Operation and overall description of the NCR 6000 Class electro-mechanical cash register. This register is from 1959, and its a Class 6000, model 6155.
The reason there is no C Clerk key is that NCR did not want the accountant or book keeper to get in mixed up with Cash transactions on the audit tapes, if you have enough clerk keys they also skip I which they did not want bookkeeping to get confused with the dept 1 or roman numeral I. They also have no clerk F, so as to not confuse with E. I either read this somewhere or someone told me. I have model 992 from 1919, it was the same way then
They also skip the letter G. I believe that's because on models where the clerk keys do not have individual totals, the clerks are collected in a group and the normal clerk total (lever just above SUBTOTAL) prints a G in the left-hand column on the receipt instead of the usual X2 symbol.
I loved seeing one of these in action again! I have a memory from childhood of being in the local A&P store when the power went out. The cashiers just took a crank out and inserted it into the side of the machine and cranked it over every time instead of hitting the motor bar. No stopping commerce back in the old days!
1968-1972 - I worked part-time during high school breaks & summers at a retail store. This is the type cash register I used. When checking out items, we first had to take the perforated half of the tag displaying the price of the item off, leaving the customer with the other half. Since I worked in a clothes department most items had these. If not, cashier called another sales person or manager to find out how much the item was and a handwritten tag was written from blank, perforated tags that were part of the cashiers' supplies. The cost of the items were entered from referencing the perforated tags the cashier held. The cash register keys were very stiff and needed a strong "finger push" to engage them. After entering each item, we then totaled the amount and added tax. Math was NOT my strong suit so, fortunately, a little card was taped to the front side of the machine for easy reference. After awhile I had the tax amounts memorized. There were two ways of paying for the item/s. If cash (MUCH easier) we laid especially larger bills on a ledge at the bottom of the cash register until we had counted the change back to the customer. The machine didn't tell us how much was owed; we had to manually count it. To this day I appreciate the rare cashier that, even though the amount is displayed on the screen the cashier takes the time to count it back to me. The worst are the cashiers that just grab the money from the til and practically crush it into my hands. I then stand and make sure I have received the correct amount before moving on. The second method was credit cards. The only two credit cards available at the time, iirc, were MasterCard and the store's card. If a MasterCard was used, the cashier consulted a small paper catalogue that contained "bad" (ie. over the limit, stolen, etc.) cards which was updated weekly. I can just imagine that today!!!! but back then customers understood this was part of the process. The print in those catalogs was teeny, even with my good eyes then, but after awhile we could accomplish this process fairly quickly. We then used the good 'ole metal "zip-zap" machine for this transaction: placing the credit card in the space provided on the machine (separate from the cash register), then a 3-layer (again, iirc) sales receipt on top; the first layer a stiff type of paper and the bottom two very thin and delicate; the quality of typing copy paper also called "onion skin paper" used back in the day when duplicates of a document required a separate sheet of paper for each duplicate. A moving part with a handle was then run over this stack and back again, thus the term 'zip-zap." If all went well the raised information (name, credit card number, exp. date, etc.) transferred to all three layers, one layer given to the customer as the receipt, one kept in the cashier till to be used when reconciling the sales when a cashier went off duty, and I think the third one went into a slot that led to a closed box. However - sometimes the zip didn't zap. The cashier could have run the mechanism too quickly, slightly knocking the credit card off kilter; if slight pressure wasn't placed on the open end of the form the mechanism got jammed. On rare occasions the machine broke the credit card!!! A lot more moving parts to complete a retail transaction before the point of sale terminals that were connected to computers were introduced but, as odd as it sounds, as I learned to use the cash register and developed stronger fingers, there was a satisfaction involved. I checked out the items of one of my best friend's mothers and recall her saying, "You can really make that register sing!" I've always remembered that.
I really dont know why I have this fascination with cash register machines. Your video is one of MANY cash register machines I've watched on YT 🥰🥰Btw, I love your machine.
If you want paper and ribbon I can supply you those to you. Heavy Duty for sure! Love these old registers. I have been in the industry for 50 years and had the luxury of attending the National Headquarters for training at NCR in Dayton Ohio for a month. I am one of only 10 individual dealers ever invited to such training. I felt like I was back in College during my stay there with my room mates. Wow what an experience and such deep history from the Grand daddy of the Cash Register Industry. I still work these trades today in a modern cash register dealership and boast machines that date back to the 1800's. Nice video of the 6000 class register. Well done.
4460cows I may take you up on that. Not so much for the receipts but for my slip printer. We used to use that a lot but when the ribbon jammed we stopped since we couldn’t find one and the gentleman who used to service it passed away years ago.
hey there! i've got an old 6065 that i've used for a decade at my bar but whose motor seems to be seized now - buzzes and makes a burny smell. any advice for how i might get'r up and running?
I worked for NCR for 45 years in Hartford Ct. I got trained on the 6000 at the Portsmouth Va school 1968.l have one i would like to sell it needs a backup crank...
Very interesting, I remember these old cash registers, as a kid, I used to like it when I'd go to the department stores with my mom and liked hearing the registers work, the sounds they made when purchases were rung up.🤔👂🏽😀👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I have also heard that, before large department stores had cash registers, cash transactions were handled through a massive tube system with persons assigned to each tube in the cash office. The tube letters were: A, B, D, E, H, K, L, and M. Years ago I worked at L.S. Ayres & Co. in Indianapolis and this is what I was told by "old timers" employed there in the 1960s.
This is so freaking cool!!!!!! Ever since I was a kid Ive always loved cash registers and I have always wanted one like this. So glad you uploaded this.
I thought I was the only one who loved cash registers and wanted one when I was a kid! Hey, I would still love to have one and I'm old now. Love that sound, reminds me of standing at Woolworth's in the check out line with my mother buying something great. Thanks for the memories in posting this video!
@@nonenone4219 listen! I thought I was the only one!! I used to ask for calculators when I was little, and whenever we went to the grocery store in my neighborhood, I would sneak and push the buttons on the cash registers that were off.
@Phoebe and 'Em Nice to meet you friend.😊 We should start an "old cash register " club..Lol, just kidding..But, they were fun for sure weren't they. Have a fabulous day.
@@nonenone4219 I think its symbolic because I do enjoy pushing peoples' buttons!! 🤣🤣 You have an amazing day as well, because I intend to! This was a nice memory!! Sign me up for the club!
