Have you ever come across something that made you really puzzled? We’ve all experienced that. Our curious side just won’t quit until we figure out what it’s all about. But the times when we had to go to the library or ask an expert for answers are long gone. Thanks to the internet, we now have a bunch of online investigators ready to help. And let me tell you, they’ve revealed some amazing hidden truths about mystery finds.
1. ’’My mom found this in my dad’s drawer. Is it what I am afraid of?’’
Answer: The classic Sunbeam Mixmaster had a juicer attachment, a bowl that attached to the top of the mixer. This is the spout the juice would pour out of. The wire part held a little strainer to filter out pulp.
2. ’’What’s this insanely heavy glass with bubbles inside? The inscription says 1978.’’
Answer: Looks like a paperweight used to keep stacks of papers from blowing off of the desk if there is a breeze. They are mostly used as decorations now.
3. ’’What’s this weird glass ball, suspended by screws, in a metal frame, bronze or gold color in appearance?’’
Answer: It is a Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder. You place a strip of card into one set of grooves in the piece that curves behind the sphere, point the opposite side of the sphere towards the equator, and the sphere will focus the sunlight to burn a track on the card. The card has hours marked, and more the card is burnt, the brighter the sunlight was.
4. ’’What’s this thick round wooden stick with a cylindrical structure on one end?’’
Answer: Possibly used with a Singing Bell. You rub the stick lightly around the edge and the bell starts vibrating. You might have seen the same effect with glasses.
5. ’’What’s this three-legged stool with a very narrow back, does it serve a specific purpose?’’
Answer: It’s a milking stool, 3-legged birthing style spinning chair. So basically, no special use.
6. ’’I found this at nan’s house, it’s a glass vase with metal grill inside.’’
Answer: It’s for arranging cut flowers (a rose bowl).
7. ’’This thing is made of leather, and about 15″ in length. Any ideas?’’
Answer: It looks like a decorative tassel from a purse.
8. ’’I found this stainless-steel object when cleaning out a lab space. Has an “H” in a diamond stamp.’’
9. ’’I found this in an old cabinet, made entirely of glass with narrowing holes all the way through.’’
Answer: It’s a flower frog, used to hold a flower arrangement in a vase. Made obsolete by foam and gels.
10. ’’Does anyone know what the purpose of the little hole on the back of this empty gold ring is?’’
Answer: The reason it has a hole is to prevent air pressure changes from damaging the ring.
11. ’’What is this glass object? It’s fairly heavy, has no markings, and a very narrow hole on top.’’
Answer: It’s an oil candle.
12. ’’This ring was buried in my garden. After cleaning it, I saw that it doesn’t look like an ordinary ring. Any ideas?’’
