I found this at a yard sale but had no idea what it was

Naturally, I bought it.

Why We Buy Things We Don’t Understand
Before we get into what the object actually was, let’s talk about something interesting:

Why do we feel drawn to mysterious objects?

Psychologists suggest that humans are naturally curious creatures. When we see something unfamiliar—especially something that looks like it used to have a purpose—we feel compelled to figure it out.

There’s a story hidden inside.

And when something feels like it belonged to another era, that curiosity multiplies.

At yard sales especially, objects feel like clues. Pieces of someone else’s life waiting to be decoded.

The Object: A Description
The item I found had:

A wooden base
A crank on one side
Metal components that moved when turned
Small gears
A removable compartment
And no visible brand name
It wasn’t electrical.

It clearly required manual operation.