I bought two of these very similar models at a thrift store in 80's for $15 each. They both worked great. One of them had a early 70's $100 bill folded up under the drawer, score!!!
I remember the sounds of this particular NCR class from my neighborood supermarket, where several skilled cashiers worked simultaneously ringing up groceries across several checkout lanes - the distictive "chunka-chunka-chunk" with each item - ultimately followed by the "chunka-chunka-chunk- -chunka-ding-chunka-chunk" when the total was registered. Much like the electro-mechanical telephone network of the day, it was a delicious soundscape which no longer exists.
Mike, what's funny about this old machine is that it STILL has a few advantages over touch screen registers, which I still don't like. First, you can push a button to "log in" for your shift. At my store, they used MS Windows software (DUMB idea, knowing how problematic that operating system was in the late 90s) on a somewhat old NCR. It would cause the register to act up once every two weeks and lock all the cashiers out. Then they had to call a manager with a key and password to reset it completely. Another thing was it wasn't fully programmed for future expansion, which makes NO sense. So you couldn't configure it for a newer credit card reader, for example. They had to ditch the ENTIRE machine and buy a whole new unit to update the credit card machine! Second, the manual reset button on this was something I would badly need. If the register at my old job needed a total reset, it took a whopping 5 minutes because of the crappy Windows software and all the extra BS loaded into it. I wouldn't have complained much if I had to use a manual register. And third, it had a ridiculous flaw in the software that enabled a counterfeiter to rip us off with a phony $100 American Express travelers check. I KNEW the check was fake when I saw it (you work as a cashier longer than 2-3 years and you develop a sixth sense, you can almost feel "funny money" when you see it, even if it's a check), yet the guy working the shift before me took it. You were supposed to run it through a scanner and it would tell you whether to accept it. He told the managers that it DID accept the check. I guess the scammer knew how the machine worked and beat it with absurd ease.
I dont like touchscreen registers either. no tactile feedback! This thing is still very usable today for just about anything. The only thing that is annoying about it is the fact there are only 4 bill pockets in the drawer instead of the usual 5 today, but thats the only thing that bugs me!
@@MichaelAStanhope You'll laugh at this: even the register I used at my job had only FOUR pockets. There was no fifth pocket. Like I said, it was a retarded design and must have been designed by drunks who thought it was 1979.
I remember some of these things had a crank on the side that had to be turned at some point. No idea what is was for... most likely some mechanism that had to be wound up. Some of them also had a ringing bell. I loved watching people operating these registers as a kid.
I am clearing out my dad's storage unit and found one just like yours. I remember it in use at his motorcycle dealership for many years. Thanks for creating a great video explaining its operation.
Worked in drugstores in the 60s & 70s and loved these beasts, the store still,used them into the 90s when they were too costly to repair anymore. I remember that purple ink.
I remember these at our local grocery store. I was amazed at how fast those ladies were ringing in every item. It was pretty noisy with 7 or 8 check out lines running at once
The grocery store my mom went to (Hinky Dinky - yes - actual name) had these type of registers and I was obsessed with pushing buttons as a kid & my life dream was to be a cashier so I could get paid to push buttons. Also - I wanted to be an elevator operator for the same reason--- Way way back when
Ran one of these very well back in the 90s. Our’s added 8.25% tax ( NYC) automatically. Loved the cash drawer kept 1s on the right moving left 5s, 10s, 20s and I think we had fifth slot for mix 50s/ hundreds.there were 5 registers - but we ran 4 most times- two shifts a day each shift averaged 4,000.$ per cashier. You hit cash and the drawer popped open, or charge then we hand swiped credit cards with the manual slider
At the grocery store where I worked, whenever there was a power outage, out would come the cranks. The female cashiers would enlist the help of a bag boy to turn the crank - I guess it was too hard for them to turn.
yeah, this was back in the day when being a cashier was considered skilled labor! I've used this machine for 15 years and have issues keying in prices on it sometimes!
@@MichaelAStanhope I could do reasonably well. My store frequently had issues with wrong prices because damn management was SO lazy. As a result, I was always hitting the "price change" button and keying in a new price without hesitating. Working with a manual electric machine like this wouldn't be a big learning curve for me.
Ive never seen a mechanical one in operation before The closest ive ever seen is electronic ones which have buttons (which are still being manufactured, although most larger stores use touchscreen ones now) And i did unexpectedly end up as “tech support” for an electronic one with buttons, i was in the store as it was getting near closing time (i was with someone who was volunteering at that store, it was a small charity shop), and as they were totalling up one of the tills, it beeped, and then pretty much stopped working, and they had the bright idea of closing the draw And so i ended up having to try and come up with a way to get the draw open, i ended up figuring out which plug was for the till, and then unplugged it, and plugged it back in, thankfully it came back to life, although i did notice at a later date that they seemed to have replaced it
I miss the sound of these registers! As a litte kid, I thought the teenage bag boys were so cool, making money, talking about cars and flirting with girls and I couldn't wait to "grow up" tp be a bagger. They made bagging groceries an art!
mrmattandmrchay I have three other electromechanical registers in various states. One is a total loss and will be stripped down for parts. I will have to take some video for you!
You mentioned there wasn't a way to correct an error (subtract an amount just entered). I do remember registers like this when I was a kid when mom went shopping. I think what happened when a clerk accidentally entered $300.00 for a can of peas instead of $0.30, they would need to page the manager on the intercom. The manager would come and enter something in the register, write on a slip of paper about the error, which would go in the drawer. I guess the accounting department looked at those slips of paper at the end of the day when figuring out how much was purchased and how much is in the register. While not the same type of register, I remember mechanical type of registers when I started my first "real job" at Taco Bell. Lots of buttons on those registers too, when entering the amounts. There was a hundred dollar column button of numbers. Since nobody would ever order $100 - $900 worth of tacos or burritos (unless they wanted to poison themselves), the buttons were covered with a plastic cover. I don't think anybody ever accidentally pressed those buttons because they would need to remove the cover.
The printer does work, but the ribbon needs replaced. Its not currently in service since we moved, but once it gets put back into service, I want to get a new ribbon and proper paper for it. I don't think the slip printer is working properly though, but I can't verify as it hasn't had a good ribbon in it for many years.
