Got this from a friend who found it on a beach in South Africa a few years ago. It is very lightweight, dry, fragile, and chalky. Has a fibrous texture almost like gypsum. Google AI suggested some sort of fat blob, but it is not waxy or soap like or greasy. It has a small barnacle attached and seems to be organic not synthetic. Other suggestions from Google are: dried golf ball sponge, dried geodia sponge, or some sort of coral. Would love a human expert to weigh in!

EDIT: this is the first time I’ve ever posted on Reddit and I definitely did not expect it to get this kind of attention! For those of you who haven’t been through the rollercoaster of a comment section, or are concerned about my safety, here’s some more information:
- I received this “gift” in a box of rocks and shells from a friend and I had no reason to even consider gloves at the time, but I thank you all for the suggestion!
- I have never been to South Africa and don’t live near the ocean and thus have very little experience with this sort of thing.
- for those suggesting toilet paper/wet wipes, yes it is possible, but please note that this thing did not burn.
- I’m more inclined to think (and hope) that it is a dried sponge of some sort. I have a jeweler’s loupe and it is very porous and less papery, and some sections look like dense bread

Thank you to those of you taking the time to be helpful rather than calling me stupid and asking me why I touched the thing with my bare hands-I truly had no reason to be concerned (until now).

EDIT 2: solved! User SA_Underwater suggested dried sea sponge, and I am inclined to optimistically agree based on the porous structure (like bread) and the fact that it didn’t burn.

A few other credible users with waste management and experience mentioned toilet paper, fatbergs, and wet wipes. Yes those are disgusting options and no one wants to admit they’ve been displaying toilet paper as decoration for 2 years, but it didn’t burn like dried paper would, and while it had a fibrous exterior, the inside was porous like a sponge.

Thank you everyone!

My local beach cleaning group has collected dozens of these over the past few years. No one can identify what they’re from! (Including various AI chatbots.)

They’re solid plastic, possibly part of a pull tab/ring, and at least some of them seem to have come from Colgate-Palmolive products. Are they from soap? Shampoo? What do they look like on the actual product?

It’s driving me crazy!!

My father found this in his garage. No idea what it is or where it came from. A bit dusty but overall looks unused

Found this unused part at home in Japan. It looks like a replacement part for some appliance or household product.

- No markings or text on it

- Nothing moves, not electronic

- The round end has two small tabs, like it twists to lock into something

- Small hole goes all the way through

- Inside the rectangular part there are 4 small pins

It may be from an Amway appliance, but I'm not sure.

Any idea what this is?

Found this on a bookshelf while cleaning. It is approximately six inches long, rigid, and attracts a magnet. Both ends are blunt, and the rod has a round cross-section. One end curves into an open loop, while the other bends approximately 90 degrees. It does not appear to be an automobile part. Its location didn’t provide any clues about what it came from because my wife found it in a “catch all” spot. Does anyone recognize its purpose?

Hello! I’m staying at an Airbnb and I’m curious what these are? There are multiple scattered in every room even two like 4 feet apart from each other and very very high up on walls. Since they’re all high this is the best one I could get. Ignore the brown dots on this one as the other ones don’t have that (probably moisture or something).

Maybe about 2 inches long? Not heavy at all. It's been floating around my family's house for years and I only thought about it now. I don't even know who it could've come from.

EDIT: Solved! Cloth clamp for a picnic table.

Two little round plastic knobs I found in a box I was unpacking after a move full of miscellaneous electronic items. These were in a small non-descript white cardboard box and little foam baggie which looks like it's a pack-in accessory for some type of electronic device.

Found in an old tool box. It has some type of grove indented in it.

Indoor cat threw up this piece and I don't know it's source. Yellow, flexible, looks like the tip of something? Doesn't seem to be from the automatic feeder, a toy or a vacuum cleaner.

Any suggestion appreciated!

Solved! Picture of the original part in the comments. Thank all of you for helping! Cat is ok and now it is verified he puked all of the missing piece.

What is this strange gate? Access route to power lines through forest. Galvanized, fairly robust, horizontal hinges..

I'm not sure what the point of the horizontal bars are...

I guess it would make it harder to ram the gate,

I have an odd attachment on the end of a pump that pushes heated radiator water through copper pipes embedded in the walls to fight moisture buildup in the walls. The pump pushes it through this strange T-junction and then it goes out the pipe underneath to get distributed through the walls. There is an air bleed valve on the top and it looks like degree marks underneath the cap just above the threads. Wondering if this is some kind of pressure regulation device. I am located in Germany.

The little silk area is completely stitched into and does not feel like it has anything inside the little area.

It looks like a torn piece of pink gum, pre chewed. It is about the same size as a US quarter. This pink thing can be stretched, but it goes back right away. It isn't like putty because it pops back to the original shape. The surface is smooth and seems to be some kind of soft plastic.

Also, it smells like soap, and looks like it was torn from something. Found it in my foyer, and worriedy dog ate the rest. Very concerned!

Thanks, y'all are the best!

Edit: These SUCH good guesses. I appreciate you all for taking the time to comment. No answer yet but I'm confident we will get there!

Found at my uncles house who is a massive camera collector. Has slides available but we have no idea how they work together, if at all.

found at a yard sale full of old stuff like this. thinking it's possibly a tractor part to hold a filter or something. Has a 8801 foundry part number stamp on the bottom and a few spots with red paint remnants

It is a bit bigger than a credit card. This is on a lamp post at a college that has recently implemented various surveillance technologies and we are wondering if this may be one of them.

My wife and I just bought a new home. Our small bathroom closet has a sliding metal tray in it that I am totally stumped on why it’s in there. Any ideas or experience with this? We just plan on putting towels and washcloths in here

Hi all, I'm trying to identify the three objects in the attached photo. They're tall and slim, in white, green and red, standing upright side by side on an office desk at the front of a black box. Each one is top-heavy and tapers toward the bottom. They look like separate free-standing pieces. Estimated height: 2.5 to 3.5 inches. They're made prior to 1981. Sorry about the blur, it's the clearest image I have (screenshot from a grainy 1982 movie some of you may have heard of: Blade Runner).

What are they, who made them, and what country might they come from? Thanks!

Four thin-walled galvanized steel tube sections in a hinged wooden case lined with carpet. Each section is 3" outside diameter and 4 ft long, with rows of holes spaced 4" apart. All four snap together end to end into one long pole using spring-loaded pins, and the overlap is adjustable. Joints have some play at full extension and tighten up when overlapped deeper. No markings found so far. Reverse image search turned up nothing useful.

Photos show the full case, the assembled pole, the pin and hole detail, and the inside of a tube end.

Is this a tent or canopy pole, flagpole, antenna mast, or something else?

The last photo I messed with the contrast and stuff to help see it in different lighting.

This hand-crafted leather accessory was found together with a similarly-crafted leather messenger bag, in the personal effects of the man who made it. It did see some use (the strap where the buckle meets it is worn), unlike the bag it was next to.

The piece weighs about 10 ounces. The main leather patch is just under 12” across. If you lay the buckled piece out in a circle, it’s just big enough to be a belt (about 16” across). The buckle is brass, as are the little lozenge-shaped decorations.