[size="4"][size=4][u][b]Why Online?[/b][/u][/size][/size]
Why am I developing my vending management software, VIKDR, online instead of for the desktop? Isn't a desktop solution what people have been requesting? Why would I seemingly ignore those requests?
Until now, I haven't adequately explained my reasoning, but I didn't just jump to the idea of putting VIKDR online. Before I even started, I spent at least 4 months thinking, researching, and planing what would work the best, would benefi
The only task on my calendar today was to drive 4-1/2 hours to Pennsylvania to pick up a Treasure Chest crane. After the disappointment of my first purchase - a very beaten up old clunker - I was super excited to win ($800) a new, unused machine. The pics looked great.
[i]And boy, was I pleased![/i] The eBay listing was honest. The machine's plexi and mirror back still had plastic protective coating on it from the factory. And the crane mech itself was still zip-tied on the track from th
At last, one box is done.
There were some disappointments, but it works. Due to a miscalculation (I forgot to consider wall-thickness in one of my drawings), I had to dramatically change plans. There is no room inside the box for a 3rd half-lid, so I'm leaving it with just two lids This leaves a few holds in the lid visible for the mounting brackets. And really, the whole double-half-lid design is now pointless. It may as well be one solid lid.
Also, I did not incorporate the intended
Well today was a bust, i barely could even leave the house, but i have thought of a way i am going to do this. Tommorrow i am going to try to visit one store and try to convince the owner to let me put my machine there.
I am excited to have completed the [i]outside[/i] of the box. I still need to pad the interior. Alas, one measurement was off, and all items will not nestle inside the box as planned. [color=#0000cd][i]Oh man is that ever disappointing.[/i][/color] But to fix it, correctly, with padding around everything, would require the entire box to be built 2-1/2" bigger in all directions. I really, really do not want to do that.
As can (barely) be seen in this photo, I'm centering the mounting plat
i currently only have 2 machines on location, and 3 trips at the house and a double head. By the end of august i want to locate around 10 machines so i can quit my job and go to college. On August 31, we will see if it was a good idea or not.
I stormed my brother's shop and cleaned enough space for me to work. I was so ridiculously eager that I was racing along and, sadly, making mistakes. But ultimately, it's looking good so far.
Here is the bottom half of the first Beaver Box. Next to it, you may recognize from an earlier post, is my drawing of this box. I must say, [i]the bright red is so sweet looking! I cannot wait to see the green Beavers on top of this.[/i]
This has 2 latches on each side, because it will have 2 hal
We offer miniwashroom vending machines for minitoothbrushes and mouth spray. Our machines are modern and stylish designed for restaurants, pubs, hostels, shopping centres and airports.
Our website is [url="http://www.difresh.co.uk"]www.difresh.co.uk[/url]
I had planned to storm my brother's shop tomorrow and get working on the all-important Beaver cases.
But last night I won this [i]Treasure Chest ("100% working")[/i] on eBay. It's in New Jersey, 4 hours away from me. I will spend the day tomorrow picking it up. I probably should have calculated the gas cost before bidding on it. [color=#008000]I paid $205[/color].
And I am [u]kicking, kicking, kicking[/u] myself for missing the [u]other one[/u]. [color=#0000cd][i]Argh![/i][/color] Th
Trying to envision my setup. What started as a simple idea (of vending LEGO from a candy machine) is growing. As the weeks count down to August, I'm truly out of time. So this is turning into a "master plan" for future years. I'll just get done what I can for this August.
I was mainly interested in how all items would fit together - what would tower too tall, what would be too small. This is a fairly accurate depiction - but I had to scale the people a bit [size=3](ps: don't google for i
Our vending business is going well. We are gradually adding new locations as we find them, but now my dear husband has the desire to open a food truck.
He is a great cook, and when he gets together with his friends, they cook for three days straight, and eat all weekend.
