Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app

Continue in app Continue in browser

161Kviews

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online

ADVERTISEMENT

Probably, each of us has strange things, similar to a suitcase without a handle - they're hard to carry, but it is absolutely a pity to leave them behind. Things that once mattered to us or someone close to us, but today gather dust somewhere in the attic or sometimes 'float to the surface' during a thorough cleaning of the house.

The most interesting thing about these items is that almost every one of them has its own story, thrilling or amusing, and sometimes it sounds so incredible that it looks more like an excerpt from some adventure movie than a story from real life. Perhaps it is precisely because of the memories that these things give us that we continue to selflessly store them at home, brushing off the dust and wiping an occasional tear from our eyes.

Once a thread appeared in the AskReddit community, which instantly went viral with almost 40K upvotes and around 23.3K different comments. The author of the original post asked "What is the most controversial thing you own?" and if you're a writer experiencing a genre crisis, there's just an endless sea of fresh ideas here for you. However, the selection made by Bored Panda based on the original thread will be interesting for literally anyone, so please feel free to scroll it to the very end and tell your own stories in case you own some strange items as well.

More info: Reddit

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A Bengal tiger pelt.

My wife is half Indian. A friend of her family died, and they found a tiger pelt in his belongings. He was early 80’s and was born and raised in India before moving to my country (Canada). The estate was split in 3 so most everything had to be liquidated. Well you can’t sell tiger pelts here, and no museum or anything seemed to want it. So somehow I wound up with it.

My wife’s a vegetarian for ethical reasons. So naturally I was floored to bring it home. Id never hunt an endangered species, and I’m firmly against hunting for sport. But I wasn’t going to let it get thrown in the trash.

skinrust , Thomas B. Report

Final score:

279points

View more comments

#2

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online My great grandpa was a medic in ww2 and we own a little chest with his personal belongings, including his diary, some old bandages

And 3 vials of 1940s morphine

i_wanted_memes , Jess Loiterton Report

Final score:

260points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#3

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Apparently, a full vaccination card. (A genuine one.) And a mask.

TinyKeebe , Markus Winkler Report

Final score:

244points

View more comments

#4

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A packaged stick from Afghanistan that claims to cure all known illnesses, including cancer, if you rub it on you.

I traded an energy drink for it.

I think it’s pretty controversial since I now own the cure for all ailments.

isnoe , Ali Yasser Arwand Report

Final score:

228points

View more comments

#5

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online As a joke I told my mom I wanted my dogs testicles in a jar after we had him neutered…. She took it seriously and now I have had my dogs balls in a jar for almost a decade

GhostBoy301 , John Loo Report

Final score:

204points

View more comments

#6

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Allister Crowley's Key of Solomon. It's a book about summoning demons. It's just a curiosity piece.

MadMath477 , Steven Miller Report

Final score:

201points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#7

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online My Scottish family crest is a hand holding a severed head on a sword. The owner of the head is a Moor who allegedly was wanted by the king. The reward was land. My ancestor caught this guy, cut off his head and brought it to the king. Pretty controversial when you know what a Moor was.

lady_jaynes_secret , Mike Mozart Report

Final score:

183points

View more comments

#8

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online When my sister was in high school she wrote letters to Charles Manson. He wrote her back. My dad intercepted the letters in the mail. He never opened them, but still has them. My sister never knew he wrote back.

**Edit to answer some questions**

I can’t believe I woke up this morning to this explosion…

My sister is 7 years older. Mental health was left generally undiagnosed and untreated in the 80s. She was a rough kid to parent, and even as a sibling there’s a lot of trauma stemming from her I’ve had to work through. I haven’t spoken to her since I was in my 20s. She’s estranged from my dad, my other sister, and I. She has worked her way back into my mom’s life as she’s gotten older, more than likely to benefit from her death.

I do remember her being obsessed with Manson when I was a kid. She was a f*****g menace, constantly getting into some sort of trouble, running away, police calls, etc. As soon as she turned 18 she was kicked out. She turned 50 last month, and according to my mom “she finally has her life together, she bought her first house”.

My dad told me about the letters approximately a year ago. This happened 30 years ago, I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be any federal charges brought against him (haha), and he has no reason to make this up or lie about it. I told him I want them left to me in his will.

To the people messaging me to buy the letters…big fat f*****g NO. If and when I get them in my possession, I’ll evaluate what I want to do with them at this time. I agree they’re worth more sealed than opened.

sloth_the_syd , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

165points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

#9

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Probably a small bone I lifted from a catacomb In Peru when I was younger. Technically I’m a grave robber and definitely getting haunted.

igotdeletedonce , Deann DaSilva Report

Final score:

147points

View more comments

#10

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online 5 grams of uranium metal, stored under oil in a glass vial.

