Homebrew mark-sense card reader or other?

Hi all, I need another project like I need a hole in the head. However, I am definitely on the prowl for a way to store and retrieve information in a more physical fashion. Something like a tape punch/reader, or a mark-sense card reader. (I'd have to find or print some mark-sense cards...) Back in the day I used punch cards, mark-sense cards, and paper tape. There's a certain "coolness" to actually seeing and holding the data in a physical format. I think it would be great for my kids to see, and/or help me build a physical storage device, to give them a more visceral sense of computing. You can't exactly see the bits in a flash memory chip. All that said - I've looked for homebrew projects of this type, and haven't come up with any great candidates. I'm not the most skilled person at mechanical stuff, so I do seek a starting point for ideas or plans. Anyone have any comments/suggestions? Goal would be a method to store (could be as simple as #2 pencil), a method to read, and a serial RS232 interface (that part I can build). Thanks! - Earl