“I Found These at My Grandma’s House and Have No Idea What They Are” — Here’s How to Solve the Mystery

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✅ Maker’s marks, logos, or patent numbers
Can lead directly to manufacturer and date
✅ Material (wood, brass, ceramic, Bakelite)
Helps narrow down era and purpose
✅ Wear patterns
Clues about how it was used (e.g., handle smooth from gripping)
✅ Engravings or initials
May link to family members or gifts

📸 Pro Tip: Take clear photos from multiple angles — including close-ups of details.

💡 Never clean aggressively — you might erase historical evidence.

🔎 Step 2: Search Online Using Smart Keywords

Use your observations to build a search query.

Instead of typing “weird old thing,” try:

  • “Vintage brass hand tool with serrated edge”
  • “1940s glass perfume bottle with pink powder”
  • “wooden box with clasp marked ‘Simplicity’”

Best Tools for Identification:

✅Google Lens
Snap a photo → get visual search results instantly
✅r/whatisthisthing (Reddit)
Huge community of experts who love puzzles — post your photo
✅Etsy or eBay
Search similar items — often listed with names, dates, and uses
✅Museum Collections & Library Archives
Institutions like the Smithsonian or local historical societies have online databases

📌 Bonus: Reverse image search — upload your photo to Google Images.

🧓 Step 3: Ask Family Members While You Still Can

This is the most powerful step of all.

Talk to relatives while they’re still around to remember.

Ask:

  • “Have you seen this before?”
  • “Did Grandma use this when I was little?”
  • “Was this part of her wedding set? Her nursing kit?”

💡 Stories matter more than appraisals. That “strange spoon” might be the one she stirred your baby formula with.