Ever stumbled across an object that made you pause and ask, 'Wait, what is that?' You’re not alone! Join us as we take a hilariously honest first-look reaction to 15 baffling but intriguing mystery items from all around the house and beyond. Let’s see if your guess matches ours!
“3”x3” square with black bristles over opening in hotel nightstand”
Hotel nightstands rarely come with surprises—until you spot a tiny square with mysterious black bristles. Is this some sort of gadget for secret housekeeping business, or am I supposed to clean my shoes here? The bristles feel weirdly satisfying to touch, but I might be overthinking this. Maybe the furniture designer was just having a funky day.
This is a cable hole cover.
“Found in backyard, Eastern Australia. A bit soft but dried on the edges. Looks like steak, but wrong colour.”
Nature’s steak? Fruit leather gone wrong? My first instinct is to poke it with a stick, because it’s got a ‘do not eat’ vibe despite looking oddly appetizing. Backyard finds are never boring. It honestly looks like snack food from a parallel universe. I dare someone to take a bite—just to confirm if it’s edible.
Online, people believed it was a type of rat poison.
“Strange metal thing on my keychain for work keys.”
This is on my keychain, which means it has to be important... right? It looks like it wants to turn into something, but I can’t figure out what. Definitely not a bottle opener—or is it? If this is a universal tool, it’s keeping its secrets well hidden. I’m both confused and intrigued.
People online identified it as a lanyard that can be customized.
“Steel made, arm folds away, cutter/wheel rotates”
Looks a bit like a pizza cutter from another dimension, or maybe a sewing gadget gone rogue. Either way, this retro tool has lots of personality for something so tiny. I feel like whoever used it knew exactly what they were doing. As for me, I’m still trying to decide which part is the front.
This is a tracing wheel for sewing.
“Small brass valves with knurled brass knobs on top, probably pneumatic. What are they for?”
These look straight out of an antique mad scientist’s kit. The little brass knobs have that satisfying tactile appeal, but what do I connect them to? Definitely pneumatic, probably not jewelry. If I had three wishes, one would be to know exactly how these shiny mysteries are supposed to work.
They are air valves for an aquarium.
“What is this small burgundy coloured contact lens like object.”
This tiny red object just screams ‘Don’t lose me!’ Is it a super heroic contact lens or an ultra mini tile for a fairy house? Whatever it is, it’s tiny, mysterious, and just a little bit magical. I would definitely keep it in a special box, just in case it’s priceless.
The best guess for this object was that it was a cover for an indicator light on a small applicance.
“Kitchen Aid Metal Food Grinder Attachment Black Plastic die. Seems to fit into the grinder attachment in the same way the metal die grinder plates go, but no description anywhere or pictures of what it does?”
All of the parts here look like they mean business—except for the black one, which is circled like it’s the star of the show. Banana for scale? Is this a test or a riddle? Whatever the black ring does, it was important enough to get singled out… and now I’m invested.
Online, people said it is a sausage stuffer plate.
“I think it’s some kind of candle? It has a fabric wick that goes down into a black vat for what seems like oil.”
What an elegant little thing! It’s giving vintage, but with a wick that makes me think it could light up in more than one way. Candle, oil lamp, or secret potion bottle? Either way, it would look great in a gothic novel. Picking it up, I almost feel like a Victorian detective about to solve a case.
This is a Lamp Berger, a type of diffuser that emits a pleasant smell when filled with essential oils.
“What are these attachments for that came with my wife's new (cheap) handheld mixer?”
These look way too fancy to be anything I’ve ever used in the kitchen. I’m guessing they mix something, but did a whisk and a corkscrew have a wild design baby? All I know is, if my mixer needs these, it might also want a driver’s license. My dough is definitely in for a wild ride.
These are dough hooks.