Strange Gourds (more commonly known as just Gourds) are one of the main collectibles in The Sims 2. Until the end of Ava Cadavra's goals when the Prime Heifer is destroyed, the only thing to do with Gourds is to sell them at the Saloon. Once the Egyptian Statue replaces it, it's revealed that Gourds must be given to the statue in order to keep Horus Menhoset IX in a sane state.
Like Nuclear Fuel Rods, Gourds can be found around town and will reappear randomly throughout the day. Their appearance resembles pears. They respawn everytime the game is opened after being closed, leading to many players simply saving and restarting their games continuously in order to gather more to sell.