People Are Revealing The "Mind-Boggling" Items They Own That Are Surprising To Others, And They Range From Wholesome To Bizarre

A person can be interesting thanks to many things, and sometimes, it's due to the things they own or collect. Recently, I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share the unique or bizarre items other people would be surprised to learn they have, and they range from extremely wholesome to just a tad strange. Here are some of the most fascinating items and collections:

1. "I make Barbie houses and cases out of plastic canvas. In the early 2000s, I stumbled on some patterns on Ebay."

2. "Old workplace safety and health paraphernalia: safety glasses, respirators, ear plugs, air sampling equipment, catalogs, and promotional material. You'd be surprised how many companies gave ashtrays away as safety awards in the '60s and '70s."

— markh63

3. "I have a halberd, a cavalry axe, a dagger, and a push knife. The cavalry axe looks like a small halberd (which is why I got it)."

4. "I have about a dozen pieces of furniture and artwork from Monticello that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. I've been quietly collecting them for about eight years."

— laughingcaptain56

5. "My waterbed! I've slept on a waterbed since I was a little kid; all of my immediate family has them. My frame for my bed was actually built by my uncle. It's funny to me that so many people are confused or shocked when I tell them. One of my friends once jokingly asked if I had a 'water crib' or a 'water pillow' as well."

6. "A photo of me sliced open during my transplant surgery on a throw pillow.

7. "I think most people would be surprised to know that I — a married, registered Republican, educator, mom of two — own several...adult toys. My husband and I like to keep things interesting, and after 20 years and more of a committed relationship, neither of us is bored. So I guess it's working."

—Anonymous

8. "I have a subadult Spotted Hyena skull that I cleaned and preserved myself. On my first hyena research project, the dominant lions on the reserve changed territories, killing many other predators (lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, to name a few). The skull I have is from one of the confirmed kills. There wasn't much left by the time we got there, so we had to ID the hyena based on dentition (tooth structures), and I figured I'd do the job properly. It took me two months in total, but I got a great specimen out of it!"

9. "I have an enormous sports card collection — mostly baseball cards, but I have some from many other sports, including golf (no, I don't have a Trump card). I have no idea what the collection is worth, but it's always fun to pull out a box or album and see what I have. I think my Jackie Robinson rookie card is the most valuable and certainly my most beloved."

— demoncopperhead

10. "I have a large porcelain doll collection. My grandma gave me a porcelain doll for every occasion, starting when I was about three. I have one doll that's about three feet tall. It scares people, so I keep her hidden in my closet, where my collection is on display, and only I can see it. Thankfully, I have a huge walk-in closet. If anybody ever breaks in, I'm going to hide in there. The robber will get freaked out because some dolls look so real!"

11. "I collect lemon-print clothing and accessories. Almost my entire pajama wardrobe is some hue of yellow."

— lauragipe23

12. "Miniatures, but not a specific theme or sets of things. I have a lot of random bits of toys like cars, dolls, little glass, plastic, ceramic animals , little terrariums, and more. I have a lot of things from bookstores, thrift stores, garage sales, and things that friends have made me. I've been collecting since I was a kid, and now there are so many mini-things out there that it's mind-boggling! But I like that my collection is pretty eclectic; I like hiding things all around the house for little surprises here and there!"

13. "'Death cards.' I keep them in alphabetical order. Friends think it's weird, but it is a way to remember someone who has passed."

—Lynnie, 60

14. "I own an antique coffin that sits in my living room. A local artist friend initially gave it to my grandmother, so I grew up with it. It was always referred to as a 'sarcophagus,' and it wasn't until my later years in elementary school that I learned that it wasn't meant for the storage of linens and knickknacks. I only know that it was shipped from a European country about 100 years ago and that it's really unique. I treasure it; it has beautiful wooden carvings on the sides and is great for storage. My teen daughter has already asked if she can have it in her own house someday. The coffin is holding up pretty well, so hopefully, it can last a few more generations."

15. "Seasonal cookie jars. You would never assume that about me at all, and I just got my husband into it collecting them, too. We have about six Halloween ones and seven Christmas ones; I love them so much."

— morgan_le_slay

16. "I own all of the original American Girl dolls: Samantha, Kirsten, Molly, Addy, Felicity, and Josefina. I had a very traumatic childhood with multiple adverse experiences, and collecting them helped me heal and move forward with my life. I don't play with them or get them out more than a few times a year, but there's something comforting about looking at the old catalogs, searching and finding the dolls, and knowing that they are safely there. I am normally very frugal, but I have spent thousands of dollars and many years chasing dolls that I keep hidden away. To me, though, they mean so much more than I can describe."

17. "Puppets. Too many puppets."

—Jason, 46, Illinois

18. "I have a lot of nuclear power plant memorabilia. My dad worked at a nuclear power plant for most of his life, and back then, when they were first starting up, they gave their employees a lot of stuff. There are at least three shirts for each outage he worked (when they replace fuel rods in reactors, it's called an outage) with the team name on them, about 10 pins with different designs, at least two belt buckles, two keychains, and some other cool stuff like engraved Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, tape measures, calculators, and more. I have one screwdriver with water in the handle, a picture of the power plant, and dolphins that sway up and down in the handle."

19. "An ancient pottery toad once owned by the actor Dennis Hopper. Last year, there was an online auction of some of his belongings (clothes, books, art, etc.), and the toad was by far the silliest, weirdest, and most intriguing item. This funny-looking toad was estimated to be about 1,500 years old. I had my sights set on it, and when it came up for bidding, only two other people bid for a price much lower than I was expecting. So I bid and won! It's a prized possession and so incredibly random."

20. Lastly: "I own a dog trainer (one of those handheld devices that make a clicking sound and is usually accompanied by a treat to train a dog to do tricks and stuff). Only one person knows that I own it. I don't use it for my dogs or cats; I use it for myself. I have MDD (major depressive disorder), and antidepressants and other meds haven't helped, so I'm trying to Pavlov myself into happiness. Whenever I'm out of the house, I have the device around my wrist, and I click the trainer whenever something makes me happy in hopes that, by the end of the year, I will associate the click with happiness and will be able to trick my brain into releasing serotonin on days when I am particularly sad. I have high hopes!"

I don't know about you guys, but I would also be afraid of a three-foot porcelain doll. If you own or collect something unique, strange, or kind of bizarre, this is your time to share with us what it is in the comments! And if you have an original photo of your item(s) you'd like to share as well, feel free! If you wish to submit anonymously, you can submit your response using this form!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.