ScienceAndNonsense , Larry Nutt Report

Final score:

142points

View more comments

#11

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Not me, my parents growing up..

they had an actual elephant foot turned into a table.

Like an actual foot cut from an elephant and taxidermied made into an end table. Had a glass table top. You could feel the thin hairs on it. F****n haunted my dreams man.

bobsux1234 , Melqui Report

Final score:

142points

View more comments

#12

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online My family owns a petrified walrus [wang], my grandmother took it to get it identified at the Smithsonian several decades ago. Apparently her grandfather or maybe it was her great-grandfather brought it home after he spent several years on some type of expedition up around northern Alaska and points north. It has been loaned out to several museums at different times. The family has talked about selling it but everyone has to agree and so far there is no agreement about selling it. So I own 1/67th of a petrified walrus [wing-dang-doodle].

Robyn_withaY , Jonathan Cooper Report

Final score:

129points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#13

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Umm mortuary toe tags from an asylum in New York ....like twenty or so of them ... I think they could be the only things left showing that these people actually lived

ironviking13 , Amy the Nurse Report

Final score:

128points

View more comments

#14

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online An ornate, Boer tobacco jar from the 1800s. My great grandfather looted it off a dead militiaman during the Second Boer war.

deathtotheminutemen , Joe Haupt Report

Final score:

116points

View more comments

#15

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online I have a glass vial/small bottle of pure histamine. If anyone would be exposed to this they would get a deadly allergic reaction. I have it double sealed.

TheRealMonreal , RF._.studio Report

Final score:

113points

View more comments

#16

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A first print edition of Batman Damned #1, the one featuring Batman's "little batman". (From DC Black Label featuring more adult content. Violence and swearing are totally fine, but a shadowy [phallic] profile made people flip out enough they removed it from subsequent print runs).

1nd1anaCroft , Fiona Henderson Report

Final score:

112points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#17

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A small horse figurine made of ivory. I have a small collection of horse figurines, and it was a gift from my grandmother from when I was little. Nothing I can really do about it, but I still feel a little icky for having it.

ThotTamales , Sean Report

Final score:

107points

View more comments

#18

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online An original Asteroids arcade machine.

But my brother and I removed the original (burned-in) oscilloscope screen and replaced it with an LCD panel, replaced the controls with six-button arcade fighter sticks, and hooked the whole thing up to a hacked Xbox with thousands of dumped ROMs on it. The original board was gone before we got the cab, donated to another machine that did have a working monitor.

Controversial because some arcade historians would prefer to see these cabs preserved rather than hacked. But with a burned screen and no board, this cab was pretty useless.

Adventurer_By_Trade , Wolfgang Stief Report

Final score:

100points

View more comments

#19

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online An original copy of Mao’s Red Book from when they were distributed in China back in the 60s

Also a copy of Mein Kampf but I’m not sure about this copy’s backstory

Themasterofcomedy209 , shankar s. Report

Final score:

97points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#20

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Troll dolls we're very big in the early 90's. I have a confederate soldier troll doll in full uniform with flag in hand. Thanks Dad!

JohnSterlingSanchez , Hoboh Official Report

Final score:

96points

View more comments

#21

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A copy of The Anarchist's Cookbook

Ihadacow , Kirrus Report

Final score:

92points

View more comments

#22

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online I have a few Ivory jewellery pieces from the early 70s my parents bought back from Botswana, and a poison arrow kit. Mum has the 3-metre long python skin she just put in her luggage from back then too.

Icy_Hippo , Steve Parker Report

Final score:

88points

View more comments

#23

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online I bought a used Bill Cosby comedy album on vinyl and the next week everything started coming out about the horrible things he had done ☹️

alpal05144 , Ted Eytan Report

Final score:

75points

View more comments

#24

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A piece of a radiation bore drill encased in resin. It has a cloud floating above it in the resin where the focal point is. It's safe now, bizarre to think about, and probably illegal as f**k for a civilian to aquire today.

Adept_Cranberry_4550 , Kim Stiver Report

Final score:

75points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#25

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online A switch knife. Technically one with a blade as long as mine is illegal in my area. I don't know I would rather have it and risk the misdemeanor than not have it with me.

Not_Adobe , George Redgrave Report

Final score:

72points

View more comments

#26

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online An uncut DVD of Caligula.

I am not sure if it is still banned or not.

EnigmaCA , Mati Mango Report

Final score:

67points

View more comments

#27

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online Kony 2012 Kit. It’s a whole thing and I don’t want to talk about it.

