“I found this at a yard sale but I have no idea what it is. Thoughts?”
Historic artifacts are quite an intriguing experience, especially if we stumble upon them by accident. Some of these objects puzzle us and leave us questioning their purpose and existence because they no longer find their way into the modern world.
10 people share photos of their finds on Reddit in hopes of learning more about the items, and as always, redditors didn’t disappoint.
1. The Wooden Box
Stumbling upon wooden boxes is always a thrilling experience because we never know what’s hiding inside. Someone found such a box and after opening it, they noticed more wooden pieces in different colors. As they had no idea what the purpose of those colorful slats were, they asked the Reddit community for help. It turned out the box was a Montessori toy designed to teach kids the colors and improve their matching skills as well as provide a fun and interactive learning experience.
2. Mystery object
The discovery of this mystery object asked the authorities to be notified after Redditors revealed it was unexploded artillery rounds. The original poster, who was from Montreal, Canada, posted an update that a bomb squad was called in to dispose of them safely.
3. The Tiny Metal Spoon
What could possibly this extra tiny spoon be used for? As always, there were plenty of fascinating and rather humorous suggestions by the redditors, but it was eventually determined that this item was used for cleaning the wax from the ears, as well as the dirt from under the nails. It’s fun to know that people used this tool to maintain their personal hygiene back in the day.
4. The Enigmatic Building
Someone from Kerry, Ireland, spotted what seemed to be an old building and decided to share it online in order to learn more about it. It was near the rail station and someone noted that it was in fact part of it. The building, which looks like a useless structure, is used to store water to refill tanks and tenders for the trains.
These buildings are placed along old or active railway tracks and can be found worldwide.
One such functioning water refill station can be seen along the historic train ride from Durango to Silverton, Colorado.
5. Extra Durable Pillow Case Zippers
Most hotels have these strange items that resemble security tags, but the truth is they serve another purpose. These heavy-duty zippers and tags prevent bed bugs from infesting common hotel items such as cushions and pillows.
6. Unpleasant-Looking Mystery Objects
Although this may look like an ancient torture device, the use of this metal object found in the basement of one person’s grandmother serves another purpose. These items were used by farmers to milk cows.