More About Hardware for Consignment Shops

Hardware Equipment for Consignment Shops

Standardization in hardware is better but it is still necessary to know which hardware works with what software. If you have hardware, the quickest way to determine if it works with BCSS is to install the BCSS demo, choose your hardware (in BCSS Program Setup) and test it. All scanners should work. If available hardware does not work, we can often configure the software (for a nominal fee).

The items listed below are known to work with BCSS and have been chosen for their dependability, warranties, fast shipping, free support and affordability. Outstanding benefits of the manufacturer (POS-X) are direct phone access to their service department and next-day replacement (additional charge) or free '2-Day Rapid Replacement'.

There are no add-on fees for cables, or shipping within the continental U.S. Only actual additional shipping charges (for expedited orders and to remote or international locations) are passed through to the purchaser.

We confirm hardware orders to assure accuracy and to make sure you receive any special discounts. For example, purchased separately BCSS Diamond ($595), the cash drawer ($119), receipt printer ($284) and bar-code scanner ($99) would total $1,097. The Diamond Package includes all four items for $999 complete. (The Deluxe Package ($879) includes the same hardware.)

Hardware Packages include the VLINE Bar-Code Scanner, the XCHD Cash Drawer, and the EVO Thermal Receipt Printer.

Scanner Upgrades

The VLINE scanner included in the Special is intended for light use only and the trigger must be pulled to read a bar code. The XI3200 increases reading distance from 5" to 14" and has an optional scanner stand for hands-free scanning. It is only necessary to pass a bar code in front of the XI3200 to read the bar code - a handy feature at POS. Upgrade from VLINE to the 3200: Add $56
The XI3200BT ($492) is a wireless Bluetooth scanner with a range to 328 feet. Upgrade from VLINE to the 3200BT: Add $393

Bar Code Scanning

BCSS Deluxe, Diamond and Virtual read and write bar codes. Price, item number and item description are printed on sheets of labels, hang tags (or on adhesive or non-adhesive thermal labels using Diamond or Virtual and a thermal label printer). Bar codes, date in, the discount schedule and disposal codes are optional.

At POS scanning a bar code enters the item on a new-sale invoice. The entry includes the item's ID and description, price and the owner (consignor). BCSS auto enters a quantity of 1, taxes and 'buyer fee' (if applicable). Those entries may be edited.

VLINE Barcode Scanner ($99)

The VLINE is an inexpensive tethered scanner which connects to the PC with a 6.5' USB cable. It has a 4-inch read range, 4.7" read width and can read 200 bar codes per second. It reads all popular bar-code symbologies. This scanner is included in BCSS Special Offers. 3-Yr Warranty (more)

XI3200 Barcode Scanner ($149, Hand-Free Stand $20; upgrade from VLINE $56)

The XI3200 is a shock-resistant tethered scanner with a reading distance of up to 14 inches. The hands-free stand is almost a must at POS. Also included are the configuration software, a manual and USB cable. This scanner is available as an upgrade in BCSS Special Offers for $56. 5-Yr Warranty (more)

XI3200BT Bluetooth Wireless Scanner ($492)

The XI3200BT Bluetooth scanner is wireless with a range up to 328 feet and a reading distance up to 14 inches. It is shatter resistant. The scanner is rechargeable with a battery life up to 50,000 scans. This scanner is available as an upgrade in the BCSS Special Offers for $393. 3-Yr Warranty (more)

Each scanner is shipped with a users guide, cable and power supply where applicable.

Cash Drawer and Receipt Printer

A cash register is different from a cash drawer. All cash registers have a cash drawer. A cash register records sales and provides a printout at the end of the day for balancing the cash drawer. A cash drawer is simply a place to store money. BCSS uses your computer, receipt printer and a cash drawer in place of a cash register.

A cash drawer is typically connected to the receipt printer (which is connected to the PC). When a receipt is printed, the cash drawer opens. The cash drawer can be connected directly to the PC (without a receipt printer) using a special cable, and can be opened in BCSS by pressing the F12 key.

A receipt printer prints (on 3-inch-wide roll paper) showing the details of the sale: date, items, quantity, price, subtotal, tax, total amount.

