'Tis the Season

The holidays are upon us, and shoppers everywhere are humming along to the sounds of the season.  In the not so distant past, those sounds included the familiar “cha-hing” of mechanical cash registers, replaced by the nearly silent computers, credit card swipers and printers of today.

National Cash Register was founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1884 when John Patterson bought the National Manufacturing Company, maker of “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier.”  Patterson had witnessed the devastating effects of cashier theft during his time as manager of a coal company store - with the establishment losing $6,000 per year (a huge sum at that time!).  His Dartmouth education proved beneficial to growing one of the largest companies in the world when Patterson instituted such cutting edge business practices as “daylight factory” buildings and sales training schools.  By 1911, National Cash Register had sold over 1 million registers and employed nearly 6,000 people; controlling 95% of the US market.  Although NCR relocated its corporate headquarters to Georgia in 2009, it remains an important part of Dayton, Ohio history.

Today, vintage cash registers by the now world-famous National Cash Register Corporation are highly collectible for their aesthetic, as well as their reminder of a simpler way of life.  Prized examples reflect the cutting edge development of technology for which NCR became renowned; but, the incredibly detailed embossing, elaborate keyboards, and impressive cabinets push prices to higher levels than most other manufactured registers.  Even if shopping is not your cup of tea, ring up your own version of holiday memories with a piece of Ohio history.

Always on the cutting edge of technology, National Cash Register designed this register in 1912 with elaborate embossing, a marble penny shelf and mechanized price display.  Sold, Garth;s, $1,175.