’’I found 25 of these things individually wrapped in men’s briefs and socks.’’
Answer: "They are fire hose caps."
’’My mother says this cast iron thing is for pouring oil, but my grandmother says she’s wrong and can’t remember what it’s for. Help?’’
Answer: "It looks sort of similar to the type of thing used to melt down lead to cast new bullets."
’’What is this pair of scissors I bought years ago on flee market?’’
Answer: "It’s a vintage umbilical clamp. That’s why it’s shaped like a stork! Eventually this style did evolve into several types of embroidery scissors that the midwives would use while awaiting labor."
’’What’s this brass or copper like thing in bathroom door handle?’’
Answer: "The copper kills bacteria and germs."
’’I found this wooden device. It’s maybe for stretching something or measuring?’’
Answer: "It’s a hat stretcher."
’’I found this in a random box of kitchen supplies. Is this just for carving meat or some other food?’’
Answer: "It’s to slice bread."
’’It is made of clay/terra cotta, can fit inside a palm. It came with something I bought but can’t remember what. What is it used for?’’
Answer: "You put it on with your brown sugar to keep it from clumping or drying out in storage."
’’Metal, plastic, and canvas-looking fabric clips. They are a few inches long, what are they?’’
Answer: "They look a bit like the things attached to a garter belt to hold up stockings."
’’My kids got these for Halloween. They are thin plastic, what are they?’’
Answer 1: "They are stencils, popular in the 90s. Got a bunch as a kid!"
Answer 2: "Yep, this is it, the raised lines are so that when you put a piece of paper over it and rub a crayon over it the raised lines show up darker for detail."
’’What are these blue reflecting markers for? They are mounted on a pole, facing the field.’’
Answer: "They are reflecting the headlights of cars to the fields, so that deer avoids crossing the road. So, it’s for safety of cars and animals."
’’What’s this odd-looking glass I found while walking on the beach in Hawaii?’’
Comment: "Oh, no! Tell me you didn’t throw it back, please. If it is an older float, it is worth a pretty penny."
“Red waxy substance found in/around the keyhole of the lock on my front door.”
Answer: "Turns out it was a family member’s lipstick that got on the key while it was in their purse."
Answer 2: "So this happened one time when I was flipping houses for a dude. Went to unlock the door and noticed something covering the lock that looked like white lipstick. I looked around, and the other houses had it too. I called crime check, and they said it had been used as a method by squatters/burglars to see who on the block is using their key or even if there might be empty homes. Like how people sometimes go door to door pretending to sell solar panels, window replacements, or landscaping services, so they can see who answers in the middle of the day."
“My many-years-old rain jacket has a smooth, somewhat flexible, seemingly plastic object sewn into the upper arm of the right sleeve only. What is it?”
Answer: "Radar reflector for avalanche rescue purposes."
“Metal shards inside the shower head of the place I’m renting? What are these and why are they in there?”
Answer: "Surely they are solder from copper plumbing. If you overheat the pipes while soldering, long strands like this can form on the inside. Definitely a sign of improper soldering, if that’s what they are."
“Double-bowl sink with a hole connecting them, tap does not reach the second bowl. All three sinks in this bathroom in a public space had one of these. What is it used for?”
Answer: "It is for schools, you can put a sponge there."
“I bought this dish in a thrift store thinking it might be good for tacos. It wasn’t ideal. What’s it’s actual purpose?”
Answer: "Looks like a toast rack to me."
“Found a several glass tubes filled with some brown gas in a school science lab.”
Answer: "Very carefully put them down. Most likely, these contain Bromine. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but you sure don’t want a lung full of it if you break the glass tube."
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I have one that has been in use for over 80 years, there is nothing missing on it.
Driveway marker