The 'Instant-Cash-Drawer-Balance-feature' in BCSS Diamond or Virtual tracks each salesperson's sales balance in real time and determines how much cash should be in the till at any time. Multiple employees can transact from the same POS station or on the same network.

XCHD Series Heavy-Duty Cash Drawer ($119 or $158)

The Heavy Duty XCHD Series printer-driven cash drawer ($119) attaches to the receipt printer, or directly to the PC with a special cable (add $39, total $158). It conveniently opens when a sales receipt is printed (or when the F12 key is pressed in BCSS). It has a locking drawer for storing money securely. A cash drawer makes a better impression on customers and provides better security. (more)

EVO Thermal Receipt Printer ($284)

This is a 'silent' thermal printer which prints 1-ply receipts. Copies of the receipt are printed by reprinting the receipt or by setting the number of copies in the printer's configuration. The printer has a jam-free autocutter. It has swappable interface cards and drop-in paper loading. (more)

Printer Alternatives: If a 'no-return policy' is in place, a sales receipt may not be necessary and buyers may be satisfied with the credit-card transaction receipt. If an occasional receipt is needed, it can be print (in Excel Invoice format) using any edition of BCSS and a standard laser printer. An expensive dedicated thermal RECEIPT printer ($284) may be an unnecessary expense.

On the other hand, the TSC thermal LABEL printer ($349) can be very useful. It's easy to print a few or thousands of labels. There are no paper trays, paper jams or out-of-ink runs, and in the long run, the label cost is less than the sheet labels. Moreover, sheet labels are in 3 sizes only. Thermal labels on rolls can be 2-4" wide and 1-4" tall - most with barcodes. Here's a chart of the labels available.

In BCSS Specials, replace the receipt printer with the thermal for just $100 more. Instead of connecting to the receipt printer, the cash drawer connects directly to the computer (and opens in BCSS by pressing the F12 key).

Complete Computer Systems (~$500 from Dell Computers)

Computer Systems

BCSS speed and efficiency is only limited by a PC's storage capacity, Windows edition (XP, Vista, Windows 7), processor, 'front bus' speed, RAM, cache memory and PC 'health'. Shops with a few thousand inventory entries should have at least 512MB of RAM for XP, 2 GB for Vista or Windows 7. For large operations storing 10,000 or more inventory items, greater horsepower is needed: 3.0 GHz or higher processor - no Celeron or Centrino - 1GB of RAM for XP (2-4 GB for Vista or Windows 7) - 3 GB free disk space - for 32-bit machines. Sixty-four-bit machines can have considerably more.

Software - The Operating System

Microsoft Windows is an 'operating system' (OS). Every computer must have an operating system to run other programs and hardware. Operating systems perform basic tasks such as installing other software, recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the monitor, keeping track of files and directories on the hard disk, and controlling devices such as optical drives and printers.

Windows 7

The following are the minimum requirements for Windows 7:

Processor = 2 GHz or faster
RAM = 2-4 GB
Disc Space = 16 GB 32 bit; 20 GB 64 bit
Video = DirectX 9 capable device with WDDM 1.0 or higher
Clean installation suggested with no bloatware.

Hardware - Computer Components (Hard Drive, Processor, Memory)

Simply put, your computer should be one that was built for business purposes. Many computers (desktops and laptops) sold 'off the shelf' are intended for light home use - email, word processing, web surfing...

All too often businesses use home PCs and laptops that have been connected to the Internet (which are likely infected with 'malware' - viruses, spyware, trojans...). (Run this free computer scan to see problems on your computer.) Invariably inadequate computer resources and poor or nonexistent computer maintenance are responsible for computer crashes and error messages, lock ups and slow processing.

Only software necessary for business use should be installed on the computer. Each additional installation of a software program increases the chances for incompatibilities and conflicts.

Get a Dell (888-782-3355) Optiplex 'Fast Track' - $15/month lease (48 months) or $469 (keyboard, mouse, no speakers or monitor).

Get the FastTrack Package (~$500 as of 4/15/11) with Windows 7 Professional and a 32-bit OS.

Uninstall the Trend Micro anti-virus software and use ESET.