Thank you for your video. I am working on one of these right now. I have a class 21 from 1954. I have a question... Do all of these registers have a audit roll that stays in the machine and customer receipt? Mine seems to only have the audit roll and no customer receipt. If it had both, are there two print heads in the machine for the two rolls? I would think all registers would print a receipt. Mine seems only to have the audit. Also, what type of oil do you use to lubricate the cash register? Mine is all frozen up and I am just starting to loosen everything up and need to lube it at some point.
We just picked up one very similar to this one. Seems to be is great shape to me but I don’t know a whole lot about them. Would love to know more and get ours actually working. It hums when plugged in now and the motor attempts to spin but doesn’t.
It is jammed. If you have a crank handle you can try to crank it manually. They are tempermental devices sometimes, they don't like to sit either. Find me on Facebook, I can always give you a hand with it if you need help.
I have a NCR cash register class 6000 model 6094. I am wondering how the paper roll travels so I can print out customer receipts? The roll that was on the bottom was 1-14" wide. However I think one can use a wider one. Thanks.
I just got an NCR #4838909/ 6104(16)rs-ri-4sc It is jammed but I replaced some of the crumbling wires and the motor works. do you know of any videos that show how to get it working again? love the video!!!
Hi. I got a model 6064 this past weekend and am trying to learn about it. Your video was EXTREMELY helpful. Couple of questions: Mine did not come with keys. Are the keys generic per model (meaning any 6064 key would work in any 6064 machine) or per unit? I ask because of the next question - how would go about getting keys? Could I get a *6064* key and be good or were they unique to a machine and am I pretty much hosed on that? Also, any suggestion about obtaining an owner's manual? Extreme thanks in advance for your response.
The main keys are typically generic. There is a X and a Z key. The Z key is the one you absolutely need to make it function properly since that is the one that will zero or reset the register. EBay would be a good place to look for keys. Search “national 6000” or “NCR keys”. If you message me on Facebook at Mike’s Mac Shack I can help you better!
All the 6000 class machines should use an A-X-1 key for the top lock (read operations) and an A-Z-1 key for the bottom lock (reset operations). They're plentiful on Ebay. You might also want to get a number 2 key to lock the reset lever in the out position--the lock is on the right side of the register and visible when you've pulled down the reset lever. The lock to the printer section is probably a number 5 or a number 6. And there's a reset wrench to turn the mechanical counters back to zero.
Nice cash register. What happens if someone buys more than one of the same item. Is there a way to enter a quantity, or does the cashier need to enter the same price repeatedly?
On this one you have to enter the same price multiple times. Some models you can press the department or motor bar again but not this one. Most times cashiers that used these would add multiple items up in their head that belonged together and grouped them all together as one amount.
@@MichaelAStanhope What's funny is that even electronic registers had this same issue when they first came out. You could tell because items on the receipt would show up again and again, indicating the register couldn't group the same department items together.
I got one a little different from a garage sale and I was wondering how to open it I have an old collection of money I would like too put in but don't have keys or nothing
email me at mikesancientarcade@gmail.com and I can help you out better. There are so many different machines, its hard to give you the correct information on a UA-cam comment!
I have an NCR class 6000, model is 6054M(9)7X-11C. It is jammed hard in mid cycle. I would like to remove the covers and take a luck inside. It came with about 11 keys on a ring, including 2, 5, A-X-1 and A-Z-1. What is the procedure for removing the covers? Thanks - GREAT VIDEO!!
I have never actually taken the cover off myself. I've always had this serviced by someone else. I know you need to remove the motor bar which just pulls off if you pull hard on it, and the one white key nearest the printer that is held in with a screw. You can remove the top glass easily with a few screws, and the housing I believe just comes off once you remove the screws around it. You can manually crank the register, if you have a crank. There is a crank hole on the side. Best of luck, these are tricky when they are locked up.
Im not entirely sure. I've never tried. I know many of them have a little latch on the bottom you can trigger to manually open the drawer, or you can use the crank, but cranking it assumes its not locked up inside.
I'm guessing that the model number is actually 6156, not 6155. The last digit should be the number of amount rows. 6155 would mean that the highest amount row would be hundreds. The middle two digits (15) is the number of totalling keys: 9 departments + 6 clerks.
It is actually stamped 6155 on the tag. Not sure if it was changed after manufacture, or a last minute thing, but nice to know how to read the model number, I never knew thats what the model numbers meant.
Enzo20061234 very carefully. There are mechanical counters inside for each department and clerk. I can’t explain any further than that because I honestly don’t know.
They did those letters to keep confusion out of the mix, but B and D can be confused if you're dyslexic. NCR didn't think about that one. The letters should be A, B, E, H, K, and R. If I ran a business with one of those, I'd put $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills in the drawer. The $50 and $100 bills would go in a lock-box. The coins in the drawer will be pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. The $1 coins will go in a lock-box separate from the $50 and $100 bills, which will have separate lock boxes from each other. The lock on each box will have it's own key, and there will be security pins. Most lockpickers will fail to get in, and the boxes will only be under the counter during business hours. They'll be in a secure area the rest of the time. The register will get X-ed after each shift, and Z-ed at the end of the day. The money in the register will be collected at the end of the day and put in separate lock boxes from each other, but those boxes will be taken to the bank twice a day. One time will be during lunch, and the other time will be at the end of the day. The boxes for the $1 coins and the $50 and $100 bills will only be taken at the end of the day. The money will be deposited in an account for business expenses. 50% of the profit at the end of the month will be given to the employees, 25% will be kept for personal expenses, the remaining 25% will be donated to any homeless shelters and wounded warrior funds that are located within a reasonable distance.
Hey Michael Stanhope, cool register! I own about 35 (electro-)mechanical and 15 electronical cash registers. Which Michael Stanhope are you on Facebook? The one with the penguin of the profile picture?
For the sales tax, why not just multiply the dollars by 6 in your head, and then insert a decimal point 2 places from the right? Of course, you might have to add up to 6 cents extra to get the exact amount, but that's the general idea.
Robert Lozyniak sales tax in PA is complicated. Not everything is taxable in general. For instance when we sell parts we have to charge tax but labor is not taxable. Inspections have tax included. It’s screwed up. And for this video I was just doing random things, not an actual transaction.
@@MichaelAStanhope It sounds like you would need to keep a calculator (or, in the old days, a pencil and scratch paper) by the register in order to keep track of everything.
