40 “Found This, Any Idea What It Is?” Posts That Redditors Solved Brilliantly

Have you ever stumbled upon a mysterious object and thought, What on earth is this thing? You’re not alone. Thankfully, Reddit’s r/whatisthisthing is a goldmine for solving these everyday (and sometimes bizarre) mysteries. The community thrives on curiosity, with users posting photos of odd contraptions, strange finds, and puzzling artifacts, only to have internet detectives swoop in with surprisingly accurate answers.

#1 Two-Stair Concrete Steps In Upstate NY

Image source: Affectionate-Echo-40

Mounting block / horse block / carriage stone.

#2 What Is This Tiny Pocket On The Back Of My Shirt

Image source: dipperini88

It’s a vestigial device deliberately installed into a great number of imported shirts so that they classify as a specific article of clothing which avoids a tariff.

Link: “tariff engineering.” It also explains why Converse shoes come with fuzzy, “non-athletic” soles which abrade down to the grippier outsole with use.
Key quote: “Columbia Sportswear adds pockets below the waistline of certain women’s shirts so that they are not technically classified as blouses, which brings the duty rate down from 26.9% to 16%, as Marketplace reported in 2019. The company refers to it as a ‘ChapStick pocket.'”

#3 What Are These Long Metal Looking Sheets Being Draped Over This Building?

Image source: paninimeani

Not art, not copper sheeting. Just some dude’s attempt to shield himself from 5G. I’m not kidding.

Source: I’m in the neighborhood, people are complaining.

Edit: The “faraday cage” answers from other users are correct. It’s not rational, the guy who bought the building is unwell.

Edit 2: It’s metal. Yes, it’s loud.

#4 What Is This Elevated Place In My House?

Image source: Odd-Conclusion6528

It’s an Australian house that isn’t that old. And according to OP, previous owner was Asian. It’s the place where you put the fridge. The plug at the back makes sense. Asians like to hose their kitchen and bathrooms down to make it easier to clean. Water won’t go under the fridge this way. I used to live in Singapore.

#5 The County Park Near Me Was Recently Renovated, And They Put Up This Thing. It Is Super Tall, At Least 12 Feet. I Thought At First It Was Cameras, But I Didn’t See Any Lenses. It’s In A Wide Open Field, So Maybe It’s For The Weather? I’ve Been So Curious To Figure Out What On Earth It’s For!

Image source: iwetmyplants13

Purple martin ‘gourd’ nesting boxes.

ACanadianGuy1967:

You’ll notice that they are often built so they can be lowered (note to cable or rope in that photo for example, attached near the bottom of the pole.) When the birds leave in the autumn to migrate south, it’s good to lower the nesting boxes and clean them out so they’re ready for next spring. It reduces illness when they have clean nesting boxes.

Two of my neighbors have purple Martin nesting boxes up on poles but theirs look like little apartment buildings. But there are gourd-style ones in our area, too.

#6 Handmade Ceramic Vessel With Inner Cup(?) Attached To The Bottom Of The Lid, Found In A Goodwill Near The Twin Cities Metro. What Is This Intended For?

Image source: karedbeto

It’s a butter bell. You put butter into the cup of the lid, put cool water in the outside cup and it keeps the butter cooler on the counter.

#7 Metal Cylinder In Wall Of 1800s House With A Little Lever And Flap

Image source: Optimal-Chair1146

Definitely an old speaking tube. If your house is two stories tall it would have most likely came out by the front door so if a visitor came by and no one answered a knock they could pull the flap up and blow into it and it would whistle to hopefully get some ones attention. Then drop the flaps and be able to talk to each other with out having to go down stair.

My parents old house (it was built in 1906) had one. They had silicone filled the hole by the front door. But it was repaired and made to work great.

#8 Heavy Iron Twisting Mechanism, About 10 Pounds, Rusty And Thus Rust Colored, Handle Turns All Three Spindles The Same Direction, About 12 Inches By 8 Inches Base Without The Handle. What Could It Have Been Used For?

Image source: Bisquait

Rope making. twisting three strands into a rope.

#9 Lens Or Defect In The Middle Of My Front Window?

