“When The Lid Is Opened On This Victorian Gold Charm, A Little Demon With Sparkling Rhinestone Eyes Pops Out. These (Frankly Adorable) Devil Totems Were Worn As Symbols Of Temperance — A Reminder To Resist The Sinful Temptation Of Drinking Alcohol”

“These Are A Very Rare Set Of 16th Century Italian Notation Knives. Each Side Has Musical Notes And Lyrics Engraved On The Steel Blade, Which Are Meant To Be Sung As Grace Before And After A Meal”

“A Woman Of Many Disguises! This Is An Example Of An Unusual Fad From The Mid-1600s: Miniature Oil Portraits That Came With Clear Slices Of Mica Painted With Different Costumes”

“Black Cat Paper Fan Made In Germany In The 1920s. I Know This Was Intended As A Novelty Halloween Accessory, But I Can Think Of At Least Six Of My Regular Outfits That Would Go Perfectly With A Pissed-Off Cat”

“Gilt-Bronze Bat Chandelier Made Around 1910 By Swedish Lamp Company Böhlmarks. My Favourite Detail Is The Pendant Lights That Are Enclosed By Little Furled Bats Hanging Upside Down”

“About 4500 Years Ago, Ancient Egyptian Parents Put This Homemade Ball In Their Child’s Grave As A Toy For The Kid To Play With In The Afterlife”

“Gold Spider Earrings, 300 Bc To 100 Bc, From The Bactrian Region In Modern Day Afghanistan”

“Don’t Fear The Reaper, But Do Fear Poor Oral Hygiene.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Fancy Memento Mori Toothpick, In The Shape Of A Skull With An Arm Holding A Sickle”

“An Antique Bear Automaton Whose Fur Was Destroyed By An Infestation Of Moths”

“The Shoe That Marie Antoinette Lost When She Tripped Going Up The Steps To The Guillotine On The Morning Of Her Execution, 16 October 1793”

“Morgue Chocolates, Made From Molds Of Wounds Found On Bodies In A New York Morgue”

“Ghoulish Gold Earrings Depicting The Severed Heads Of Marie Antoinette And King Louis Xvi Were Sold As Souvenirs During Their Execution By Guillotine In 1793”

“Silvered Glass Bottle Said To Contain The Spirit Of A Witch Inside. It Was Collected In 1915 From An Old Lady Living Near Hove, Sussex, Who Sternly Warned That If You Opened The Wax Seal There Would Be A “Peck O’trouble””

“A 15th Century Painting Of St Bartholomew Wearing His Own Flayed Skin As A Robe After Being Skinned Alive And Honestly He Is Totally Pulling Off The Look”

“Shoe Doll That Belonged To A Child In The Slums Of London In The Early 20th Century. It Is Handmade From Fabric Scraps And The Heel Of A Man’s Delapidated Shoe, With Hair Made From An Old Black Sock”

“A Tiny Devil Vitrified In A Prism Of Glass. In The 18th Century, The Imperial Treasury Of Vienna Attested That This Was A Real Demon Which Had Been Trapped In Glass During An Exorcism In Germany A Century Earlier”

“A Posthumous Portrait Of A Child Holding A Lizard, Which Sheds Its Skin And Regrows Its Tail — A Symbol Of Resurrection, Rebirth Or Regeneration”

“Screaming Baby Dolls Made From Bisque Porcelain By German Dollmaker Kestner Around 1920. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This Doll Gives Me Such A Visceral Stress Response. Honestly, I Don’t Understand Who Would Ever Want Such A Thing Unless It Shoots Birth Control Pills Out Of Its Mouth At You Like A Pez Dispenser”

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“I found this in the trash. Any ideas?”

Answer: “It’s a laser-cut ’perpetual’ calendar.”

“Found this piece of glass that changes colors depending on how you look at it. Where could this have come from?”

Answer: “It’s a dichroic glass filter used for color correction in photographic printers.”

“What is this small brass container on a stick (that opens)? It says Windsor Castle on it and it’s about palm-sized.”

Answer: “It’s a miniature bed warmer.”

“It’s a little bigger than an AA battery and weighs about the same. It has a tiny pinhole on the top and a combination of numbers 5 to 9.”

Answer: “It’s a needle case with little compartments inside. The top doesn’t come off — the numbers indicate the size of the needles, which you take in and out through the little hole.”

“Found four of these capsules filled with what appears to be metal shavings?”

Answer: “It’s a pill for ruminant animals. It helps kill parasites, the big one being barber pole worms.”

“What is this tiny saucepan thing my husband inherited? It has a removable thing with holes around the edges.”

Answer: “It’s a single egg poacher. You put water in the bottom and an egg on top. It essentially poaches the egg.”

“What is this silver tweezy thing with triangle notches?”

Answer: “For holding paper/documents together.”

