# Plastic vs Wood cash register?



## Kama82 (Mar 12, 2006)

My mom isn't doing well this year, we are going to spend Christmas at her house but she isn't up to shopping so she wants me to pick the gifts for my daughter and just spend her money on it. She just loves to see my daughter happy and see her opening gifts.
I have made the mistake of letting my daughter sit with my at the computer when I was looking at toys and it turns out she is very opinionated.

She loves to "check out" so I want to get her a cash register. I love this one:
http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin...ch%20Result|P1
But it doesn't have a scanner which is the part she really wants. It does have an addition you can buy that does come with a scanner :
http://www.magiccabin.com/magiccabin...ch%20Result|P1
But that brings the total up to $140 plus tax.

On top of all that she, of course, likes this one better:
http://www.amazon.com/YOUniverse-Tal...8594797&sr=8-3
It just looks like such a piece of annoying plastic junk to me though. However it is only $42 and it comes with a scanner.

I thought about getting just the market set with the scanner but she says she wants the "bigger" one (the actual cash register part too). When I ask her if she likes the wooden one she says "nono, I like the _nicer_ one". She is VERY firm on her opinion on this, she really wants the blue _nicer_ one and she doesn't like the alternatives.

I do really love the wooden one, it is so pretty and I have wanted to get it for her for ages, I would love to get the whole set but the $100 more price tag is killing me. I could buy her a lot of art supplies with that $100 you know? I am not opposed to plastic toys on principal or anything, I just don't want a piece of junk toy that is going to squash her imagination. Right now she uses pens as her "check out" tool (they look like the library pencil type scanner) and makes her own beeping noises. I don't want to stifle her creativity.
The bottom line though is that this gift is for her and neither myself or my parents have money to burn, we are _very_ fortunate to be having this much money for Christmas this year. She is very firm in her opinion on this, she wants the "blue nicer one" and no substitute will do. I have a hard time justifying spending more money on the one she doesn't want just because it is the one *I* want, I mean it is for *her*. I would rather get her a few high quality plastic toys than one trendy wooden one. Does anyone have experience with either of these toys?

I thought about dropping the whole issue by getting her a doctor's kit instead but I can't for the life of me find one that doesn't look like a load of junk to me. I have seen the FAO schwartz one and it is expensive and doesn't look like a lot of fun, I found a highly rated plastic one on amazon but it is also fairly expensive and looks pretty junky.

Anyone own either of the registers? Is it really worth $100 more when you don't have much money? The plastic one does appear to be fairly high quality.
Any input is greatly appreciated, especially if you have one of these yourself!

She will be just before Christmas if age matters for toy appropriateness.


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## glendora (Jan 24, 2005)

I'd go with the plastic one, if you're not opposed on principle.


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## hanno (Oct 4, 2006)

I'd keep looking. If she doesn't like the first one, she doesn't like it. There has to be a compromise somewhere. A less-annoying plastic one--maybe that doesn't talk? The thing that stands out in my mind is that the cash registers we have to use (at least at the big stores) are annoying plastic, beeping, talking things too


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## ZippyGirl (Aug 12, 2006)

I prefer the wooden cash registers, but that is just me. Magic Cabin is very expensive, so you might want to shop around. The first one you showed is the Selecta cash register, I believe.

My dd loves this cash register from HABA, but it is pretty simple without a scanner and other do-dads. But she loves it!!!


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## LuxPerpetua (Dec 17, 2003)

My dd and yours ought to get together.









DD is getting the Selecta cash register and set from Magic Cabin for Christmas this year because she's obsessed with credit card swiping. I have looked at every known toy cash register in existence, and this one is the nicest, imo. She's getting both the register and the market set. When it came, I unwrapped it and played with it and it is very nice--lots of cool add-ons, like buttons that are spring-loaded that push down, a bell that chimes, a squeaker on the scanner, and buttons that push for the credit card machine. With that said, though, dd would probably have been just as happy with the plastic one (I also debated about getting it) but since her toy room is our living room I like the few toys she has to be wooden as they do look nicer. We also got bonus $ this year, so I splurged.

I personally have no beef with plastic (dh is actually a plastics engineer) but I do like toys that aren't annoying. Can you get the plastic one and just not put batteries in it? I don't think that one is ugly or junky looking myself. And, I think that the wooden toy market is rather manipulative these days. From my experience dd plays with her plastic toys every bit as creatively as with her wooden ones.

My verdict is to get her the one she wants and not put in batteries.


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## Kama82 (Mar 12, 2006)

Is there anywhere with the selecta cash register cheaper than $69? I can only find it more expensive other places.
The batteries idea is good but she is far too clever for that, she is really good at telling if something "should" have batteries and will be very unhappy until we fix the "dead" toy.


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## MamieCole (Jun 1, 2007)

There is this one: http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...es=10190200000
that my DS loves to play with when we go to a local toy store. Still plastic, but the only sounds it makes are beeps. It doesn't talk.


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## momofmine (Jan 8, 2007)

I just found this thread, because I am looking at cash registers tonight for my little one. I am trying to decide between the one from Magic Cabin above, by Selecta, or this one at Nova naturals:

http://www.novanatural.com/s.nl/it.A...category=20883

Any opinions?


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## lizabird (Jan 19, 2004)

We bought this one for my ds for his 4th birthday. I wanted one as realistic as possible (e.g. buttons make noise when you push them but the dang blasted thing doesn't have to talk to him). This one gets a LOT of playtime at our house (ds is now 5 and still plays with it, as does his now 2 yr old brother). I seriously doubt that a wooden cash register would get nearly the same amount of use from my kids as this one. It's one of the very few plastic toys we have and really like.


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

we have the same one a lizabird. Both mine (4 and 2) like it and p

It is pretty sturdy lay with it quite a lot.

I don't think could justify spending lots more for a wooden one, I'd rather be able to get a few accessories (shopping basket or something).


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## Ligeia (Jul 24, 2006)

Our dd has a "Parents" brand cash register we got at target. It's plastic but considerably less annoying and has a little class to it. It's modeled after more old fashioned ones. We got it at Target so it was like $20 or so. She loves it.


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## Kama82 (Mar 12, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice, we actually ended up bypassing the issue and getting her an easel instead







but this is great advice, I might end up buying her the cash register anyway in January so I really appreciate the suggestions.

I think I will go for a plastic one, the early learning centre one seems like a great choice, beeps are fine but I really don't want the darn thing talking to her, I will also check out the parenting one at target that sounds cool too.


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