Image source: Individual-Ad-7769

That’s usually the result of a drive-by with a BB gun.

#10 Found These Decorative Glass Vials In A Box Belonging To A Deceased Elderly Woman

Image source: Sillymarsha-

Perfume bottles..And fancy ones at that..Nice find..

#11 Found In Hotel Room. Has A Plug But Does Nothing. Gold Plate Can Rotate, But Can’t See Any Purpose Or Function!

Image source: mezmerize13

It’s a lamp and it took me far too long to realise this is sitting on a desk and isn’t actually 7ft tall.

#12 Does Anyone Have A Clue As To What These Might Be????? They Are Heavy, And There Are Screw Holes In The 2 “Legs” Of Each Piece

Image source: ibeperplexed

Vintage school desk frame.

#13 What Are These Platforms In Seoul Metro Stations?

Image source: Mammoth_Society_8991

Removes fine dust and viruses from shoes installed at Seoul Forest subway station.

#14 Weird Blinking Canasters Found Under Hotel Room Bed. What Are They?

Image source: Lilithrc390

Could these be smart bed legs, for trapping/detecting bed bugs that climb up them.

Lilithrc390:

They are 100% this bug detection things, my mum sent me some closer photos.

#15 My Kids Are Calling These “Sea Turds,” Since They Are Round, Soft/Spongey And Dark Green But What Are They Really? Pensacola, Florida; Bayside, Underwater

Image source: reddit.com

Tar balls! When I was a kid, my mom used to cover me in baby oil before we swam in the Gulf of Mexico so the tar didn’t stick to me.

#16 Metal Overshoe With Leather Straps. No Waiting Or Stamps

Image source: Rowdys_playboy

Flat track motorcycle racing shoe. Goes over your boot and lets your inside foot drag around the sweeping corners and not catch or wear out your boot, probably from the 1960s.

#17 Saw This Metal Door On A Mountain In Tyrol, Austria. It Is Attached To A Thick Plastic Well, Has A Vent On Top Of It, And I Can Hear Air Rushing Behind It Fairly Loudly

Image source: reddit.com

Water reservoir for tapwater or artificial snow.

Source: I am Austrian.

#18 Found Two Plastic Bags Tied Up To A Tree In A Forest- Small, Clear Plastic Bags, Filled With What Looks Like Soil (?) And Zip Tied To A Tree

Image source: LakeTilia

Looks like air layering to propagate the trees (make new trees from healthy branches faster than starting from seed).

#19 Small Different Size And Color Rings. Looks Like Aluminium. Found In A Box With Screws, Nails Ect

Image source: keemaan23

Bird rings for pigeons.

#20 Found At The Trampoline Park But I Think It Fell From Someone’s Pocket. 2.25″ Long And Magnetic. Metal With Red Plastic Over It. Printed On It, “M A C Mp-8 Made In The USA”

Image source: snakeiiiiiis

Mac tools telescopic pocket magnet.

#21 Cube Shaped Metal Bead I Found On The Ground As A Kid 15 Years Ago

Image source: olive_uwu

Most likely it’s a part of a souvenir keychain like this, but from Moscow. The eagle is Russian coat of arms (there’s St George on the shield in the middle), the second picture is St Basil’s Cathedral, and the third one looks like Spasskaya tower of Kremlin.

potatojunior:

Probably it is a veeeery old version of this.

#22 What Is This Weird Little Wad Of Cash

Image source: multi-_-

Modeling accessory. People use them for dollhouses, stop action films, dioramas, etc. Those look 1-to-12 scale, so they’d look size appropriate with a 6 inch tall action figure.

#23 Small Leather Fold Over Pouch Attached To A Purse I Bought Brand New Recently

Image source: ariososweet

I’m male but I did leather work for a long time. It’s just a card case so you can leave your purse and carry just your id and a few credit cards or bills with you. It’s not a modern use item. More of a throwback.

#24 Round Metal Ball Found Whilst Digging Has A Hole In One Side, Very Heavy Easily 3kg

Image source: RaedwaldRex

Cannonball.

