‘My home is a shrine to 185 cash registers’
2 min read
Andrew Rae has been collecting cash registers since he was 14. [ BBC]
A man who has collected cash registers for the past 40 years believes he has the largest haul in the UK.
Andrew Rae, 53, from Spilsby in Lincolnshire, has 185 vintage and electronic tills, three of which appeared in season two of Marvel Studios’ hit TV series Loki.
Mr Rae’s fascination with cash registers began when he was 14 and he admitted his house had become a shrine to the machines, which range from ornate vintage brass models to modern electronic ones.
He said although his hobby was unconventional it was a “really important part of social history”.
Mr Rae recalled his excitement when he received a call from the production company behind Loki, which was in need of an old register and asked if he could help.
“I said I’ve got one or two,” he smiled. “She said can you send over some pictures?”
One of Mr Rae’s devices was used in an episode based in a 1980s McDonald’s restaurant.
He believes his collection can be just as useful as a prop agency, as he can offer clients a choice to show to producers and directors.
“We have got three or four of exactly the same register,” he explained.
Mr Rae’s hobby began when he wrote to the director of Notts & Derby Cash Registers and asked for one of their devices.
“I was very cheeky as a child,” he said.
That request has since evolved into a lifetime of collecting.
His home, which he shares with his partner, Martin, 53, reflects his passion.
His conservatory, lined with shelves, has also become consumed by his collection, which spills out into his garage.
“There’s lots of history behind every single one and sometimes the things you find inside the tills are just as exciting as the tills themselves,” he added.
Mr Rae said although the tills were used to store money, he rarely finds cash inside them and said he was more likely to find scraps or paper and letters written to the shopkeepers.
The ultimate goal is for his collection to become part of something even bigger.
He said: “It would be ideal if one day I could find a museum that would be willing to take them and look after them.”
Source: BBC
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