Buddy L (1938)

The pressed steel Buddy-L cash registers were in the 1938 and 1939 Buddy-L catalogs. It was called a recording tape cash register and was catalog #856 in 1938 and #956 in 1939. The 1939 catalog description reads: "A new one! The cash register actually registers the amount and completes the juvenile sale by furnishing a printed tape of the amount with the words, 'Thank You,' on it. A perfect plaything for the children playing store, and dandy to use with our #861 Motor Market. With this cash register we furnish paper play money of various denominations." Thank you to Laura at www.BuddyKToys.com  for looking up this information for me in their catalogues.

Cash Register Type that Buddy L was designed after

This is a Danish Class 100 Department Store Cash Register from the late 1920's and 1930's. You can see how the Buddy L of this period (at left)  is patterned off of this type cash register. The way it works is that you set the amount to be registered with the levers, then turn the crank on the right side. This would cause the sale to be rung up and the cash drawer opened. 

Thank you to Jeff Opt, the National Cash Register (NCR) Archivist of the Montgomery County Historical Society for his photos and information on this item.  

This is what the register looked like before I cleaned it. I used this product that the Buddy K Toys recommended called Sun Brite Cleaner. It's very gentle.