Chantel Brink
Chantel Brink
December 30, 2023 ·  10 min read

People Ask For Help Identifying Weird Objects, And The Answers Are Surprising (And A Little Creepy)

If you know anything about Reddit, you will know that it’s a great platform to ask all sorts of questions. Whether advice about how to handle a scenario or general Q&A, Reddit users are more than happy to offer their experiences or knowledge to others. When asking about weird objects and what they could be, Redditers did not disappoint.

1. What do these stickers mean?

What do these stickers mean?
Image Credit: Master-Cartoonist-41 / Reddit

Answered by u/Astrobelter:

100% thieves monitoring who is home and not home.

Answered by u/divertss:

Every time you see them, remove them all. Warn the neighbors.

Answered by u/mseuro:

Leave a note above the mailboxes for the neighbors and whoever’s casing. They’ll move on.

Answered by u/IAmMarwood:

Came here to say this.

Warn all the neighbors then leave a big clear sign saying, “We have spotted tampering with the mailboxes and are monitoring the area” … Hopefully they’ll move on.

2. Weird object found next to someone’s car

Weird object found next to someone's car
Image Credit: kronicwaffle / Reddit

Answered by u/4Ever2Thee:

Yup, and it’s your lock pick now, the gift that keeps on taking.

3. Dodgy-looking figure spotted at a friend’s home

Dodgy-looking figure spotted at a friend's home
Image Credit: kbh188 / Reddit

Answered by u/MysteryFlavoredPie:

Here in my city in Mexico we have a tradition called “Procesión del Silencio” where people walk a specific route donning this kind of robes, sometimes in different colors. Sometimes white, sometimes black, sometimes purple or red. It refers to a march in silence to pay respect to the death of Jesus Christ, during semana santa (when he died according to the Bible).

I remember watching it and sometimes participating as a kid with my very Catholic grandmother and other family members, and it always was quite an eerie experience. Some years later, after learning about the [Klan] in the US, it felt weird to have people dressed like that walking around once a year lmao.

I believe it originally comes from a very similar tradition from Spain, which evolved over time as it came to Mexico and well the rest is history.

Answered by u/Dacookies:

Same in Colombia, during semana santa in one of the oldest towns they do the same procession during semana santa. It’s a huge deal because it becomes a family tradition, normally the ones participating inherit the spot on the procession and which religious image and what day they participate.

Answered by u/ryeguy36:

So it’s not racist? Everyone can sleep easy, right?

Answered by u/Micky_Whiskey:

No, not racist, it’s a religious thing. The [Klan] actually stole this wear from the Church.

4. Her boyfriend told her to never remove this weird disc from her keyring…

Her boyfriend told her to never remove this weird disc from her keyring...
Image Credit: mrcuriositynyc / Reddit

Answered by u/ZapallarPapudo:

Pebblebee.com is the product. Finder 2.0, is indeed a keychain/wallet finder.

Answered by u/Hattix:

Yep, it’s a tracker, but not in the way OP thinks. It’ll make a noise if activated via Bluetooth. Very short range, helps you find your keys/wallet.

Answered by u/MrCarnality:

That went swiftly from invasive to thoughtful.

5. Some sort of weird ammunition?

Some sort of weird ammunition?
Image Credit: Venhomous / Reddit

Answered by u/buttered_scone:

Do not handle suspected UXO under any circumstances.

Commented by OP u/Venhomous:

I agree, only [took] two pics so I could post and convince the person who own it to get rid of it in a proper way.

Answered by u/Gingerstachesupreme:

under any circumstances

You must have missed this part.

Answered by u/wings_of_wrath:

Artillery expert here.

What you have there is a projectile from the 35×228 mm Oerlikon Flab Kan 63/90 (Same gun that is on the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard).

From the fact it has an aluminium dummy fuze (the large cutouts make it obvious there is not enough space for the fuze mechanism) and it looked like it was painted bluish-grey, that makes it an “Übungsgranate” – a Target Practice shot. Be advised that doesn’t mean it’s inert, because even a TP shot can have active pyrotechnic devices like tracers and I can’t see the bottom of it.