#25 What Is This Black Wavy Wire Display Type Thing? I Thought It Was A Wine Rack But Wine Bottles Don’t Sit Nicely

Image source: Ibananapool

Old CD rack.

#26 A Tray Made Of Paper Pulp That’s 8″ Long. It’s Supposedly Embalming Related

Image source: SucksDickforSkittles

It’s a cranial cap.
You put it under the head to absorb leaking brain goo.

#27 Found In My Washing Machine. Small, Pink Face? Doesn’t Seem To Dissolve, Has No Odor

Image source: strawberrybalsamic

This looks like the rubber part from a cheap stamp. Like one at the end of a marker.

#28 Found This Bag In A Kitchen Of An Airbnb I’m Cleaning. It’s Wet/Oily And Smells Very Strong, Kind Of Like Menthol

Image source: Macabee721

Flavored betel nut shavings. Used as mouth freshener/ aperitif in SE Asia.

#29 What Is This Thing: Large Aluminum Plate With Feet And Small Hexagon Holes

Image source: DKC_Reno

It’s a dumpling maker. First letter looks like a Russian Ц. These were popular in the Soviet Union

#30 Iron? Rod With Heavy Weight, Swings From Side To Side

Image source: Introspective_Pict

Its an old pump from a well. We have one with an actual old stand alone pumphouse in my town where i live. The one in your picture is built in to the building. The “pendulum” thing is for moving the pump mechanism to bring up the water from the well.

If there is no water coming out its either because the well is dried up or the mechanic is broken/disabled.

#31 Round Plastic Cap In Yard. Approximately 6 Inch Diameter, 3 Feet From The House

Image source: TOKEnSTROKE6219

It’s a termite bait station. A pest control company puts cellulose material in it to lure termites if they are nearby and then periodically monitors it for activity to see if treatment is necessary.

#32 My Girlfriend Got Her Oil Changed And When She Came Home Found This In Her Glovebox

Image source: Sgt-Pepperz

It is called a glove box damper and it attaches to the glovebox door so that when you open the glovebox, it gently opens instead of just falling open. They might have taken it apart to change the cabin filter and didn’t reinstall it properly.

#33 Silver-Colored Metal Object Found Partially Buried In Yard

Image source: crabman6000

Clip to chain the dog outside.

#34 What Is This Screwdriver Like Object?

Image source: djrstar

I have one of those. It came with my tiller to pick dirt and roots from the blades.

#35 Cupholder-Looking Thing On The Wall Of A Bathroom In A Senior Living Condo

Image source: mmccurdy

The most likely answer is “hair dryer holder repurposed to cane holder”.

#36 Yellow Plastic Dog Face Keychain With Sharp Pointy Spike. About Three Inches Long. Found On The Ground Near Tennis Courts At My Gym

Image source: Sn00byD00

This is actually a pickleball holder!!! Pickleballs have holes in them and you’re supposed to slide it in and it’ll stay put.

#37 What Is This Metal Circular/Ball Contraption? Found The Picture In A Restaurant In Germany – Could It Be An Agricultural Tool? It Looks To Be Ca 3m In Diameter And Has Spokes Going Inward As Well As Around

Image source: Fantastic_Machine_80

This is art: “Scarabäus” by Adrian Basilius.

#38 What Is This Metal Peice On My BBQ

Image source: Confident-Paper-2743

Matchstick holder in case u need to manually light the grill.

#39 What Is This Thing? It’s A Clear Glass Imperial Quart Bottle Full Of Liquid And Some Sort Of Construction Inside

Image source: mr_nonchalance

It’s a crucifixion bottle, or god-in-a-bottle. Cool! And a bit creepy!

#40 What Is This Round Metal Thing That Looks Like A Lock Of Some Sort On Our Front Door?

Image source: MrsTree422

It’s a key switch (more than likely) for an alarm system that no longer exists; key switches were fairly common in the days before keypads to arm/disarm. The back of the door where that hole is used to have wires going to it, and if you were to put a wrench on the two flats it would unscrew if you wanted to remove it and have the hole filled. Right now it’s not connected to anything, so nothing to worry about. Hope that helps!