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Tim Giachetti
It is a warmer. Put some coals in the beasties back and place it by your seat, or warm your bed sheets before going to bed.
Jim
A “joke item” that you hide in your garden and scare the daylights out of your wife when she goes to work in it.
padieg
Me thinks it’s a door stopper, to keep a door open against the wind.
say wut
The Grinning Alligator was a cast iron medieval torture device. Rocking it back and forth a few feet in front of a restrained prisoner’s face, a Vatican-appointed Inquisitor would use a hidden switch (not visible) to raise and lower the upper piece, all the while chanting, “[I]nterior crocodile alligator, I drive a Chevrolet movie theater.” This was often accompanied by a small choir and/or Papal dance troupe. Invariably, the victim would eventually be induced into a near-catatonic state, and with no further urging, confess to any number of alleged crimes.
themonkey
a cast iron humidifier? like the ones you usually see shaped as dragons….
asthevinylspins
I think it’s a shoehorn; my mom had something very similar when I was little, and I think I remember it was a shoehorn.
Unblinking Brown Eye
It’s one of those things you put in water and it grows in size. Might be one that came in a plastic egg from a vending machine but doesn’t look curled up enough.
russell
The primary functions of an alligator are to eat water buffalo and wrestle with creepy TV show hosts.
messwav
Wait, actually, the one in the dining room IS a nutcracker, but this one’s different. They look to be part of a set… This must be the turkey baster.
Samantha
It’s a boot remover you keep outside your door, to pry off your togs from the ankle, like if your shoes are muddy or stuck on, or if you cannot bend over to take them off yourself. You angle the ankle of your footwear against his upper “lip” and pull backwards, thus tugging off your shoe with ease.
Shirt size large, please 
Peter Drozd
This may sound odd, but I think my family had one of these. It is a covered ash tray.
Aglathan
hey that one i think i know (my grandpa is a pharmacist)
and he has one of those
if im not wrong they use this thing to press medicine into pills
(but i actually never asked so i could be really wrong)
nathandr
It’s a pocket gator. You put them in your pockets to prevent people from reaching in and stealing your things. Someone tries to steal your wallet and, presto! you now have a wallet and some fingers in your pocket.
gary
you can see a seem to open it up
i bet its a nut cracker or an ashtray
it also looks like you store matches inside then strike them on its back
Aglathan
my mother told it is a Cork maker (but the photos make it look like something else entirely)
Chessfreak
I think it’s a musical instrument. There should be a stick that goes with it, and you rub the stick along the ridges on the back of the gator
Jaz_Allen
A truly useful item, a vesta (match holder), ashtray and match striker all in one beautifully presented crocodile form, I would say circa 1860 English design.
lolo
It’s a cork press. These were used in a recent past in pharmacies to make cork stopper fit the medicine bottles.
cheeky
Is it one of those little musical things? Like the wooden frogs where you run the stick over it’s back and it makes a croaking sound? Looks like the stick would sit in it’s mouth.
Jake.w.B
its a butter holder, specifically for roling corn on the cob in.
SarahW
I’m guessing it’s a match holder. Matches can be struck on the gators mouth.
kazanjig
It’s a boot scraper to get mud/dirt/snow off your boots before coming inside.
Scotty A
Maybe you keep a lit cigar in it, and the smoke would come out of his mouth all spooky like.
michael jordan
I had one of these as a child. It is a nutcracker which doubles as a doorstop.
Xyzzy?
An alligator extermination grenade. You place it by a pond, the vicious alligators take it in a s a child, then when they open its mouth to feed it… BAM!
apetz1
To me, it looks vaguely like some sort of covered box– a hinged covered box.
Rob Henschel
I believe it is just an old school mail holder. Or just a paper holder. At least thats what my Grams used it for. She had it on her desk with envelopes and paper clamped in its mouth. So that’s my guess.
Bella
A musical instrument that makes a noise similar to an alligator when you rub a stick on its back 
(I think so)
Silfax
Not a cigar rest, but rather a cigar saver. Yoo place your unfinished stogie into the beastie and close the back. When you are ready to finish your smoke, you just open the back and relight.
rosefish
No, seriously, I think it’s a pine nut opener. You know, when you cook them and you just don’t want to open it with your teeth. Handy.
kaylynne
an aquarium decoration? hooks up to an air hose & closes & opens?
pwscott
Steampunk Pez? Actually I think it’s one of those covered ashtrays.
tonberry2k
Does it hold toothpicks and you press down on the mouth to reveal the cache beneath its back?