Here's why you would love this machine:

250 GB (gigabyte) hard drive 7200 RPMs (80 GB)
2 GB RAM (Random Access Memory) (1 gig for XP, 2 gigs for Windows 7 - Avoid Vista)
Intel Dual Core Processor, 2.93GHz Clock Speed (never Celeron or Centrino processors) - 1066MHz FSB (Frontside Bus)
Trend Micro anti-virus (15 months free)
Option: $69 - 3 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 3 Year Next-Business-Day On-Site Service - A technician will be at your place of business the next business day to fix any problem.
Option: $70 - Cordless Mouse, Keyboard, Flash Drive
Option: $49 - Dell V305 All-In-One Printer (fax, copier, printer)
Option: $17 - Belkin 8-Outlet Slimline Surge Protector (protection from power surges/spikes - handy for plugging in peripherals)

It may be advisable to upgrade to IntelR CoreT 2 Duo E8500 w/VT (3.16GHz, 6M, L2Cache, 1333FSB) for $230. (This is an option listed on Dell's 'Configure It' function.)

Reasons to Love Dell:

30-Day Getting-Started Assistance for installation optimization, configuration and limited usage questions
'Fast Track' ships in 24 hours. Shipping is free if the order is $499 or more. 'Fast Track' is $469 so add a Belkin Surge Protector ($17), an internal speaker ($9) and another option to exceed $498.
24/7 Comprehensive On-Line Support
Telephone Technical Support
1 Year Next-Business-Day On-Site Service
1-Year Basic Limited Warranty and13-Year Next-Business-Day On-Site Service
Free Shipping, Including Peripherals (Like Printers) on orders over $600
Next-Business-Day On-Site Service
1 Year Hard Drive Data Recovery
Financing - There's no reason not to have a brand new trouble-free computer under warranty - $16/month lease, no payment for 90 days. (Offers vary.)

Please note that Dell's special offers change frequently. The above information is an example of their pricing structure as of 1/4/2010.

Laser Printers

Together BCSS (and any laser/inkjet/bubblejet or dot matrix printer) can print consignment agreements, checks, reports, sales invoices, address labels, price labels and hang tags (with or without bar codes) - on 8.5 x 11 sheets.

(Disadvantages of printing sales invoices on 8.5 x 11 paper are ink and paper usage. Cheaper and more impressive 3" receipts can be printed using a receipt printer. The printer is considerably more in price than laser-style printers ($284 vs $50) but there are no costly 'ink cartridges' to continually replace and paper usage is less.

Similarly, price labels and hang tags can be printed at lesser cost over the long run using (an expensive $349) thermal printer.

Laser Printers

If color printing is not necessary, purchase any Hewlett Packard low-end black and white printer with a paper feed. For a few dollars more, purchase their All-In-One copier-fax-printer-scanner. If you are purchasing a new computer, consider Dell for added support and for possible savings on printers and shipping.

Thermal Label Printers

BCSS prints 2" to 4"-wide thermal labels (adhesive and non-adhesive hang tags) - from 1" to 4" high using the TSC TDP-247 Thermal Label Printer (or the Zebra 2844 LP Thermal Printer, or 2" labels with the Zebra 2824). Bar codes may be printed on labels that are 2" wide or wider.

Direct thermal printers use a thermal printhead that applies heat to a chemically-treated paper, creating lines, text and graphics. A black line (adhesive) or gap (non-adhesive) across the back forces the printer to print before moving forward, so there is no waste.

Buy labels and hang tags from Barcode Warehouse or MarkAT. They are familiar with our software and know which labels are compatible. Shipping is fast and prices are very competitive.

The label printer is $349 and the 2.25 x 1.25 labels are about $8 for 2100 labels. The printing cost per label is less than printing sheet labels in the long run because no ink or ribbon is required and label cost is lower. It is also easier to print one or several labels using a thermal printer and there's a wider variety of labels.

BCSS has been configured for the Zebra 2824 to accommodate Consignpro users who are converting to BCSS.

USB Memory Sticks

USB Flash Drive

A flash drive (edge memory, pen drive, memory stick) is a data storage device that plugs into the PC's USB (universal serial bus) port. Flash drives are faster than floppies, hold more data and are more reliable because they do not have moving parts. They are preferable over CDs because they can be updated whereas CDs cannot. For most consignment shops, capacity of 2GB is sufficient. Sticks may be purchased online for about $10. They are commonly used for storing data backups and for transferring data between PCs.