Barnorama All Fun In The Barn
“What type of boat is this? Spotted in Reykjavík.”
A: “It looks like “Sailing Yacht A” – a mega yacht, one of which is owned by Russian oligarch billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.”
“This is a Waterford crystal piece we found in the attic. It’s from the 70s or 80s what is it for?”
A: “It’s a crystal dome-shaped paperweight.”
“My house (built in the mid 70’s) has one of these in almost every room. Same size as a switch plate, with copper wire strung to the eleven sockets.”
A: “The three prong ones were for TV and FM antennas, and the center one was for an antenna rotator, to get better reception.”
“Banana sized and shaped old Tool(?) Found in old barn in Sweden. Wooden handle with rusty metal tip.”
A: “A seed dibber”
“My father found and bought this at a garage sale last week. It’s cool to the touch, and the little doors/flaps make a clinking sound, so I’m guessing it’s carved stone. Heavy, so probably solid. My best guess is it’s a religious relic, since I don’t see another use for it.”
A: “It’s part of an Ethiopian Nativity”
“This little plastic basket/holder inside the far corner of a trolley. The rivets suggests it’s for something oddly specific. Asked the supermarket staff, they had no idea.”
A: “It’s a Bitz Box“
“Small red plastic piece. No markings. 2 bolts held on one side and 2 washers with one flat side.”
A: “Spare battery washers and screws for the terminal posts. Useful if you frequently pull batteries out of a motorcycle and undo all the terminals to do so for winterizing or storage.”
“What is this? It’s a small cylindrical object that has one rounded end that is screwed into the main base, when unscrewed inside is a spring like coil wrapped in a cotton or fabric padding, the other end becomes narrower with one flat side that has a groove in the middle and threading inside the end”
A: “It’s a permanent match that is missing the actual match.”
“Small metal box; two lids flip up but more metal underneath. Could not fund a way to access the tiny space under the metal. WITT? Found in a leather pouch that also had a mirror. From an estate sale of a man in his 80s in Nevada, US.”
A: “It’s an ink stamp. Fold it up and pull it out to see the stamp.”
“Found this in a random box of kitchen supplies. Is this just for carving meat or some other food?”
A: “It’s to slice bread.”
“I found this weird concrete obelisk while walking in the woods near Marple Uk, no discernible markings on it to help me figure out what it is. Any ideas?”
A: “It’s a trig point”
“Old container made out of clay and coated in brass. It shows a image of church.”
A: “It’s a decanter of some sort. One way to find out what’s in it — open it up! If there is liquor inside there it doesn’t get better with age. In my experience these “collectible” decanters aren’t really very valuable. I found that out when I inherited a collectible Jack Daniel’s decanter with a tax stamp on it from 1964. I contacted the Jack Daniels distillery directly and they told me that the decanter itself probably only had a nominal value of $10-20, and the whiskey inside doesn’t age in the bottle or become more valuable. Only wine has the potential to get better with age after it is bottled.”
“Next to a camping site in S/W France near the beach. Seems to bring something up from the ground and collect it in a plastic bag.”
A: “It’s for waster water separation. It’s a rotary bar screen.”
“Found this at my university. It looks like it’s made of metal, is cylindrical, and has lots of tiny holes on its sides. I also previously saw these at an airport. What is this thing?”
A: “It is an air diffuser for the air conditioning system. They keep the conditioned air close to the ground where it is required”
“Black plastic tub with metal reinforcement and a spindle. About 4’ across. Seems like it ought to spin? Found in a trash pile. What is this thing?'”
A: “It’s a “Toy go round” cat exercise wheel.”
“Found at a yard sale in NOLA. Previous owner said they were from Germany. I have no other details.”
A: “They’re a special kind of stirrup”
“These husks maybe meant for smoking? Left behind at a house a bought by an East African man along with a bunch of BBQ supplies.”
A: “Hyphaene It can be chewed or boiled and then strained and drink. Should have a sweet taste.”
“What is this large electronic box? Found dumped, was in a rush so the pictures are a little bad.”
A: “It’s a PLC cabinet. PLC = Programmable Logic Controller.”
“Found this near some railroad tracks 45 years ago. The core is solid metal and visible on the top and bottom. The longitudinal section is a casing of a different metal.”
A: “It’s a plain bearing.”
“I found this tubular thing in my garden, it’s quite heavy, I was actually afraid to move it around because for some reason I thought it might be a pipe bomb or something, anyways, any help in finding out what this is would be appreciated.”
A: “It’s a sprinkler head”
“Small, triangular metal shovel/scoop attached perpendicularly to a wooden handle.”
A: “I believe that is for opening and/or reaming a hole in a barrel (like a wine barrel).”
“White box with sponge on wall?”
A: “It’s likely a vent and part of an HVAC system. The sponge would act as an air filter.”
“A full tub with a deep front half… What is it?”
A: “It’s a hip bath. A small bath with a seat built into it, designed for sitting rather than lying in.”
“Found these soft metal objects while metal detecting under a pier at low tide.”
A: “They’re Hindu offerings. The symbol on the top left is ’Om.’”
“Described in an online estate auction as a ’toaster?’”
A: “It’s a salt and pepper shaker bakelite from the 1940s.”
“Posts with nets on top on the side of the street in the Netherlands”
A: “These are to help bats orientate themselves until the trees are larger. Bats need to hear the reflection of their sound to know where they’re going. These things will replace the leaves in that.”
“This object is hanging from the ceiling of our waiting room at the hospital. Anyone knows what this is for?”
A: “It’s a signal booster.”
’’Found on a hike up a hill — the eye doesn’t appear natural, but I’m not sure what caused it.”
A: “Likely a mineral deposition within the rock that has dissolved over a long period of time.”
“Found in a house along with lots of old maritime artifacts. What is it called, and how was it used?”
A: “It’s a ship’s log for measuring distance traveled, thus determining speed.”
“Found this 7 feet under the basement. What is this?”
A: “It’s a traditional Chinese soy sauce jug. The little spout is a giveaway.”
“What is this giant tower? It can’t be much wider than a staircase. It’s connected to a fire station.”
A: “It’s a place where hoses are hung after use so the water doesn’t eat through the hose lines.”
“Blue nets tied between the trees, found while hiking.”
A: “Pretty sure these are nets for catching the fruit from the tree — currently rolled up because there’s no fruit.”
“A short table/desk with an opening at the front, a fence at the back, and storage on both sides”
A: “It’s a coffee table. The rail is meant to keep things from sliding off the far edge of it when you are sitting on the sofa.”
“A mail truck with an opaque, segmented roof — why is the top like that?”
A: “So you can see what you’re doing when you’re inside the back. Cheaper than installing lights.”
“Metal, plastic, and canvas-looking fabric clips — they are a few inches long and some say FLATEX.”
A: “They’re stocking clips for women’s suspenders/garter belts that were commonly used in the 1960s. The belt or girdle clips around the waist and hips, and short lengths of elastic or strong fabric descend from the belt with these clips on the ends.”
“Purchased at a bazaar in Afghanistan. It’s hollow inside, and the ’cork’ top doesn’t seem to come out. It’s made of metal.”
A: “Well, I can tell you it’s upside down, judging by the writing on the side. I’m guessing the screw-on ’top’ is actually to fit into a base of some sort, possibly a wall mounting. I can’t read all the text, but one word says ’چراخ’ which means ’oil lamp.’”
“What is this curved metal fixture above the hotel tub handle?”
A: “It’s a waterfall bath filler.”