Look around, and get lucky. I think I got this one in the classified ads locally, we have had it for about 30 years now. I regularly look online and use search terms like "Register" "NCR" and "NATIONAL" to find registers, but you have to be careful as many have been out of service for decades and will need alot of service or restoration.
I have a 6155 from my late dad's shop. I have it in my home now, and my grandkids like to play with it. Now the drawer won't open. I get a ring, but no action. Can an expert out there tell me how to fix it? Thanks, Alan
Most likely the solenoid that opens the drawer is getting sticky after 50+ years, I've had issues with that one mine as well. If you push the drawer in while doing some no-sale actions it may allow the drawer to open. You can also access the solenoid by removing the lower casing and accessing it in the rear of the register.
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks for the reply. Is this "Mike" that I'm writing to? I removed the base and am able to see a solenoid that has an attached J-piece that hooks to an L-piece on the back of the drawer. The "no-sale" action rings the bell and moves the J-piece upward, but I have to manually push the draw forward to disengage the L-piece. The drawer only moves forward 1/8". I assume there is a mechanism(s) with a spring to allow the draw to move forward to be fully open. I can't see an access point, though. I appreciate your time and advice, and I won't mind paying you for step-by-step instructions. Not only is it important to my grandkids, but it'd be nice to have a functioning family heirloom. Thank you again, Alan
@@alansakimoto1951 Yes, I am Mike :). I really can't give you much more to go on other than that, I have always had the register that I have serviced by a professional (who unfortunately is no longer with us), and it sits in storage now as I have no place to put it since my step-dads garage closed a few years ago. Sounds like you might have a worn out part on your drawer. I suggest you contact Bob at www.myoldncr.com by phone. He is a wonderful man and if he can help you i'm sure he will be happy to give you some guidance, and if you need any parts, he will have them!
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks, Mike. I'll email him. Phoning can be awkward if I'm interrupting something. Again, I commend you for sharing your expertise, promptly and kindly. --Alan
I have this cash register. It was given to me. It is jammed and not operating. I would like to turn it into an art project. I want to remove its guts so it isn't as heavy. Can it be done? I am not mechanical but am willing to try.
I guess it depends on how much you want to retain of the machine. These are extremely complex machines inside. You can remove all of the guts, but the casing won't have anything to hold on to, if you want, you can try to remove the mechanicals and save the frame, but its likely going to be frustrating. I've never had to repair this one, but I know it can be a nightmare.
@@MichaelAStanhope thank you for your reply, I think I will not touch the inside. I thought I could alleviate the extreme weight of it. It is a tank of a machine. I tried to give it away, no one wants it, go figure. I am stuck with this 200 lb door stopper.
When you move the lever down to total, and press the motor bar, it shows the total on the screen, and the drawer comes open. If you want to do a no-sale, just move the lever down to total and press the motor bar, and it will do a "no-sale".
To my knowledge these don't have bells in them. I have never heard a 6000 with a bell, but that doesn't mean anything. There has never been a bell in it, and likely if it has one, it was disconnected or ordered without it as it was in a higher end department store to keep noise down.
@@MichaelAStanhope Well then I guess Wanamaker's in Philadelphia (Now Macy's) wasn't considered a "high class" department store. During the quiet portions of the daily organ concerts, recording during the 1970's you can hear the bells of the mechanical cash registers ;)
@@MichaelAStanhope What happens if you try to use "odometer rollover" to do subtraction? (Example: if you wish to subtract $1, you do it by adding $9999.)
Cash inflation calculator shows that machine would cost $6,302.91 in 2023 if it originally cost $600 in 1059 cumulative inflation rate between those years being 950%.
have you ever used a mechanical cash register? You have to use some force, not to mention this thing is due for service so the keys are a little sticky. Unlike the cheap electronic cash registers of today, these are made for a little "force" :).
The reason there is no C Clerk key is that NCR did not want the accountant or book keeper to get in mixed up with Cash transactions on the audit tapes, if you have enough clerk keys they also skip I which they did not want bookkeeping to get confused with the dept 1 or roman numeral I. They also have no clerk F, so as to not confuse with E. I either read this somewhere or someone told me. I have model 992 from 1919, it was the same way then
texjwc Hanks for shedding light on that. I’ve asked around and nobody knew and this makes perfect sense.
They also skip the letter G. I believe that's because on models where the clerk keys do not have individual totals, the clerks are collected in a group and the normal clerk total (lever just above SUBTOTAL) prints a G in the left-hand column on the receipt instead of the usual X2 symbol.
I loved seeing one of these in action again! I have a memory from childhood of being in the local A&P store when the power went out. The cashiers just took a crank out and inserted it into the side of the machine and cranked it over every time instead of hitting the motor bar. No stopping commerce back in the old days!
I love that resilience !
Listening to a cash register reminds me of my very young age, shopping with my mother
I love the sound of keys and the motor bar.
Omg! I thought I was the only one who loved the sound. Ive loved pushing buttons since I was 4 years old.
1968-1972 - I worked part-time during high school breaks & summers at a retail store. This is the type cash register I used. When checking out items, we first had to take the perforated half of the tag displaying the price of the item off, leaving the customer with the other half. Since I worked in a clothes department most items had these. If not, cashier called another sales person or manager to find out how much the item was and a handwritten tag was written from blank, perforated tags that were part of the cashiers' supplies. The cost of the items were entered from referencing the perforated tags the cashier held. The cash register keys were very stiff and needed a strong "finger push" to engage them. After entering each item, we then totaled the amount and added tax. Math was NOT my strong suit so, fortunately, a little card was taped to the front side of the machine for easy reference. After awhile I had the tax amounts memorized.