My advice is, as always, call EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal, AKA the “bomb squad”) and they’ll sort it for you, because you don’t do demining over the internet.

Answered by u/InfiNorth:

Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer…”

German is a beautiful language.

6. What sort of weird objects go in there?

What sort of weird objects go in there?
Image Credit: Alternative-Age-8706 / Reddit

Answered by u/sporangeorange:

It’s for Hasidic Jews, they fill it with toilet paper squares because of the Shabbat.

Answered by u/Chop_til_you_Drop:

…Both tearing and “measured cutting” are forbidden on Shabbat. I had no idea, and Googled as well. Paper is ripped in advance and placed in the box. There is now also apparently a brand of toilet paper that comes in sheets, so that tearing is not required.

7. What in the thermos-looking hell is this weird object?

What in the thermos-looking hell is this weird object?
Image Credit: Interesting_Low4194 / Reddit

Additional information from OP u/Interesting_Low4194:

Found this in the Swiss Alps while hiking on a mountain. It was made of metal and had a dial on top, kind of like the one you find on a safe lock. Circa 1 ft long and approximately 1.5 lbs heavy. I’ve picked it up, [took] pictures, put it back down, and went on my way. Didn’t think much of it. WITT?

Answered by u/Baloncesto:

Wow, you picked it up? That’s risky. This looks a lot like UXO – a live artillery shell. I can’t identify it, and there’s no rifling band (unless it’s rusted away), but the dial on the top could be a fuse timer. Seems a little light for a shell, if it’s truly 1.5 lbs.

Don’t pick anything up that looks like this again.

8. Meth? Please don’t say that it’s meth!

Meth? Please don't say that it's meth!
Image Credit: Laurassia / Reddit

Answered by u/weedandsteak:

Considering the fact that your grandad was an old farmer in Switzerland, it is very unlikely that he was a meth or crack head. These are not only drugs that would not be readily available to such a rural man, but if he was consuming them, you would have noticed. Crack and meth are very intense.

…It is likely a nasal douche.

Answered by u/zibabla:

Yes, [as] someone [who’s] had experience in my past, this is absolutely not anything drug-related. No residues or anything, it’s just dirty.

It is a nasal douche. Probably just an old one they had during a period of bad nasal activity that they put up after use bc why throw it out.

Read: 40 Photos That Only “The People of Walmart” Can Pull Off

9. Science experiment or just food that has gone bad?

Science experiment or just food that has gone bad?
Image Credit: lightning_lighting / Reddit

Answered by u/Platform40:

If there is vinegar in that hot sauce, it may be a mother of vinegar.

Answered by u/C4PTNK0R34:

Might be some form of Mycoderma Aceti from the vinegar in the sauce or SCOBY from an improper seal.

Answered by u/minkymy:

This is either what someone in the comments called a mother of vinegar or a SCOBY.

10. A massive weird metal object

A massive weird metal object
Image Credit: cGarrz / Reddit

Answered by u/kliff0rd:

This is not an anchor link, it’s something much more interesting, much older, and much rarer. I’m 100% certain it’s a mast cap from a small sailing ship of some kind. The stepped masts of tall ships are built in sections to get the height they needed, because one big single piece of timber would be difficult to work with, not to mention you don’t get fir trees tall enough for the largest ships.

What you found is the mast cap in this image, which along with the crosstrees below them secured a section of mast to the section below it. (The one in the drawing is an older one carved from a single piece of oak, yours is later and most likely cast iron or cast steel.) This is how the topmast was joined to the lower mast, the topgallant mast to the topmast, and the royal mast (if there was one) to the topgallant mast. 

The top of the lower mast would be square, and the bottom of the next section would be round. This allowed it to be located by the crosstrees and mast cap to prevent the mast rotating in place. That’s why one side is a large circle and the other side is a smaller square. The filleted edges on the front of the square side date this pretty late as tall ships go, probably from the early 1900s.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I’ll do my best to explain anything else about it or tall ships. Please don’t scrap it, it’s a pretty interesting and rare item these days.

