, Reddit user freak4sneaks figured out that it's a place card holder. The card would go in the clip that's on the back side of the item (not pictured). Another mystery solved!
According to Reddit user jackrats, "It used to hold a fire department call box." I guess this is a thing people would use before telephones were more of a common thing? Old technology is so weird.
Thanks to the help of Reddit user clark4821, OP was able to figure out that the random thing coupled with that solar panel is part of some kind of noise surveying equipment. How interesting.
With the help of Reddit user tripleaardvark2, OP was able to figure out that this thing is an egg cutter. It cuts hard boiled eggs into flower shapes, like for deviled eggs. I think it probably works on other kinds of food, too.
