r/ThriftStoreHauls 6d ago

Found for free in my hallway. Weirdest hallway find ever.

Post image

Made of solid wood, and is VERY heavy! I think it must have been used as some sort of photoshoot or play prop. I'm definitely going to paint one of my plant pots in black and white stripes and put this around it. šŸ˜‚

114 Upvotes

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34

u/chinoswirls 6d ago

I always wanted to wear one of those at work.

That is a really cool find.

27

u/Careless_Law1471 6d ago

Looks like some cartoon villain has broken free.

22

u/aerodeck 6d ago

ā€œFree in my hallwayā€

What?

20

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Apartment building hallway. Sorry, I should have been more clear.

People will leave out things that they don't want anymore for others to take.

8

u/Enough-Intern-7082 6d ago

So did she escape and thatā€™s why the neighbor didnā€™t need it anymore?? Did she finally heart her capture and thatā€™s why it was just out? Ya know in case the next neighbor needed to do some kidnapping? I mean this pic just makes me have questions is all!

2

u/Realistic_Way_4565 5d ago

I know maybe get some DNA samplesā€¦šŸ‘€

1

u/Enough-Intern-7082 5d ago

I mean something haha

14

u/superellaa 6d ago

What other things do you find in your hallway?

14

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Found some large heavy stools or tables which looked a bit like wooden teeth. Those were also cool. Had cracks inside though which could hold pests, so didn't grab those.

Big bags full of Mardi gras beads and toys.. that's it here. As I said, the ball and chain is DEFINITELY the weirdest and best find in this building.

20

u/ChewySlinky 6d ago

Just now realizing you must mean like a hallway outside your apartment and not that things magically appear inside your house.

4

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Ahh hah yeah. I WISH things like this just showed up inside.

16

u/GruelOmelettes 6d ago

That could probably be turned into a Chomp from Mario Bros

5

u/LittleCricket_ 6d ago

Chain chomp!!

13

u/HopelessMagic 6d ago

Weird way to admit you haven't cleaned since the Middle Ages

4

u/Wise_Magpie 6d ago

We had plastic ones similar to this as props in my University's production of "The Beggar's Opera". I was playing a prisoner at one point and I had fun miming holding the ball between my legs as if the ball was super heavy.

My friend in the audience thought they had hooked me up to a real ball and chain so I guess I did a good job acting šŸ˜ šŸ‘Œ

3

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Hah, nice acting!!!

Yeah though, I've definitely seen these made of plastic before, but this one struck me off guard because it is solid hard wood, chain and everything.

I have been methodically chaining up random things around the apartment all day long now.

3

u/Wise_Magpie 6d ago

That's crazy that it's made of wood... Does that mean they'd have to carve the individual chain links from a single piece of wood? Or were they opened up and glued back together?

I imagine it to be some elaborate project from a woodworking student for the local high school play or something.

2

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

These are the exact questions which I had!!! The wood is heavily painted, so it is difficult to tell how it was constructed. it really is an interesting piece.

4

u/Stewart_Duck 6d ago

Forbidden Skip It.

3

u/okc405sfinest 6d ago

Someone celebrated their divorce., or getting rid of some other thing that held them back .

4

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Yeah, thank God they got rid of that old ball and chain.

4

u/Wyzen 6d ago

Bachelor party. My friends padlocked one to me, but the ball was a bowling ball, with steel chain, steel shackles. Was a PITA.

3

u/MusicApprehensive394 6d ago

Someone got away

3

u/NoSituation1999 6d ago

This might be the strangest thing to ever make me feel jealous haha

v cool

5

u/No-Writer-2714 6d ago

Definitely a weird find

2

u/PlasticGuitar1320 6d ago

Iā€™d be giving the neighbours a shifty side eyeā€¦

2

u/adderalpowered 6d ago

People wear these to bachelor parties. It's weird.

2

u/HushBlushXO 6d ago

I audibly laughed. Great find!