There were two ways of paying for the item/s. If cash (MUCH easier) we laid especially larger bills on a ledge at the bottom of the cash register until we had counted the change back to the customer. The machine didn't tell us how much was owed; we had to manually count it. To this day I appreciate the rare cashier that, even though the amount is displayed on the screen the cashier takes the time to count it back to me. The worst are the cashiers that just grab the money from the til and practically crush it into my hands. I then stand and make sure I have received the correct amount before moving on. The second method was credit cards. The only two credit cards available at the time, iirc, were MasterCard and the store's card. If a MasterCard was used, the cashier consulted a small paper catalogue that contained "bad" (ie. over the limit, stolen, etc.) cards which was updated weekly. I can just imagine that today!!!! but back then customers understood this was part of the process. The print in those catalogs was teeny, even with my good eyes then, but after awhile we could accomplish this process fairly quickly. We then used the good 'ole metal "zip-zap" machine for this transaction: placing the credit card in the space provided on the machine (separate from the cash register), then a 3-layer (again, iirc) sales receipt on top; the first layer a stiff type of paper and the bottom two very thin and delicate; the quality of typing copy paper also called "onion skin paper" used back in the day when duplicates of a document required a separate sheet of paper for each duplicate. A moving part with a handle was then run over this stack and back again, thus the term 'zip-zap." If all went well the raised information (name, credit card number, exp. date, etc.) transferred to all three layers, one layer given to the customer as the receipt, one kept in the cashier till to be used when reconciling the sales when a cashier went off duty, and I think the third one went into a slot that led to a closed box. However - sometimes the zip didn't zap. The cashier could have run the mechanism too quickly, slightly knocking the credit card off kilter; if slight pressure wasn't placed on the open end of the form the mechanism got jammed. On rare occasions the machine broke the credit card!!!
A lot more moving parts to complete a retail transaction before the point of sale terminals that were connected to computers were introduced but, as odd as it sounds, as I learned to use the cash register and developed stronger fingers, there was a satisfaction involved. I checked out the items of one of my best friend's mothers and recall her saying, "You can really make that register sing!" I've always remembered that.
I remember they had these at the grocery store when i was a kid, i loved the sound they made.
🙋🏽♀Yes, I did too.👂🏽😄👍🏾
I really dont know why I have this fascination with cash register machines. Your video is one of MANY cash register machines I've watched on YT 🥰🥰Btw, I love your machine.
If you want paper and ribbon I can supply you those to you. Heavy Duty for sure! Love these old registers. I have been in the industry for 50 years and had the luxury of attending the National Headquarters for training at NCR in Dayton Ohio for a month. I am one of only 10 individual dealers ever invited to such training. I felt like I was back in College during my stay there with my room mates. Wow what an experience and such deep history from the Grand daddy of the Cash Register Industry. I still work these trades today in a modern cash register dealership and boast machines that date back to the 1800's. Nice video of the 6000 class register. Well done.
4460cows I may take you up on that. Not so much for the receipts but for my slip printer. We used to use that a lot but when the ribbon jammed we stopped since we couldn’t find one and the gentleman who used to service it passed away years ago.
@@MichaelAStanhope . V c.
4460cows - do you have supplies for NCR Class 51 ?
hey there! i've got an old 6065 that i've used for a decade at my bar but whose motor seems to be seized now - buzzes and makes a burny smell. any advice for how i might get'r up and running?
I worked for NCR for 45 years in Hartford Ct. I got trained on the 6000 at the Portsmouth Va school 1968.l have one i would like to sell it needs a backup crank...
Very interesting, I remember these old cash registers, as a kid, I used to like it when I'd go to the department stores with my mom and liked hearing the registers work, the sounds they made when purchases were rung up.🤔👂🏽😀👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I have also heard that, before large department stores had cash registers, cash transactions were handled through a massive tube system with persons assigned to each tube in the cash office. The tube letters were: A, B, D, E, H, K, L, and M. Years ago I worked at L.S. Ayres & Co. in Indianapolis and this is what I was told by "old timers" employed there in the 1960s.
My secret fantasy is to be a cashier in the sixties so I can use one of these all day.
😂 mine too when I was a kid in the 70s
This is so freaking cool!!!!!! Ever since I was a kid Ive always loved cash registers and I have always wanted one like this. So glad you uploaded this.
I thought I was the only one who loved cash registers and wanted one when I was a kid! Hey, I would still love to have one and I'm old now. Love that sound, reminds me of standing at Woolworth's in the check out line with my mother buying something great. Thanks for the memories in posting this video!
@@nonenone4219 listen! I thought I was the only one!! I used to ask for calculators when I was little, and whenever we went to the grocery store in my neighborhood, I would sneak and push the buttons on the cash registers that were off.
@Phoebe and 'Em Nice to meet you friend.😊 We should start an "old cash register " club..Lol, just kidding..But, they were fun for sure weren't they. Have a fabulous day.
@@nonenone4219 I think its symbolic because I do enjoy pushing peoples' buttons!! 🤣🤣 You have an amazing day as well, because I intend to! This was a nice memory!! Sign me up for the club!
I bought two of these very similar models at a thrift store in 80's for $15 each. They both worked great. One of them had a early 70's $100 bill folded up under the drawer, score!!!
I trained on one in 1973. Stayed in the grocery business until this past May, 2021. Great memories.
I remember the sounds of this particular NCR class from my neighborood supermarket, where several skilled cashiers worked simultaneously ringing up groceries across several checkout lanes - the distictive "chunka-chunka-chunk" with each item - ultimately followed by the "chunka-chunka-chunk- -chunka-ding-chunka-chunk" when the total was registered. Much like the electro-mechanical telephone network of the day, it was a delicious soundscape which no longer exists.
Thanks for showing this register-they are a classic and i remember them from the 1960's.
And we still use one in 2019!
Mike, what's funny about this old machine is that it STILL has a few advantages over touch screen registers, which I still don't like. First, you can push a button to "log in" for your shift. At my store, they used MS Windows software (DUMB idea, knowing how problematic that operating system was in the late 90s) on a somewhat old NCR. It would cause the register to act up once every two weeks and lock all the cashiers out. Then they had to call a manager with a key and password to reset it completely. Another thing was it wasn't fully programmed for future expansion, which makes NO sense. So you couldn't configure it for a newer credit card reader, for example. They had to ditch the ENTIRE machine and buy a whole new unit to update the credit card machine! Second, the manual reset button on this was something I would badly need. If the register at my old job needed a total reset, it took a whopping 5 minutes because of the crappy Windows software and all the extra BS loaded into it. I wouldn't have complained much if I had to use a manual register. And third, it had a ridiculous flaw in the software that enabled a counterfeiter to rip us off with a phony $100 American Express travelers check. I KNEW the check was fake when I saw it (you work as a cashier longer than 2-3 years and you develop a sixth sense, you can almost feel "funny money" when you see it, even if it's a check), yet the guy working the shift before me took it. You were supposed to run it through a scanner and it would tell you whether to accept it. He told the managers that it DID accept the check. I guess the scammer knew how the machine worked and beat it with absurd ease.
