Mysteries of garage sales
Sep. 18th, 2010 05:35 pmI have a Thing.
I do not know what it is, what it should be used for, what it can be used for, or what to call it, aside from "Bob". The people running the garage sale had no idea either. It wasn't even priced; they said they'd give it away to anyone who could tell them what it was.
I said, half jokingly, "a hand exerciser," and they laughed and accepted that and gave it to me, but, uh. Still don't know what it is.
Any ideas?
It looks like this:

side view:

front view:

My first thought, seeing it on the table, was some sort of artsy tea infuser -- two springy clamshell things that could open to get looseleaf tea and then close around it enough to let water through but not the tea leaves. But ... that isn't how it works.
When you squeeze the sides (most comfortably where the indents are), the end goes from this:

to this:

The pictures were taken from roughly the same item-camera positioning. Sorry it's so close; taking pictures one-handed of something in my other hand is a bit tricksy.
It has no mechanism for locking it open; you have to maintain a squeeze. (Hence, hand exerciser.) Default rest state is closed.
So, er.
Anyone have any ideas whatsoever?
(Preferably non-smartass ones, but I know you guys *grin*)
ETA: Mystery solved! It is a flour duster. (See comments.) Woot \o/ I like the intarwebz. It knows things.
I do not know what it is, what it should be used for, what it can be used for, or what to call it, aside from "Bob". The people running the garage sale had no idea either. It wasn't even priced; they said they'd give it away to anyone who could tell them what it was.
I said, half jokingly, "a hand exerciser," and they laughed and accepted that and gave it to me, but, uh. Still don't know what it is.
Any ideas?
It looks like this:
side view:
front view:
My first thought, seeing it on the table, was some sort of artsy tea infuser -- two springy clamshell things that could open to get looseleaf tea and then close around it enough to let water through but not the tea leaves. But ... that isn't how it works.
When you squeeze the sides (most comfortably where the indents are), the end goes from this:
to this:
The pictures were taken from roughly the same item-camera positioning. Sorry it's so close; taking pictures one-handed of something in my other hand is a bit tricksy.
It has no mechanism for locking it open; you have to maintain a squeeze. (Hence, hand exerciser.) Default rest state is closed.
So, er.
Anyone have any ideas whatsoever?
(Preferably non-smartass ones, but I know you guys *grin*)
ETA: Mystery solved! It is a flour duster. (See comments.) Woot \o/ I like the intarwebz. It knows things.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-19 01:45 am (UTC)Turns out to be a flour duster, whodathunkit.