“I found it in a thrift store, no markings on it that I could find. It’s maybe about a foot long, pretty lightweight, entirely plastic.”
Answer: "It’s a back-to-basics smoothie chill stir stick."
“The strange chair with a bowl attachment in my workplace bathroom”
Answer: "It shows up under first aid furniture."
"A little black device with some odd vent-like holes I found stuck to my vehicle, no letters on it or anything."
Answer: "It’s a microphone for a hands-free car phone (could be a Bluetooth one to connect to your phone)."
“A curved metal piece with an attached leather strap”
Answer: "It’s an “arm blaster.”"
“A textured wooden ball with a handheld holder”
Answer: "A massage ball with a cup holder"
“What are those 2 circle things on the dash of my ’05 Toyota Prius?”
Answer: "They’re light sensors and water detectors for headlights and wipers."
“What is this credit card-sized packet of liquid with a ’coin’ inside?”
Answer: "It’s a heating pad! Snap the little coin the other way and the insides should solidify and create heat. Boil it to reset."
“I know this is a chair, but what are the rods in the arms for? They go in and out and are made of metal.”
Answer: "I have encountered these in some older homes in my area. They hold a tray that can be used to do anything you can really do on a flat surface."
“A heavy metal device that has instructions to set on the stove — the handle of the roller appears to have ’1880′ on it.”
Answer: "It’s a crimping/fluting iron."
“My girlfriend found these small doors in trees in Scotland near Loch Lomond. There are some coins scattered in front of the door. What are these for?”
Answer: "Those are called fairy doors (usually set into the base of a tree, behind which may be small spaces where people can leave notes, wishes, or gifts)."
“I picked it up at an auction. It’s currently used as a side table. But what is it actually? Shoe for scale.”
Answer: "It looks like a mid-century pedestal ashtray."
“What are these holes in the ground for? They are in the entryway to the Roman amphitheater in Pompeii.”
Answer: "It is absolutely for a fence to create a separate pathway for the workforce and, I would assume, people who get to pass by the crowds."
“The pumpkin thing opens on a hinge, with a latch inside with a small glass jar. A sharp pin is attached to the jar.”
Answer: "It might be a “vinaigrette,” a piece of jewelry containing smelling salts or perfume that women hung from a chatelaine chain in Victorian times."
“Found at Goodwill: the top part pushes down and springs back up when released. No markings anywhere on the item.”
Answer: "This is a drawer divider. The springy part collapses down to fit in different drawer widths."
“What is this white table with a removable insert?”
Answer: "We have those at early education centers. We store toys in the container, there should be a lid for it, and that’s used as a surface for the kids to play on."
“What sort of chair is this? Saw it at my doctor’s office.”
Answer: "They’re risers. They make it easier for some to sit and get up. They also make them for beds. It’s a way to make the chair higher without buying a new chair."
“What is this thing? My friend has this elastic band in the front pouch of his Adidas sweater.”
Answer: "You can invert the jacket into the pocket and carry it as a fanny pack."
“I work at a thrift store. Help me to find out what this thing is.”
Answer: "It’s a tablet stand, some come shaped like hands."
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Not at all. It really works to isolate the bicep muscles when doing curls.