When many of us find items that are old, rusty, and unknown, we typically just throw them away. On occasion, however, we may be curious enough to try to find out what we are holding in our hands.

When a woman found some old rusty metal objects while doing gardening, she was curious. She had no idea what they were used for so she went to the Internet to try to find the answer.

Social media was able to come up with the answer to what these strange items happened to be. It took a little while but eventually, some people left comments on what they thought they were.

As strange as it may seem, they are actually associated with vintage windows. The items are known as window weights, things that are not typically used any longer.

In some of the old-style windows, you might find these window weights hiding inside of the frame. They were large and heavy because they helped to balance the window and allowed it to open and close smoothly.

You may be wondering how they worked. When they are in the window frame, they hang inside small channels. Typically, they are made of cast iron and attached to ropes that connect to the window sashes with pulleys. When the window is opened, the weights drop and balance the weight of the window. Without them, the windows would be difficult to open and close.

It was common to see these window weights in older homes but the newer technology allowed for windows that didn’t include the weights. The old weights were just set aside, and we may sometimes see them when cleaning out a garage or basement.

Even though they don’t have the same use, they still are popular among collectors. You can also keep them in your collection, just so you have something to discuss.