I have always enjoyed the mystique surrounding antiques. There’s something enthralling about an object that has stood the test of time. It’s not just a product. It has a story. A personality. And if you’re also captivated by them, then look no further, for we bring you a subreddit that celebrates the wonders of bygone eras.
Welcome to r/WhatIsThisThing, a thriving community of 2.3 million internet detectives who gather to identify whatever things people submit to them.
Established in 2010, r/WhatIsThisThing has become a true gem on the platform, ranking in the top 1% based on its impressive size. From intricate Victorian-era trinkets to beautifully crafted Art Nouveau relics, let’s take a look at some of the gorgeous stuff it has seen.
#1 A Scissors Like Device I Bought Years Ago On Flee Market
#2 Landlord Found It In The Basement. Heavy Metal. Google Isn’t Responding Well To “Scary Wand” Or “Aggressive Pleasure Instrument”
#3 Metal And Glass Locket With Writing
#4 Friend Received This Passed Down From His Great Great Grandfather. It’s Believed To Be From Persia & About 2,000 Years Old
#5 Ok, I Know It’s A Chair, But What’s With The Extended Arms?
#6 Glass Bulb, Filled With Liquid, Metal Disk Floating Inside
#7 Found In A Creek Bed In Oak Hill, Texas. Has A Small Hole On Top Of The Head That Goes All The Way Through
#8 Found In My Backyard In East Nashville, Tn
#9 Help Identify What These Are And What They Were Used For? Passed Down By Family – UK
#10 Witt: Silver-Handled Vintage/Antique Clamp Of Some Kind. “Beak” Of Clamp Is Hollow – So Not Umbilical. Clamp Does Not Open Wide Because. US Quarter For Scale
#11 I Think Brass Man, Head Comes Off And Backpack Opens
#12 Found At A Used Book Store. All Parts Rotate And The Markings/Months Makes Me Think It Could Be For Mapping?
#13 Antique From The 1800’s, Have To Figure Out What It Is For A School Project
#14 I Found This Under The Floor Boards In A 1800’s Era House
#15 It’s Made Of Really Heavy Hardwood. Unsure Of The Age Unfortunately. Given By Family Friend. Thanks
#16 This Thing That My Friend Found In The Water
#17 Blue Glass Thing Found At Goodwill. About 5 Inches High With A Hole In Top
#18 For Context: It’s In A Dentists Office
#19 My Grandfather Told Us To Not Remove This When Renovating
#20 Found In A Garden. Metallic Object That Closes In On Itself
#21 Found Metal Detecting Outside Of An Old Church
#22 Found At Antique Festival Near Atlanta, Is 17″ By 5.5″
#23 Found At An Antique Market In Wisconsin USA. About 6″ Across The Top, The Hole Is About 3.5″. Tiny Spittoon?!
#24 What Is This Red Leather Devil Figure, Found In A Wooden Box In An Attic?
#25 Found In A Garden Back In 1959, Still Haven’t Been Able To Identify What It Is
#26 Driftwood With Metal Plaque Found On The Mississippi River Bank
#27 What Is This Thing? Hanging Over Sink In A House Built In The Late 1800s
#28 Found This In An Old Crumbled House, But I Have No Clue As To What It May Be! It’s From A Company Called « Rally »… Help Me On This Mission!!!
#29 Carved Piece Purchased From An Antique Shop In Poland. What Is It And What Could It Be Carved Out Of?
#30 Found These Glass Goggles In The Wall Of Our 100 Year Old Home
#31 My Grandpa Dug Up This Roman Cameo Looking Thing In His Garden In Northern Italy 12 Or So Years Ago, Any Idea What It Could Be? More Info In Comments
#32 A Fish Like Object Found In A River
#33 Found In The Woods Near The Water’s Edge At My Home In Maryland On The Chesapeake Bay, The Site Of A Shipyard From 1750-1800. The Property Has Documented History Back To 1650’s. It Has Raised Decorative Images On Both Sides And Is Made Of Metal. 1 Image Also Shows A 1906 Indian Head Penny For Scale
#34 I Was Given This. I Have No Idea What It Is. Metal Square Box
#35 Strange Object From Tiffany’s Mysteriously Given To My Wife By Her Grandmother While Refusing To Say What It Was. Probably Bought In The 1930s Or 1940s. About 10cm/4″ Long. All She’d Say Was “She Used It As A Young Woman But Didn’t Have Much Use For It Nowadays”. Any Ideas?
