The internet is full of mysteries, and one place where these curiosities find answers is the subreddit What Is This Thing?. This online community, home to over 2.3 million members, is dedicated to helping people identify unknown objects. Users post photos of bizarre or unfamiliar items, and the collective knowledge of the group kicks in until someone identifies the mystery object.
From strange tools to historical artifacts, the members of this subreddit have proven time and again that sometimes crowdsourcing is more efficient than a Google search. Below are 35 times when the internet sleuths of What Is This Thing? were better than Google at solving the case.
#1 Strange Metal Piece Found Under a Car
Answer: That’s part of a car lift your mechanic might need back.
#2 Upside-Down Magazine Rack in a French Airbnb
Answer: It’s a magazine rack, but it’s been installed upside down because someone didn’t know what they were doing!
#3 Low Faucet Setup in Restroom
Answer: It’s for Muslim ablution (washing feet) before prayer, designed to avoid the awkwardness of lifting legs to a sink.
#4 Round Shelf Underneath a Table
Answer: This is a handy place to rest your beer while playing cards.
#5 Wooden Plank with Beads on Wires
Answer: A Himalayan calendar. The beads represent the months, days, and year digits.
#6 Waxy Blob Found at Low Tide
Answer: That’s whale vomit, known as ambergris. It’s used in high-end perfumes and could be worth a fortune!
#7 Barrel-Like Object with Handle
Answer: It’s a Vasculum, a container botanists use for collecting plant specimens without damaging them.
#8 Engraved Metal Hook Hidden in Foundation
Answer: A horse hoof cleaning tool. Burying iron objects in foundations was once considered good luck.
#9 Small Clay Object
Answer: That’s a terra cotta sugar saver, used to keep brown sugar from drying out.
#10 Spoon with a Tongs-Like Attachment
Answer: This is a French cuillère dégraisseuse, a spoon designed to remove fat from sauces.
#11 Green Liquid Inside a Screw-Capped Object
Answer: A diver rescue marker. It’s released to dye the water for visibility during ocean rescues.
#12 Metal Object in a Fortress in Salzburg
Answer: These are old radiators. They were filled with embers to warm rooms.
#13 Plaque with Horse References
Answer: Likely a horse pedigree plaque. The names at the bottom are the sire and dam.
#14 Heavy Brass Object Found in a Junk Drawer
Answer: That’s a vintage telephone dialer, used instead of your fingertip to dial rotary phones.
#15 Oval Metal Thing in a Kitchen
Answer: A stainless steel “soap” bar used to remove strong odors like onion from your hands.
#16 Two-Sided Spoon Pendant
Answer: A vintage spoon pendant, probably used for illegal substances in the past.
#17 Plastic Object Received as a Christmas Gift
Answer: It’s a page spreader. The pointed end goes into the book spine to hold it open.
#18 Heavy Metal Objects Found in a Thrift Store
Answer: These are clock weights, used to power mechanical cuckoo clocks.
#19 Small Bubble of Micro-Plastics Found in Nike Shoe Box
Answer: Microplastic particles for display, likely part of Nike’s environmental marketing campaign.
#20 Genie Lamp-Like Object with a Spout
Answer: It’s an oil lamp. The wick goes in the spout, and you light it for illumination.
#21 Antique Silver Locket-Looking Object
Answer: It’s actually a small purse, used to carry coins or makeup.
#22 Metal Coil That Plugs into an Outlet
Answer: That’s an immersion heater. It’s used to heat water in cups or small containers.
#23 Spiked Metal Collar Found in Spain
Answer: This is an anti-wolf collar used for sheepdogs to protect their necks during wolf attacks.
#24 Small Trailer with Individual Openings
Answer: It’s for transporting racing pigeons. The openings are for the birds.
#25 Cabinet with Hooks and Drawers
Answer: This is a scientific specimen cabinet, possibly used for geology or insect collections.
#26 Gold-Plated Speaker with Short Cord
Answer: An old Beltone hearing aid. The clip contains a transistor that plugs into the hearing device.
#27 Wooden Block with Metal Fins
Answer: A cabbage slicer for making sauerkraut.
#28 Hook with French Inscription Found in a Hutch
Answer: It’s a butter curler, used to create fancy butter curls for presentation.
#29 Knit Tubes Found in a Drawer
Answer: These are chair socks, used to prevent chairs from scratching floors.
#30 Stacks of Thin Black Paper Strips Found in a Safe
Answer: It’s part of a “Black Money Scam.” The strips are fake currency used in fraudulent schemes.
#31 Plastic Ring with Sharp Metal Claws Found on a Beach
Answer: This is a tool for pulling in fishing nets.
#32 Jar of Light Objects Found in an Office
Answer: Silkworm cocoons, often used in textile production.
#33 Wavy Pattern on the Back of Mail
Answer: Obfuscation pattern, designed to hide sensitive information from being read through an envelope.
#34 Plastic Device with a Blade Found in an Antique Store
Answer: It’s a write-protection tool for 5.25″ floppy disks. It allows single-sided disks to be used double-sided.
#35 Iron Poles Found on a Street in London
Answer: Early 19th-century gas lamps. The gas was piped up the pole to the lamp at the top.
From antique butter curlers to high-end whale vomit, the What Is This Thing? community continues to showcase its collective expertise in solving everyday mysteries. While Google may be quick, nothing beats the power of human curiosity and knowledge! Whether it’s strange heirlooms or odd objects from thrift stores, this online community is proving that sometimes, people really do know best.