11. OP is living alone and found these weird objects in their bathroom

OP is living alone, and found these weird objects in their bathroom
Image Credit: HealerStandBestStand / Reddit

Answered by u/mrsbostic:

Is your bathroom on the ground floor? Was your window open? Maybe somebody was getting rid of evidence before the police got to them.

Response from OP u/HealerStandBestStand:

My window in my bathroom was open, now that I think of it. It was put in my sink. Oh Jesus…

12. Some sort of typewriter?

Some sort of typewriter?
IMage Credit: midnightfeline / Reddit

Answered by u/An-Old-Fart:

It looks like a keyboard panel from a tabletop jukebox selector.

13. Mysterious thrift store discovery

Mysterious thrift store discovery
Image Credit: masterlater / Reddit

Answered by u/UnitatoBia:

His name was Yano, the storyteller.

Answered by u/funkboxing:

Looks like Teddy Ruxpin going through a psychedelic phase.

14. Rather odd-looking license plate or a get-out-of-jail-free card?

Rather odd-looking license plate or a get-out-of-jail-free card?
Image Credit: ImObviouslyOblivious / Reddit

From Redditor u/ledasmom:

I suspect you have found a Sovereign Citizen in the wild. The references to a trust and to common law suggest something of the sort.

From Redditor u/1NegativePerson:

The car doesn’t have a license plate. Every state in the US requires a vehicle to be registered and to have license plates. The license plates are issued by the state, and paid for by an individual (usually annually recurring) tax. Those taxes go toward things like paving roads, plowing and salting streets in the winter, emergency response, etc. License plates cost $100-$400 dollars a year, depending mostly on what state you’re in, but also what type of vehicle you drive. Big vehicles cause more wear and tear on the roads, so typically plates for them are more expensive.

This individual falsely believes that they have found some sort of loophole in the US Constitution, or the Federalist Papers, or even (I sh*t you not) the Declaration of Independence, which makes them immune from paying either this particular tax, or maybe even all taxes.

They think by declaring this using the proper incantations and magical phrases, that they somehow indemnify themselves from the cops, ya know, pulling them over, issuing a citation, and towing their vehicle… for driving an unregistered vehicle, which is against the law, no matter what magic phrases you paste on it.

15. Weird object indeed. Is it a skull?

Weird object indeed. Is it a skull?
Image Credit: u/JayP993 Reddit

Additional information from the OP u/JayP993:

This was found at an abandoned mine site in South Africa. Found it just lying uncovered in a small ditch. No other “parts” found near it. The texture of the skull is leather-like. The object is already well decayed. Much larger than a human skull. Coal mine, out of mining for almost 26 years.

Answered by u/ClockworkDick:

I think it’s some kind of turtle shell. I don’t know all about turtle anatomy, but there’s a spine sticking out where you think the nose is.

16. Forbidden snack

Forbidden snack
Image Credit: isleptitaway / Reddit

Note from the OP:

My title describes the thing. I’ve googled many variations of “small green brick.” I thought it might be a dog treat, but it has no discernible smell.

Answered by u/Woohoo451:

That looks like rat/rodent poison. Definitely not a dog treat.

Answered by u/Mackin-N-Cheese:

It’s a brick of rat/rodent poison.

17. Weird punch card?

Weird punch card?
Image Credit: ortolon / Reddit

Answered by u/Effective_Present763:

It means “Holy mackerel, look at that a** on that tomato.” Really.

Answered by u/Disneyhorse:

You are correct. I had a coworker decades ago with that card. Old guy humor, I guess.

Sometimes, weird things can have very normal uses, other times, we’re left wondering how the heck we even came across them in the first place. What sort of weird objects have you come across? Have they ever ended up being something really strange and brag-worthy?

Sources

  1. People Ask For Help Identifying Weird Objects, And The Answers Are Surprising (And A Little Creepy).” Ranker. Erin Maxwell.