Coat hangers made of iron or aluminium wire are among the most versatile. For example, you can straighten it (keeping the hanging 'question mark' intact and making a complete loop on the other end. You get a retrieving tool about 1 meter (3 feet) long.

The other day I got some workers around the house. They climbed ladders to finish some job and it occurred to me that they could finish another job while they are up there. I brought them a box of wire coat hangers, cut one in half and folded it around the ladder step in a U-shape, then twisted it around to make its ends in a Y-shape. Then asked them to do the same across a few horizontal beams extending from the house where pigeons used to sit and make a mess underneath. Pigeons must have started looking for another place to sit and our sitting area in the garden stays clean.

Coat hangers are great and versatile.
Don't throw them away.