Need advice on using a cash register at shows.

OK, I'm considering buying a cash register to use at shows and ditching the fanny pack. But, I would like to hear any advice or comments from more experienced sellers. (That would be any of you). What register is considered the "best" for this type of use. I know it should be AC/DC for when electricity is not available or simply cost prohibitive. So far, the only one I've seen is the Royal 115 cx, but I'm sure there are others. Tell me your good and /or bad experiences. Or, don't hesitate to say you think I'm nuts for even considering making the change. Where is the best place to purchase a new or good used register. Obviously, ebay and Amazon are options, but, there may be direct sales points I am not aware of. Any alternatives to going this route is, obviously, welcome advice.

Replies

Rich Terry April 21, 2014 at 9:38pm

I have made the switch to the Square register without the drawer. I have a change drawer in my desk stand but i keep all paper money in my front pocket. My business is about 1/2 cash and 1/2 plastic and i am not comfortable keeping it in my stand. When i am on the road for a few weeks at a time i will convert cash into money orders if I cannot find a Chase nearby and then I can deposit the money orders into my Chase account via my Chase mobile app.
Chris Hoyt April 21, 2014 at 6:33am

I agree with people that if you do a lot of larger items, most customers will give you plastic.

But there are a lot of us who do a majority of our sales in cold hard cash. So I have had a register since 1990. Actually, I've had a couple of them.

And for me, the absolute best register by far is the Swintec SW20. It's compact, (maybe 6" tall) and will last forever. It runs on both battery and electric so it can go anywhere. It's not fancy either. It doesn't keep track of everything by item numbers, or 17 departments. It adds up the sale, inserts the sales tax, and gives you the total. Then at the end of the day, you can run a total of your sales.

I like that it doesn't sit high up and many customers don't even know you have it. And some exhibitors have bolted them to their checkout.

But alas, they're not cheap. They're about $175 from www.asteele.com .
Kathleen V. Smith April 21, 2014 at 1:03am

I agree with Larry on both points. Our majority are credit cards so we don't see the need for a cash register at a show. Yes, I could see how a "drawer" in a small desk could work, I guess~it's really what is comfortable for you as long as you can keep track of your sales.
Jane Meade April 21, 2014 at 12:28am

Until last year we had a small desk that had a drawer. A friend put a lock on the drawer and we got a money tray with an additional lock.. I kept the key to the drawer on a band on my wrist so it never got lst. It worked until the desk started looking beat up. However we still had customers that wanted to buy it. We finally got rid of it because we got pro panels and the desk not longer fit in the truck. I now use a purse with the bills and the change is in my chair seat. This process is more cumbersome, but it works. I liked the desk better because it gave me a place to write up each order and move the customer off from everyone else in the tent.
Greg Little April 20, 2014 at 9:15pm

If you do a lot of cash sales it might be better to get a small lockable cash box that you can easily carry with you at the end of the day. The last cash sale I had was about 2 years ago and most sales, as Larry mentioned, are credit card sales unless someone has a low cost group of items
Larry Berman April 20, 2014 at 8:25pm

I clicked on the follow button because I'm curious to see what other people say.

My feeling that it's not a good idea for two reasons. One is that it's a target because everyone sees you putting your money there and unless you're selling $10 items, most sales are credit card by a large margin so it's unneeded. The other reason is that I personally feel it's too slick an operation for an art show where artists make everything by hand. But I guess it all depends on how busy you are and whether you always have help. And what's to prevent it from disappearing?

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100