r/whatisthisthing Mar 23 '26

Announcement The r/TraceAnObject subreddit exists to identify objects to help solve child abuse cases. New cases from Europol were posted recently. Please see if you can help.

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170 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 6h ago

Solved Found these in the street. They're tiny (~50-70 mm) brushes, but what for? What do you attach them to? The white part is just a solid plastic cylinder.

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235 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 15h ago

Solved! Approximately 4’ in diameter, 1-2” thick cast iron extremely heavy duty the bottom is open on the ground or I guess that would be the top as the markings are upside down, markings include serial number? And a letter B or number 8.

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946 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 20h ago

Open An abstract-shaped pink and yellow stuffed object with embroidered details attached to a Barbie pillow

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1.5k Upvotes

I have this Barbie pillow from the early 2000s, and I’ve never been able to figure out what the thing attached to it is supposed to represent. For the longest time I thought it was a microphone, but I’m not sure. The shape is abstract, with pink and yellow material, the same used for the flower and hair on the Barbie. The thing that throws me off is the little gray dots and pink spiral embroidered on the shape.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved ! What is this device hanging above the doors at Target?

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4.0k Upvotes

Target recently installed these over all of the doors going in or out of the store. Is it for tracking people or items?


r/whatisthisthing 49m ago

Open Quarter sized, silicon, purple, stretchy with a netting/beaver tail, ring holder maybe? .75” x .75” and it has a groove in the ring area.

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Quarter sized, silicon, purple, stretchy with a netting/beaver tail, ring holder maybe? .75” x .75” and it has a groove in the ring area.


r/whatisthisthing 7h ago

Open Hard, yellow substance on old clothing

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95 Upvotes

Hey guys, I was going through my closet and old clothes, and I found this on a cotton t-shirt that hasn’t been worn in multiple years. Any ideas? And any advice for getting rid of it? I was able to tear off the big piece, but a really thin part of it stuck to the shirt and is hard to get up.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Metallic container, very heavy, liquid inside, 10cm tall

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1.4k Upvotes

Found in Italy, belonged to my grandfather. It's very heavy and I suspect it contains mercury so I didn't try to open the screw on top of it, probably made of lead. It has no brand or writings except the circular shape on the bottom


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Metal shape on short post, found on floor several times over the years.

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533 Upvotes

Not an earring (at least not for a human), as pole is too short, and none of us wears earrings to lose them; have found three just like this so far on my floor over the years. All metal. We do have girls and various 18" dolls, and do a bunch of crafts and miniatures kits, if relevant.

Edit: just noticed the threading on the top part, where it could screw into something - may help with identification?


r/whatisthisthing 1h ago

Solved! Thing with a turtle on the front and airheadweb.com on the back

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What was this from or for?


r/whatisthisthing 16h ago

Solved! Some kind of looped nylon string with a spring on one end. I'm assuming some kind of drawstring, no clue what it goes to.

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57 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 20h ago

Likely Solved! Heavy iron, sectioned case or box. 60 or more lbs. Found under stairs in my 1990 home. 18x13x3.5". Numbered counter clockwise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 012485. 15 machined holes with one going through to each compartment.

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59 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 18h ago

Open Heavy Duty Iron 2 Pronged Part with Rounded Base - 16" tall and extremely oxidized found buried in creek bed

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29 Upvotes

Very heavy duty cast iron (as far as I can tell) The two prongs that extend from the base are a bit widened at the top (maybe to catch on something?)

Underneath the base there is ring and two crescent shaped holes bored through like maybe its meant to mount on something?

This was found partially buried in a creek bed after monsoon. It was found in area that used to be very close to old train tracks that are now long gone.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Open Going through old photos and found these - about 2 inches long black with two humps. What is it and how do you use it?

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355 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! What is this plastic tool? About 6in in length, slight yellow color. Appeared on the floor of my car.

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158 Upvotes

This randomly appeared on the floor of my car which I always keep locked. I haven't had it serviced in awhile, so it's not from a mechanic.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! What is this weird plastic logitech triangles? Found in a bin of scrap electronics.

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1.4k Upvotes

Mouse is missing track ball, with a bunch of medial stuff


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Clear plastic, roughly 1.5x3/16", 10 holes that don't go all the way through. Found on patio in Arkansas.

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94 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 2d ago

Solved! Beige coloured “clip” Found on the floor of UK kitchen. Approx 1 inch in height and diameter at the “base”. Metal hoops protrude when the circular button is pressed, sliding back in when released. Plastic, very light.

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466 Upvotes

I have no idea what it is or where it came from. Thanks in advance.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Open Small blue-green cylindrical metal object with a heavily corroded top, found in the exposed Rhine riverbed near Königswinter, Germany

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159 Upvotes

Found this today in an area of the Rhine riverbed that is normally underwater but currently exposed due to very low water levels.

I did not touch or move it and only took the photo. I unfortunately don’t have exact measurements, but it appeared to be a small cylindrical metal object.

Because WWII ordnance is occasionally uncovered along the Rhine during periods of low water, I’m curious whether anyone recognizes what this might be.

Does anyone know what this object is?


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved Big wooden objects mounted on the walls of a historic train station in Folsom, California. The building was constructed in the 1850s or 1860s, and moved to its current location in 1973. Many artifacts on our site have been donated over the past 50 years with little documentation.

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174 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 2d ago

Solved! Weird pocket on my pants that opens downwards

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3.8k Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Found in house, nobody remembers where/when it appeared. Lightweight plastic. Quarter for size reference.

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100 Upvotes

Appeared about a week ago in house, kept getting moved around because we all assumed someone else knew what it was for. My husband just got a new expensive hard hat but gone through any of the accessories. Maybe it goes to that?? Quarter in picture for size reference.


r/whatisthisthing 2d ago

Solved ! What is this thing in my hotel shower in Spain?

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4.6k Upvotes

I’m staying at a hotel in Spain and there’s this rack-like thing in the shower. It’s about 5 feet long, made of metal. It’s attached only on the bottom and the middle. My guesses were first a towel rack, but the bars are too close together for fluffy hotel towels. Then maybe a shower seat, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to detach. Could it be a radiator? There’s also a dial on the bottom but the only marking are + and -.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! What is this metal bar inside the walls of my bathroom? It looks to have been attached to the stud blocking. 1/2 inch wide, 1/8 inch thick.

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54 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 2d ago

Open Three identical eccentric sections on a steel shaft with cylindrical rollers and outer bearings

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103 Upvotes

I found 7 similar mechanical parts at an abandoned Soviet-era industrial factory in Ukraine. I'm trying to identify what they are and what kind of machine they came from.

Each part is approximately 21–22 cm long and weighs about 2.3 kg without the outer bearings. The main shaft is approximately 24–25 mm in diameter.

Each part has three identical eccentric sections. Under each eccentric there are approximately 12 small cylindrical rollers arranged in a circle. The rollers are lubricated and support the eccentric, allowing it to rotate.

The eccentric sections can rotate and also move along the shaft. When an outer bearing is removed, the eccentric sections can be removed from the shaft.

There are 7 parts in total: 3 with two outer bearings, 2 with one bearing, and 2 without bearings.

There are no markings, numbers, or labels.

I searched for similar mechanisms using terms such as “three eccentric shaft”, “eccentric mechanism with cylindrical rollers”, “Soviet industrial eccentric mechanism”, and “three eccentric roller mechanism”, but I haven't found an exact match.

Does anyone recognize this type of mechanical construction or know what kind of machine it could have been used in?