I dont like touchscreen registers either. no tactile feedback! This thing is still very usable today for just about anything. The only thing that is annoying about it is the fact there are only 4 bill pockets in the drawer instead of the usual 5 today, but thats the only thing that bugs me!
@@MichaelAStanhope You'll laugh at this: even the register I used at my job had only FOUR pockets. There was no fifth pocket. Like I said, it was a retarded design and must have been designed by drunks who thought it was 1979.
I remember some of these things had a crank on the side that had to be turned at some point. No idea what is was for... most likely some mechanism that had to be wound up. Some of them also had a ringing bell.
I loved watching people operating these registers as a kid.
Yes, you could put a crank in the side for manual operation. Unfortunately, i do not have the crank for it.
I am clearing out my dad's storage unit and found one just like yours. I remember it in use at his motorcycle dealership for many years. Thanks for creating a great video explaining its operation.
Worked in drugstores in the 60s & 70s and loved these beasts, the store still,used them into the 90s when they were too costly to repair anymore. I remember that purple ink.
Ah, that reminds me of the purple Ditto ink paper assignments the teachers would hand out in school as a kid. I loved the smell of that ink.😆
I remember these at our local grocery store. I was amazed at how fast those ladies were ringing in every item. It was pretty noisy with 7 or 8 check out lines running at once
The grocery store my mom went to (Hinky Dinky - yes - actual name) had these type of registers and I was obsessed with pushing buttons as a kid & my life dream was to be a cashier so I could get paid to push buttons. Also - I wanted to be an elevator operator for the same reason--- Way way back when
That unit is iconic. I’ve seen more of them in my life than I’ve had hot dinners.
Ran one of these very well back in the 90s. Our’s added 8.25% tax ( NYC) automatically. Loved the cash drawer kept 1s on the right moving left 5s, 10s, 20s and I think we had fifth slot for mix 50s/ hundreds.there were 5 registers - but we ran 4 most times- two shifts a day each shift averaged 4,000.$ per cashier. You hit cash and the drawer popped open, or charge then we hand swiped credit cards with the manual slider
Heard the story of this video on your VCF East 2023 Roundtable and just had to come a check it out.
This is SO COOL!!!!!
At the grocery store where I worked, whenever there was a power outage, out would come the cranks. The female cashiers would enlist the help of a bag boy to turn the crank - I guess it was too hard for them to turn.
This was made to last FOREVER
My favorite cash register!😍
Thank you for posting!
Mine too!
I learned on one just like that and used 1 for several years working my way through college
Manually entering the price of every single item purchased. Glad scanners were invented.
yeah, this was back in the day when being a cashier was considered skilled labor! I've used this machine for 15 years and have issues keying in prices on it sometimes!
@@MichaelAStanhope I could do reasonably well. My store frequently had issues with wrong prices because damn management was SO lazy. As a result, I was always hitting the "price change" button and keying in a new price without hesitating. Working with a manual electric machine like this wouldn't be a big learning curve for me.
@@MichaelAStanhope they were skilled! I remember watching in fascination as their fingers flew over the keys!
I love this video! Thanks so much for sharing it. Just subscribed.
Mr Mackey and his cash register "Mmmkay"
I love that register
Cool machine! 👍
Ive never seen a mechanical one in operation before
The closest ive ever seen is electronic ones which have buttons (which are still being manufactured, although most larger stores use touchscreen ones now)
And i did unexpectedly end up as “tech support” for an electronic one with buttons, i was in the store as it was getting near closing time (i was with someone who was volunteering at that store, it was a small charity shop), and as they were totalling up one of the tills, it beeped, and then pretty much stopped working, and they had the bright idea of closing the draw
And so i ended up having to try and come up with a way to get the draw open, i ended up figuring out which plug was for the till, and then unplugged it, and plugged it back in, thankfully it came back to life, although i did notice at a later date that they seemed to have replaced it
I miss the sound of these registers! As a litte kid, I thought the teenage bag boys were so cool, making money, talking about cars and flirting with girls and I couldn't wait to "grow up" tp be a bagger. They made bagging groceries an art!
I remember those when I was a kid
I want to mess with it RIGHT NOW :o
It was better than today
The clerk keys were marked with letters that did not look alike...
I used one at a gas station I worked at back in 92.
Nice cash register.
Quite amazing considering it’s all mechanical
Very interesting machine. Would love to see how it worked, but doing would be a huge risk that it wouldn't go back together again!!
mrmattandmrchay I have three other electromechanical registers in various states. One is a total loss and will be stripped down for parts. I will have to take some video for you!
You mentioned there wasn't a way to correct an error (subtract an amount just entered). I do remember registers like this when I was a kid when mom went shopping. I think what happened when a clerk accidentally entered $300.00 for a can of peas instead of $0.30, they would need to page the manager on the intercom. The manager would come and enter something in the register, write on a slip of paper about the error, which would go in the drawer. I guess the accounting department looked at those slips of paper at the end of the day when figuring out how much was purchased and how much is in the register.
While not the same type of register, I remember mechanical type of registers when I started my first "real job" at Taco Bell. Lots of buttons on those registers too, when entering the amounts. There was a hundred dollar column button of numbers. Since nobody would ever order $100 - $900 worth of tacos or burritos (unless they wanted to poison themselves), the buttons were covered with a plastic cover. I don't think anybody ever accidentally pressed those buttons because they would need to remove the cover.
THANK YOU !!!!
Watching this again.
next year I am hopeful I can get it back out of storage and do a proper video with my newer equipment instead of a cell phone in a dark back room!
I remember Woolworth's having register's like this..
They left the thousand-counter buttons in because they thought we'd still be using these in 2023.
Love these machines. Would be interesting to see paper receipt.
The printer does work, but the ribbon needs replaced. Its not currently in service since we moved, but once it gets put back into service, I want to get a new ribbon and proper paper for it. I don't think the slip printer is working properly though, but I can't verify as it hasn't had a good ribbon in it for many years.
That is a typewriter cash register. Is that several daisy wheels inside the display?
I don't imagine any shop in the world uses such a machine today.
you don't have to imagine, I use this one every day at my garage, thats why we have it.
Thank you for your video. I am working on one of these right now. I have a class 21 from 1954. I have a question... Do all of these registers have a audit roll that stays in the machine and customer receipt?