Thomas Garten
It’s a foot warmer, put some coals inside warm your tootsies while you sit in your chair
SarahW
I already made my guess above (match holder), but I hope I get extra credit for naming it properly it’s a “match safe”.
edo8
It’s part of an early Chinese time telling mechanism and with drop marbles from it’s mouth with regular intervals which would indicate the passed time
SarahW
I already made my guess above (match holder), but I hope I get extra credit for naming it properly: it’s a “match safe”.
sirdooder
It’s a Croco-file. You just place your digits in the mouth for clean, presentable nails.
Scotty A
It’s actually an alligator call for hunters… you rest your finger in its mouth, and have your buddy stomp on the mouth, crushing your finger.
The sound of you screaming like a wounded gazelle draws the alligator out of the jungle for you to take a shot at.
Carolyn
It’s a nutcracker, the nuts aren’t cracked in the mouth though, you press the mouth clothed to open a hinged area in the back, place the nut inside and press down to crack the shell open.
Shawn
It’s a Secret House Key holder for your yard or garden…you stash a spare key in it!
Maxxx
It’s actually surprisingly larger than it appears in the photo – being close to life-size. And it’s a crocodile not an alligator.
Its function is as a toy for young children. The child sits astride the mouth (which then closes) lifting the hinged back up two or three feet (that’s about a meter, folks).
An adult then stamps, hard, upon the Croc’s back (shouting, according to the original rules of the game, “Three for the Croc, Two for the child, One for the fun, now let’s go WILD!”)
At this point, the jaws snap open, flinging the child high into the air.
The aim of the game, then, is for the adult to catch the child before they hit the ground.
Points were awarded as follows:
No catch – minus 5 points.
Catch but child hits ground – minus 1 point.
Catch by a single limb – 1 point.
Full body-catch – 5 points.
This was sold as an education toy, in the early 1800′s in Australia. The idea, it seems, was to help children to learn simple addition and subtraction while adrenaline flowed.
The game continued until a set score had been reached (The suggested amount was 10 points for younger children, up to 100 for stubborn children.
John the Third
Its a prop from “Frogger the Movie”. Coming soon to a theatre near you.
Ros
It’s an alligator shaped from a chunk of graphite to be used as a pencil?
Shelby
And alligator whistles do exist, I am from Orlando, Florida, the home of Gatorland (an amusement park). They make the sound of infant alligators which then lures the mother.
Carolyn Lavender
I actually own this object so maybe this is not fair. But this was an object for advertising, it has a company name on it. The top is hinged and lifts up to reveal a compartment you can put things in. I store some of my jewelry in mine. And I absolutely love it and it is one of my favorite objects.
so
it looks like it would fit a bottle of coca-cola perfectly. and if Carolyn Lavender’s comment about it having advertising is true, i might (MIGHT) be on the right track…
or i’m just crazy.
Lauren
I have one of these masquerading as a doorstop in my laundry, but it’s definitely a nut-cracker!
ttttheo
Probably a cigarette holder/ashtray.
Could also be used as a tampon dispenser….
Dylan086
It’s definitely a cast iron ash tray made by i believe Iron Jim Dandy
kenny soler
it is an air bubble doll. hook up the air hose to the alligator in your fish tank and his mouth will keep opening releasing bubbles!
Robert Doty
It appears to be a mold of some type. My guess is that it’s used to shape corn bread. It’s obviously an alligator…which is from the south. Corn bread is also from the south. So, that’s my guess! A corn bread maker shaped like an alligator. Where do I collect my prize?
Alair
CAST IRON ALLIGATOR MATCH SAFE marked “Union Iron Works Decator, Ill.” original paint L.8.5”.
automatic
Early aid to diminish the sex drive in women, to be stored outside in the winter months. It’s called a Shrivener.
Saudia_B
It’s a nutcracker. My nan has one pretty much identical to it!!! Awesome!!
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