XDXkenlee , Ryohei Noda Report

Final score:

53points

View more comments

#28

28 Things People Keep At Home But Avoid Talking About Because They Are So Controversial, As Shared Online My 26.5” scale 8 string guitar is apparently super controversial to every guitarist I’ve ever shown it to.

yokaishinigami , Eric Golub Report

Final score:

48points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Oleg Tarasenko

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

Saulė Tolstych

Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

What do you think ?

Red Ruffensor 1 year ago

I own a vial of mercury, but haven't played with it for a long time. I also own a copy of Steal This Book, which was banned here in Canada.

16points

Chucky Cheezburger 1 year ago

I have some mercury as well. We have some outdated mercury pressure switches that we are phasing out and I collect all the little vials, cut them open and dump them into a jar.

11points

Load More Replies...

Lee Stone 1 year ago

Elemental mercury isn't the safest thing to play with and can easily wreck your nervous system over the long term. However, it's cousins the methylated mercuries are the literal stuff of nightmares. Methyl and Dimethylmercury are extremely toxic and both easily pass through most common types of protective equipment in seconds. They absorb through the skin or are inhaled (they readily vaporize given their high vapor pressure) and can cause irreparable mercury poisoning and death with single exposures to less than a 1/10th of an mL. Dimethylmercury also likes to catch on fire and when it breaks down into methylmercury, it likes to accumulate in the environment (this is what is happening to fish and things that eat fish). These chemicals are so dangerous that deaths have been caused from just a few drops landing on gloves that were then immediately removed. Also, the death is typically slow (~6 months) and excruciatingly sad.

4points

Marie Dahme 1 year ago

Did you actually steal it or did you buy it ?

0points

that one ace lesbian demigirl 1 year ago

Just another a*****e advertising bot in the comments. Downvote them, please. Or report them. Either works.

9points

James Edwards 1 year ago

But...But I made $60,000 while reading this post, /s

30points

Load More Replies...

WindySwede 1 year ago

Nothing really seems to keep them away :/

5points

Wondering Alice 1 year ago

I'm going for down voting plus reporting - hope it helps.

5points

EvilNob 1 year ago

My family has a human skull. It was for some years at one of the police stations near us and was never identified. We just pretty much went there and asked for it. They were actually happy to get rid of it. So we just adopted him/her/it. Sometimes the local school's art club borrowed it as a model.

8points

Load More Comments

Red Ruffensor 1 year ago

I own a vial of mercury, but haven't played with it for a long time. I also own a copy of Steal This Book, which was banned here in Canada.

16points

Chucky Cheezburger 1 year ago

I have some mercury as well. We have some outdated mercury pressure switches that we are phasing out and I collect all the little vials, cut them open and dump them into a jar.

11points

Load More Replies...

Lee Stone 1 year ago

Elemental mercury isn't the safest thing to play with and can easily wreck your nervous system over the long term. However, it's cousins the methylated mercuries are the literal stuff of nightmares. Methyl and Dimethylmercury are extremely toxic and both easily pass through most common types of protective equipment in seconds. They absorb through the skin or are inhaled (they readily vaporize given their high vapor pressure) and can cause irreparable mercury poisoning and death with single exposures to less than a 1/10th of an mL. Dimethylmercury also likes to catch on fire and when it breaks down into methylmercury, it likes to accumulate in the environment (this is what is happening to fish and things that eat fish). These chemicals are so dangerous that deaths have been caused from just a few drops landing on gloves that were then immediately removed. Also, the death is typically slow (~6 months) and excruciatingly sad.

4points

Marie Dahme 1 year ago

Did you actually steal it or did you buy it ?

0points

that one ace lesbian demigirl 1 year ago

Just another a*****e advertising bot in the comments. Downvote them, please. Or report them. Either works.

9points

James Edwards 1 year ago

But...But I made $60,000 while reading this post, /s

30points

Load More Replies...

WindySwede 1 year ago

Nothing really seems to keep them away :/

5points

Wondering Alice 1 year ago

I'm going for down voting plus reporting - hope it helps.

5points

EvilNob 1 year ago

My family has a human skull. It was for some years at one of the police stations near us and was never identified. We just pretty much went there and asked for it. They were actually happy to get rid of it. So we just adopted him/her/it. Sometimes the local school's art club borrowed it as a model.

8points

Load More Comments

Related on Bored Panda

Related on Bored Panda

Word Search

WordroW

Jigsaw

Crossword

Sudoku

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross

Word Flower

Trending on Bored Panda

Also on Bored Panda