Mine seems to only have the audit roll and no customer receipt. If it had both, are there two print heads in the machine for the two rolls?
I would think all registers would print a receipt. Mine seems only to have the audit. Also, what type of oil do you use to lubricate the cash register?
Mine is all frozen up and I am just starting to loosen everything up and need to lube it at some point.
This is so cool! I was always curious how these registers operated. Do you have any videos on vintage adding machines?
No, but I should get my manual Underwood adding machine out of storage and do one on that.
We just picked up one very similar to this one. Seems to be is great shape to me but I don’t know a whole lot about them. Would love to know more and get ours actually working. It hums when plugged in now and the motor attempts to spin but doesn’t.
It is jammed. If you have a crank handle you can try to crank it manually. They are tempermental devices sometimes, they don't like to sit either. Find me on Facebook, I can always give you a hand with it if you need help.
I have a NCR cash register class 6000 model 6094. I am wondering how the paper roll travels so I can print out customer receipts? The roll that was on the bottom was 1-14" wide. However I think one can use a wider one. Thanks.
I would love a video with no talking, just ringing things up.
There is an old grocery store video from the 60's where they ring things up. There is talking but it's different. They are in a grocery store.
Great idea! I would love that to.
I just got an NCR #4838909/ 6104(16)rs-ri-4sc It is jammed but I replaced some of the crumbling wires and the motor works. do you know of any videos that show how to get it working again? love the video!!!
Totalling up the cash almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter
Does NCR even have parts for that thing! That’s cool (an old timy cash register)
The same kind used on Grocery Game on The Price Is Right.
I am just shocked to see this is possible mechanically. I wonder what the insides look like…
Stay tuned, as soon as I can find a way to power it while it is in storage, I plan on taking the cover off and looking inside.
Yeah I don’t think I’d work as a cashier if I lived in the olden days 😅
Hi. I got a model 6064 this past weekend and am trying to learn about it. Your video was EXTREMELY helpful. Couple of questions: Mine did not come with keys. Are the keys generic per model (meaning any 6064 key would work in any 6064 machine) or per unit? I ask because of the next question - how would go about getting keys? Could I get a *6064* key and be good or were they unique to a machine and am I pretty much hosed on that? Also, any suggestion about obtaining an owner's manual? Extreme thanks in advance for your response.
The main keys are typically generic. There is a X and a Z key. The Z key is the one you absolutely need to make it function properly since that is the one that will zero or reset the register. EBay would be a good place to look for keys. Search “national 6000” or “NCR keys”. If you message me on Facebook at Mike’s Mac Shack I can help you better!
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks. I will be in touch. Is this you? facebook.com/MikesMacShack/
All the 6000 class machines should use an A-X-1 key for the top lock (read operations) and an A-Z-1 key for the bottom lock (reset operations). They're plentiful on Ebay. You might also want to get a number 2 key to lock the reset lever in the out position--the lock is on the right side of the register and visible when you've pulled down the reset lever. The lock to the printer section is probably a number 5 or a number 6. And there's a reset wrench to turn the mechanical counters back to zero.
When cashiers still a thing
Nice cash register. What happens if someone buys more than one of the same item. Is there a way to enter a quantity, or does the cashier need to enter the same price repeatedly?
On this one you have to enter the same price multiple times. Some models you can press the department or motor bar again but not this one. Most times cashiers that used these would add multiple items up in their head that belonged together and grouped them all together as one amount.
@@MichaelAStanhope What's funny is that even electronic registers had this same issue when they first came out. You could tell because items on the receipt would show up again and again, indicating the register couldn't group the same department items together.
I got one a little different from a garage sale and I was wondering how to open it I have an old collection of money I would like too put in but don't have keys or nothing
email me at mikesancientarcade@gmail.com and I can help you out better. There are so many different machines, its hard to give you the correct information on a UA-cam comment!
I have an NCR class 6000, model is 6054M(9)7X-11C. It is jammed hard in mid cycle. I would like to remove the covers and take a luck inside. It came with about 11 keys on a ring, including 2, 5, A-X-1 and A-Z-1. What is the procedure for removing the covers? Thanks - GREAT VIDEO!!
I have never actually taken the cover off myself. I've always had this serviced by someone else. I know you need to remove the motor bar which just pulls off if you pull hard on it, and the one white key nearest the printer that is held in with a screw. You can remove the top glass easily with a few screws, and the housing I believe just comes off once you remove the screws around it.
You can manually crank the register, if you have a crank. There is a crank hole on the side. Best of luck, these are tricky when they are locked up.
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks - got it! The cabinet was hung up on the crank release stud, which I found just unscrews.
is there a way to open it w/o power? I have one but doesnt seem to function, interested in the drawer contents
Im not entirely sure. I've never tried. I know many of them have a little latch on the bottom you can trigger to manually open the drawer, or you can use the crank, but cranking it assumes its not locked up inside.
I'm guessing that the model number is actually 6156, not 6155. The last digit should be the number of amount rows. 6155 would mean that the highest amount row would be hundreds.
The middle two digits (15) is the number of totalling keys: 9 departments + 6 clerks.
It is actually stamped 6155 on the tag. Not sure if it was changed after manufacture, or a last minute thing, but nice to know how to read the model number, I never knew thats what the model numbers meant.
@@MichaelAStanhope It's certainly possible that the 9000.00 row was added after manufacture.
How did the machine store the transactions
Enzo20061234 very carefully. There are mechanical counters inside for each department and clerk. I can’t explain any further than that because I honestly don’t know.
They did those letters to keep confusion out of the mix, but B and D can be confused if you're dyslexic. NCR didn't think about that one. The letters should be A, B, E, H, K, and R. If I ran a business with one of those, I'd put $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills in the drawer. The $50 and $100 bills would go in a lock-box. The coins in the drawer will be pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. The $1 coins will go in a lock-box separate from the $50 and $100 bills, which will have separate lock boxes from each other. The lock on each box will have it's own key, and there will be security pins. Most lockpickers will fail to get in, and the boxes will only be under the counter during business hours. They'll be in a secure area the rest of the time. The register will get X-ed after each shift, and Z-ed at the end of the day. The money in the register will be collected at the end of the day and put in separate lock boxes from each other, but those boxes will be taken to the bank twice a day. One time will be during lunch, and the other time will be at the end of the day. The boxes for the $1 coins and the $50 and $100 bills will only be taken at the end of the day. The money will be deposited in an account for business expenses. 50% of the profit at the end of the month will be given to the employees, 25% will be kept for personal expenses, the remaining 25% will be donated to any homeless shelters and wounded warrior funds that are located within a reasonable distance.
