Punched Paper - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

chipp1968 · 13th May 2009, 8:31 am

This may be noncence ,but can anyone put a light on something I have brought out of my memory .As a child , early to mid 1970s I used to have an annual pair of Clarks shoes . I always kept the box .In side the box along with tissue paper in the bottom was always a strip of punched paper or thin card.
Does this have anything to do with computers ?

julie_m · 13th May 2009, 9:50 am

Yes, it's a Kimball tag. Basically a small punched card, used by retailers for stock control purposes. Computerised sales outlets would save them up (usually, on a spike next to each till, but sometimes in the till drawers) until closing time and then pass them through a reader, directly updating the mainframe and saving the need to send regular written reports to Head Office. Non-computerised outlets would simply leave the tags in the boxes.

Nickthedentist · 13th May 2009, 12:19 pm

I'm sure some library books had them too, in pre-barcode days.

N.

chipp1968 · 13th May 2009, 6:58 pm

Very interesting .Thankyou

LeakyGrid · 9th Jun 2009, 10:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

I'm sure some library books had them too, in pre-barcode days.

N.

I remember them well. This is a typical example.

Roger

Nickthedentist · 9th Jun 2009, 10:41 pm

Thanks Roger! So, I wasn't imagining things.

Nick.

13th May 2009, 8:31 am	#1
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Punched Paper This may be noncence ,but can anyone put a light on something I have brought out of my memory .As a child , early to mid 1970s I used to have an annual pair of Clarks shoes . I always kept the box .In side the box along with tissue paper in the bottom was always a strip of punched paper or thin card. Does this have anything to do with computers ?

13th May 2009, 9:50 am	#2
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Punched Paper Yes, it's a Kimball tag. Basically a small punched card, used by retailers for stock control purposes. Computerised sales outlets would save them up (usually, on a spike next to each till, but sometimes in the till drawers) until closing time and then pass them through a reader, directly updating the mainframe and saving the need to send regular written reports to Head Office. Non-computerised outlets would simply leave the tags in the boxes. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

13th May 2009, 12:19 pm	#3
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,844	Re: Punched Paper I'm sure some library books had them too, in pre-barcode days. N.

13th May 2009, 6:58 pm	#4
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Punched Paper Very interesting .Thankyou

9th Jun 2009, 10:41 pm	#6
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,844	Re: Punched Paper Thanks Roger! So, I wasn't imagining things. Nick.