“The previous owner of the house left it in the garage. It’s a curved wooden slatted thing that pivots in the middle.”

Answer: “You’ll see 2 slots in the steel bar on the bottom — a length of wire goes in there to hold it open at the right width, then a glass panel rests on the top to form the tabletop.”

“Found in a library/art exchange. Appears to be a decorative copper dustpan.”

Answer: “For sweeping up crumbs off a table. Some call that style a ’silent butler.’”

“Wooden box found at a thrift store. The area behind each keyhole is drilled out, but they don’t connect behind the metal plate.”

Answer: “This is apparently a manual dexterity evaluation test used in neuropsych to evaluate fine motor skills. The random keyholes are intentional to require different approaches to inserting the key and rotating it. There would have been 25 little metal keys stored in the wooden bowl part of the thing.”

“Is this a kitchen item?”

Answer: “It’s a pen holder for your desk and was probably sold at a cheap goods shop in Japan.”

“What’s this unusual small silver box with a wing on a chain inside?”

Answer: “It’s a purse hook. You hang it off of the table so your purse doesn’t touch the floor. The company that made this one is called Arbon and it’s from mid-century.”

“This building was found in a country estate in Scotland. It’s about the size of a large shed and has small slits and platforms on the outside.”

Answer: “It’s a ’Slovenian beehouse.’ It allows for multiple complete hives where the bees live, which I suppose is less like a hotel and more like condominiums.”

“What is this ring my Uber driver would randomly click?”

Answer: “It’s a digital counter used to keep track of prayers.”

“What is this thing? Chalk-like consistency, clear unmarked tube, tastes like lime. Banana for scale.”

Answer: “Styptic stick. Stops a bleeder if you knick yourself shaving.”

“A ceramic ‘jar’ that I found behind the couch of a furnished rental I’m staying in this weekend.”

Answer: “It’s an old ceramic hot water bottle. If the seal is still good, it will hold a full standard kettle worth of water. Stick it on the floor with a blanket tucked around it and around your feet, and it’s the best feeling.”

“I was helping my boss move desks and I found this thing. No screens, markings, or ports, just the switch on the side. It vibrates when switched on. My coworker and I are at a loss.”

Answer: “This drops into a soft side neck or back massager. Turn it on, drop into fabric holder, and place the holder around the neck.”

“I found this black, comb-like plastic thing in my car. It’s just over an inch long. I have no idea where it comes from, or what it is.”

Answer: “It’s a surfboard wax comb. It usually comes attached to the inside back pocket of board shorts on a little tether.”

“I just noticed this strange X shaped thing on my roof. I have no idea what it’s made of. It has some sort of a hinge or a clasp in the middle. Any ideas?”

Answer: “It’s a part of someone’s rooftop antenna. It’s likely that it blew off from somewhere during a storm.”

“I came across this linen bag full of small wooden ovals printed with images of different animals and a compass.”

Answer: “They’re runes. I know with tarot or divination cards, there are many “non-traditional” divination cards that have a similar process to tarot. They’ll be angel cards, or mermaid cards etc., and they have their own unique methodology outside a common comparative like tarot. They are sold in a paper and plastic case with a window to show the runes and a booklet telling the “meaning”. They’re really common in chain bookstores or new age stores.

“I found this at my local thrift store. It is plastic. When closed, it is 15 inches tall. When fully open, the ‘claw’ has a space of 11 inches.”

Answer: “It’s a kitchen utensil: turkey or roast lifter.”

“This angry faced plastic lady I found is about the height and width of a pop can. It is able to come apart in three pieces. What is it?”

Answer: “This is an “Angry Mama”. It is used for cleaning microwaves. Take her hair off and fill the first line with vinegar, then water. She’s microwaved for a few minutes, and the steam that is released through her head holes help loosen dried on crud inside of the microwave.”

“This thing I found is made of leather and it’s about 15 inches in length. Any ideas?”

Answer: “It’s just a decorative tassel from a purse.”

“I was clearing out things today, and I found this. Not sure what it is. Wondering if anyone can help me out.”

Answer: “It’s the sticky thing in a mortar and pestle.”

“I found this small sterling silver ring. It is attached to a hammered bowl.”

Answer: “It’s a caretaker’s feeding spoon. It looks a bit large for a baby, but would be a good size for helping feed an elderly or bedridden person.”

“I found this rigid pink tube at my Airbnb. It displays 3 holes on the bottom. It has some kind of a whitish residue. It’s mostly cylindrical, but has a flat side with numbers to measure something.”

Answer: “The tube comes with another part so that you can suction-mount it to the side of your bathtub, and you’ll have a bath toy for your kid. There’s also a ring that comes with the set, and it fits under the flared edge of the tube so that your kid can poor water in with a cup. The latter also comes with the set.

The numbers measure nothing, they are just here, so the kid can practice counting. The hole in the bottom allows water to drain out back into the bathtub.”

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