Hey Michael Stanhope, cool register! I own about 35 (electro-)mechanical and 15 electronical cash registers.
Which Michael Stanhope are you on Facebook? The one with the penguin of the profile picture?
ONKFilm no the other one. Mine has a pic of myself on it 😁
@@MichaelAStanhopeWith the blue shirt in front of green grass? I find plenty Michael Stanhopes on Facebook.
@@MichaelAStanhope, I sent you a friend request on Facebook. Hope it's the right profile.
For the sales tax, why not just multiply the dollars by 6 in your head, and then insert a decimal point 2 places from the right? Of course, you might have to add up to 6 cents extra to get the exact amount, but that's the general idea.
Robert Lozyniak sales tax in PA is complicated. Not everything is taxable in general. For instance when we sell parts we have to charge tax but labor is not taxable. Inspections have tax included. It’s screwed up. And for this video I was just doing random things, not an actual transaction.
@@MichaelAStanhope It sounds like you would need to keep a calculator (or, in the old days, a pencil and scratch paper) by the register in order to keep track of everything.
How do I buy one of these in working condition?
Look around, and get lucky. I think I got this one in the classified ads locally, we have had it for about 30 years now. I regularly look online and use search terms like "Register" "NCR" and "NATIONAL" to find registers, but you have to be careful as many have been out of service for decades and will need alot of service or restoration.
I have a 6155 from my late dad's shop. I have it in my home now, and my grandkids like to play with it. Now the drawer won't open. I get a ring, but no action. Can an expert out there tell me how to fix it? Thanks, Alan
Most likely the solenoid that opens the drawer is getting sticky after 50+ years, I've had issues with that one mine as well. If you push the drawer in while doing some no-sale actions it may allow the drawer to open. You can also access the solenoid by removing the lower casing and accessing it in the rear of the register.
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks for the reply. Is this "Mike" that I'm writing to? I removed the base and am able to see a solenoid that has an attached J-piece that hooks to an L-piece on the back of the drawer. The "no-sale" action rings the bell and moves the J-piece upward, but I have to manually push the draw forward to disengage the L-piece. The drawer only moves forward 1/8". I assume there is a mechanism(s) with a spring to allow the draw to move forward to be fully open. I can't see an access point, though.
I appreciate your time and advice, and I won't mind paying you for step-by-step instructions. Not only is it important to my grandkids, but it'd be nice to have a functioning family heirloom. Thank you again, Alan
@@alansakimoto1951 Yes, I am Mike :). I really can't give you much more to go on other than that, I have always had the register that I have serviced by a professional (who unfortunately is no longer with us), and it sits in storage now as I have no place to put it since my step-dads garage closed a few years ago.
Sounds like you might have a worn out part on your drawer. I suggest you contact Bob at www.myoldncr.com by phone. He is a wonderful man and if he can help you i'm sure he will be happy to give you some guidance, and if you need any parts, he will have them!
@@MichaelAStanhope Thanks, Mike. I'll email him. Phoning can be awkward if I'm interrupting something. Again, I commend you for sharing your expertise, promptly and kindly.
--Alan
I know it's a bit late, but how about ASMR of the operation of this machine
I have this cash register. It was given to me. It is jammed and not operating. I would like to turn it into an art project. I want to remove its guts so it isn't as heavy. Can it be done? I am not mechanical but am willing to try.
Mine is a 6095, little bit different.
I guess it depends on how much you want to retain of the machine. These are extremely complex machines inside. You can remove all of the guts, but the casing won't have anything to hold on to, if you want, you can try to remove the mechanicals and save the frame, but its likely going to be frustrating. I've never had to repair this one, but I know it can be a nightmare.
@@MichaelAStanhope thank you for your reply, I think I will not touch the inside. I thought I could alleviate the extreme weight of it. It is a tank of a machine. I tried to give it away, no one wants it, go figure. I am stuck with this 200 lb door stopper.
How do you open the drawer?
When you move the lever down to total, and press the motor bar, it shows the total on the screen, and the drawer comes open. If you want to do a no-sale, just move the lever down to total and press the motor bar, and it will do a "no-sale".
You have the drawer bell disabled?
To my knowledge these don't have bells in them. I have never heard a 6000 with a bell, but that doesn't mean anything. There has never been a bell in it, and likely if it has one, it was disconnected or ordered without it as it was in a higher end department store to keep noise down.
@@MichaelAStanhope Well then I guess Wanamaker's in Philadelphia (Now Macy's) wasn't considered a "high class" department store. During the quiet portions of the daily organ concerts, recording during the 1970's you can hear the bells of the mechanical cash registers ;)
Something that is 64 years old can not be classified as antique until its 80 90 or 100 years old sory did research soo I know
very nice i have 4 of these all of mine have subtraction
Original Restorer wish mine did. It works though and does its job 50 years later though!
@@MichaelAStanhope What happens if you try to use "odometer rollover" to do subtraction? (Example: if you wish to subtract $1, you do it by adding $9999.)
Are you into mechanical typewriters at all? I'd be willing to trade several for one functional cash register.
cuánto es su valor.pesos.
Mike do you still have it
Yep!
Give us a look inside?
Im working on that. Register is in storage right now, i'm trying to find some way to power it since my storage has no power.
LMAO it out lasted the ole Bon Ton department store
Cash inflation calculator shows that machine would cost $6,302.91 in 2023 if it originally cost $600 in 1059 cumulative inflation rate between those years being 950%.
1959
have to watch 2x speed.
Lol u press the buttons so aggressively
have you ever used a mechanical cash register? You have to use some force, not to mention this thing is due for service so the keys are a little sticky. Unlike the cheap electronic cash registers of today, these are made for a little "force" :).
@@MichaelAStanhope
I actually own one, u dont have to press that hard if u keep it properly oiled
@@MichaelAStanhope and yeah I understand, age does put it through the ringer
Stop talking and just show us how it works 🤦
Wanted to be a cashier so bad just to press the keys amd hear the noise.