In helping someone (I was beta-reading her story) I went to a chocolatier's store and asked questions, like what size would a chocolate be in order to put an engagement ring inside, and how it might be possible to even put one in there without damaging the ring.
I'd been to that store a few times before, it's close to work and I kind of knew the guy who I spoke to, else I don't think I'd ever have had the courage to ask silly questions like that.
For my own stories, I've only ever looked up information on the internet. And maybe asked questions to a friend or two. I've read a Batman novel to be able to write a story, but I don't think that rates very high on the scale of strange or amusing.
