Will you definitely identify my object?

No, and we won't pretend otherwise. Some objects resist identification. When that happens we tell you what we know, what we ruled out, the most likely possibilities and exactly what evidence we'd need next. A failed investigation is acceptable. A fabricated one isn't.

No. We give an indicative market range based on research, with the reasoning shown. It is not a formal valuation, appraisal or authentication. For insurance or high-value items, use a qualified professional.

How many photographs should I upload?

As many as you can — up to ten. The whole object, the base, and close-ups of every marking, stamp, label or signature. More photographs genuinely means a better investigation.

Can I add evidence later?

Yes, and you should. Upload a new photograph and we reopen the same case rather than starting again — you'll see exactly what changed and how the confidence moved.

Is my investigation public?

Private by default. Nothing is published unless you choose to publish it to the Mystery Wall.

Upload it. We investigate it.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

Upload a photo of an object and let us investigate its identity, age, origin, maker, history and potential value.

INVESTIGATE AN OBJECT Read the live bureau SEE MYSTERIES WE’VE SOLVED

Find out what it is, where it came from, how old it is — and what story it’s hiding.

A researcher's desk with a magnifying glass, callipers and an unidentified brass mechanism

CASE OPEN

Inventory: ARCH-1894-B

Examining markings…

Live from the wire

THE BUREAU

Read the live bureau →

How it works

SHOW US

Upload photographs — the whole object, the base, and every marking you can find.

WE DIG

We investigate markings, materials, history, manufacturers, catalogues and comparable examples.

WE TELL YOU

You get an evidence-backed investigation report — with confidence levels and sources.

WE’VE SOLVED SOME STRANGE ONES.

The Mystery Wall →

Bureau case file88% confidence

The brass thing in the biscuit tin

Surveyor's pocket aneroid altimeter

c. 1890–1910Scientific instrumentUnited Kingdom

Found in a house clearance in Leeds and assumed to be a broken clock. The engraved scale said otherwise — and so did the maker's serial run.

Bureau case file82% confidence

The hook nobody could name

Hay-bale hook, forged by a regional smith

c. 1860–1900ToolIreland

A shed find with a stamp worn almost flat. Raking light lifted three letters, and three letters were enough to place the forge.

Bureau case file76% confidence

The jar marked 125

Pharmacy dispensing jar with a batch label

c. 1900–1930CeramicUnited Kingdom

Bought for £2 at a car boot sale. The number wasn't decoration — it was an inventory code from a chemist's ledger system.

Bureau case file71% confidence

The locket with the wrong date

Mourning locket, silver, with tintype portrait

c. 1855–1875JewelleryUnited States

The engraved initials didn't match the family who owned it. The photograph process narrowed the decade and rewrote the story.

Bureau case file68% confidence

The box with a false bottom

Cased instrument box, repurposed as a document box

c. 1880–1920FurnitureUnited Kingdom

An attic box with a panel that slid — and a fitted interior that told us what used to live inside it.

Bureau case file79% confidence

Two badges from the mud

Trench art brooch made from cap-badge components

c. 1915–1918Military/history objectFrance

Metal-detected on farmland. Not a regimental badge at all — a soldier's hand-made keepsake, assembled from two.

WHAT CAN WE FIND?

Man-made or natural — antiques, tools, documents, coins, plants, rocks, fossils and shells all go through the same seven-stage investigation.

Unknown weird stuffAntiqueVintageToolIndustrial objectHousehold objectArchitectural objectMilitary/history objectJewelleryFurnitureCeramicGlassMetalworkPhotographDocumentHandwritten itemArtworkCollectibleVehicle componentScientific instrumentCoin / medal / tokenTextile / clothingToy / gameBook / print / mapMusical instrumentPlant / seed / botanicalRock / mineral / fossilShell / bone / natural specimenInsect / animal remains

WHAT IT COSTS

Most members join the Bureau. If you only have one object in mind, pay as you go instead.

Recommended

Detective

£9.99/mo

7 DAYS FREE — then £9.99/month. No charge today.

Unlimited investigations
The complete report, every time
Source-backed research & timeline
Maker research & comparable examples
Value research & rarity
Downloadable PDF reports
Shareable public case pages
Fair-use deep research (10 cases/mo)

You'll be charged automatically when your free trial ends, and your subscription renews monthly unless cancelled. Cancel anytime before then and you won't be charged.

Archivist

£29.99/mo

7 DAYS FREE — then £29.99/month. No charge today.

Everything in Detective
Priority deep-dive research
Higher fair-use limit (30 cases/mo)
Expanded historical research
Patents, catalogues, archives
Provenance investigation
Full research trail