So, the first weekend in June, we are running an experiment. We've planned a great menu for a cookout at Wind Rock, a four wheeling convention in East Tennessee, that will hopefully make us some money, but more importantly
well my business officially has an office. got a mini storage in january but already outgrown it. expecting a bunch of equipment to come in
soon and the mini storage just wasnt cutting it. not enough room for working, no water hook up or hose nearby, no a/c and summer is here. so in my search for a bigger storage space i came across an office/warehouse set up. splitting it with a friend it works out $50 cheaper than my mini storage. Not much to look at but it wil look better full of crane game
[size=4]Received the text from my brother: "[color=#0000CD][i]You got boxes here.[/i][/color]" Woo hoo! My very first vend machines![/size]
[size=4]They arrived the same day as the box parts I ordered - locking latches, padding, etc. Now I'm all set to build the first box. And [i]this[/i] is where I learn if I shall regret posting this blog, because my box design is impossible, or if I'm as brilliant as I like to imagine.[/size]
[size=4]Now just waiting a few more days for my bro to cl
The idle time waiting for my first machines to arrive from Beaver is tough. Everywhere I go now, I look for gum ball machines and toy machines, to see the variety of setups.
While standing around the movie theater lobby I spied this unit. I was struck by the variety and quantity of merchandise crammed into a small setup. Those are Beaver machines, so I presumed them to be the same dimensions as what I ordered - 11"x11"x30" tall (mine are to be 26" tall).
There's 8 machines on this one w
I received my order of [u]33 lbs of LEGO-shaped candy[/u] Yikes! The boxes were surprisingly small for the quantity. Everything's new, and a surprise, when you're seeing it for the first time.
Spoke to the manufacturer today, but they do not sell direct. They suggested A&A, but I did not find this item on their site. Anywho, I've got this 33 lbs to start with. If successful, I'll call A&A for this item next time.
I have [i]no plan[/i] whatsoever what to do with this candy.
I have ordered my first two units - Beaver NB26s. A 1" capsule machine for $.50 and a 2" capsule for $1.00.
I'm rather eager to see them. When they arrive I can get to building their first road case - see how [i]that[/i] works out. The road case is really the big variable right now.
My brother said to me, "[color=#0000cd][i]Look. Before you go spending all this money buying $300 candy machines, building $600 boxes, and all that, just buy a thousand of those little capsules,[/i][/color]" he sounded almost angry. "[color=#0000cd][i]And see how you enjoy filling those things.[/i][/color]"
So I purchased one box - [color=#ff0000]2,500[/color] one-inch capsules. When they arrived, I was excited. This was supposed to be a feasibility test, but I was actually giddy.
I si
MS Excel spreadsheet of my costs. It's pretty dismal.
My friend Michelle is constantly telling me, "[color=#0000cd][i]You need to stop coming up with ideas that are just "cool" and work on ideas that will make you more money.[/i][/color]"
It's true. I really enjoy growing the event in a "fun" way, and not so concerned about profits. It's a personal issue, and I'm working on it. Considering [url="http://www.BrickFair.com"]BrickFair[/url] attracts [b]~20,000[/b] people each year, I'm tak
Settled: I want the best, most trustworthy machines, large capacity for both coins and product, so they will [size=2](hopefully)[/size] run all day without servicing during our busy event. We're getting [b]Northern Beavers[/b].
With NB20 in mind, I sat down to draw my dream box.
The [i][b]Shipping Crate[/b][/i], drawn in blue, has removable [size=2](not hinged)[/size] lids. Each lid has a back-edge of 1/2 male and 1/2 female tongue-and-groove tongue, so when paired together, they form a
By complete happenstance, as I was dreaming of this bulk vending LEGO idea, I was also in an arduous box-building task.
My convention has a lot of materials to ship back and forth, and we've suffered some losses in transit. The most recent broke my heart with the damages, and the time and money wasted. I was determined to improve our shipping situation before the next event in August.
I [b][i]knew[/i][/b] the type of box I wanted for our custom 8x8x8' display units. They're the boxes ro
I was so lost in the warm fuzzy bliss of imagining and researching that I forgot to seriouly envision the real-world workings of my setup.
Suddenly it occurred to me, [color=#0000ff][i]Will kids have any quarters on them?[/i][/color]
Initially I assumed I would collect the change from kids' pockets as they left the vendor area, having spent cash at other vendors. But most vendors at these shows wisely price their items rounded off to the nearest dollar. So there may not be as much change
My problem - in my unique situation - with multiple vending units - is, [color=#0000ff][i]How to rack them?[/i][/color]
[url="http://www.BrickFair.com"]BrickFair[/url] has a lot of material to move, and we fill up a 53' tractor trailer. This bulk vending idea will be yet one more thing added to the full truck. If I simply toss the rack atop other things in the truck, it runs this risk of falling between large, heavy pallets and getting crushed as the truck jostles along the highway. I've s