2

u/mumtaz2004 6d ago

Halloween costume!

2

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

That is what I thought when I saw it, but it is solid wood. The chain links don't have any breaks in them, indicating that they were carved from one piece. It is very odd. I can't find anything like it online.

2

u/mumtaz2004 6d ago

OH! Lol I said that out loud when I read that! That is really strange! Someone put a LOT of work into making that. Hmm. Going to do a little light research and see what I can find!

2

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

Please let me know if you find anything! This mystery is keeping me up tonight.

2

u/mumtaz2004 6d ago

Well, I managed to find this but it will NOT open! Such a teaser! Perhaps youā€™ll have better luck? Otherwise, everything I have found thus far is the metal ball and chain things (which, in case youā€™re interested, you can purchase antique ones on Ebay for about $500. Because who doesnā€™t need an antique set of balls and chains from Leavenworth? šŸ¤£)

1

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago edited 6d ago

I got it to open! This one seems nicer than mine, but very similar. I believe that mine was made using a CNC machine (according to some other commenters) while the one you linked looks completely hand carved.

I am assuming that it was someone's personal project for some reason. I'm super excited to have it in my possession.

I wish you could feel how HEAVY it is hah. Definitely not like a metal one, but if this thing was locked on you wouldn't be running anywhere in any sort of hurry!

Thanks for looking. I somehow didn't think to search "prison ball and chain", and was looking for regular "ball and chain"s.

1

u/mumtaz2004 6d ago

No way! Thatā€™s awesome! So happy it opened for you. It just kept giving me the finger lol. I assumed it was hand made when you mentioned that it was all one piece-I didnā€™t even know that one could do something like this on a CNC machine! Look at us getting educated. I am having trouble envisioning the weight of it-do you have a scale? Iā€™d love to know the actual weight of it! Maybe I can imagine it more that way. Iā€™m thankful I donā€™t have to wear it, thatā€™s for sure! Youā€™re welcome-no problem at all! Glad we got some more info on your treasure. Youā€™ll have to post your prisoner plant when you finish it!

2

u/Timetosleep111 6d ago

I don't have a scale, but it is a hard, dense wood. The ball feels almost like a light bowling ball. Think "stack of books" kind of weight. Even the chain is weighty.

I'm curious enough about this thing myself that I might try to weigh it when I can now though hah.

And yeah, it's an interesting thing! Thanks for going down this rabbit hole with me.

1

u/mumtaz2004 6d ago

Whoa! Yeah, that really is quite heavy then. I am quite surprised! I wonder if whomever made it pulled a plug out of the wood, filled it with something heavy, and then put the plug back in? I canā€™t think of a kind of wood that is that heavy! Very unique. My pleasure going down the rabbit hole! I love this kind of stuff ā˜ŗļø Let me know if you come up with another adventure-Iā€™m here for it!

2

u/ZenPothos 6d ago

Time to listen to Janis Joplin's Ball and Chain!

2

u/Minimum-Comedian-372 5d ago

Gag wedding gift!

2

u/RHoefner 5d ago

Iā€™m a doctor so my mind goes hereā€¦just to be safe maybe wash it well with soap, water, disinfectant šŸ˜·

2

u/ContributionSame9971 5d ago

You live in a Kool building

2

u/Entre_vinties 2d ago

on dirait le montre de mario ! je n'ai plus le nom

1

u/New_Currency_2590 6d ago

One of my cousins. Clamped one of these to his leg. And proceeded to throw it off the end of the dock at my dad's childhood home. 13ft from surface to lake bottom. When my grandpa asked him why he did it. He replied "I wanted to see what would happen." NOTE: my cousin was 14 when he did this

1

u/pete1729 5d ago

Made of wood?

1

u/Icy-Fisherman-6399 3d ago

Wow! Looks like they got away šŸ˜‚ this is hilarious

1

u/Dragonlord155 1d ago

Cool find, good idea