You can find some pretty crazy contraptions at antique stores, and chances are you will never know what all of them are and what purpose they served. But every now and then, our curiosity gets the best of us and we gotta know what it is. Here are 5 items that you may have seen but never knew what they were used for.
In the pictures below, the items you see would have been ordinary 50-100 years ago. Will you be able to tell what they are and what they were used for? Try your best now!
AWM:
1) This is a wooden box with a compartment with a hole on top and a zinc tray next to it. Two tiny drawers are at the bottom.
If you thought it was a pipe smoking station, you were right! These objects have since gone out of style, since more and more people some cigarettes now or even those new-fangled e-cigarettes retailers have been touting in recent years.
Long gone are the days with dad smoking his pipe while reading the newspaper.
2) The round wooden object is a tool. It has a split down the middle with a spindle attached to the sides.
Did you say it was a hat band stretcher? Then you were right. If a hat was too small, this object would help make it fit your large head. Today this object is obsolete, since hats are made in numerous sizes to fit all head shapes.
Plus, since we don’t dress up like we used to, seldom do Americans have an opportunity to wear a nice hat. It seems like these days are long gone…
3) The cylindrical object has a cork in the top and a knob on the end. It is crafted from terracotta. It may look rustic, but it serves a civilized purpose.
This foot warmer kept your tootsies warm in the winter. Just fill it with hot, boiling water and rest your feet on it for a luxurious time. Obviously, this isn’t popular anymore since homes have heat and people buy electric blankets if they want a boost of warmth.