thenewguy Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 so my operation is small as of right now with pretty cheap equipment about 18 bulk machines my soda machine that you guys helped fix and now I'm thinking about 3 mechanical snack machines I have read through the site here and their about them but I kinda think I can do well with at low impact places like salons and barber shops until next year when I am able to see a reason to upgrade equipment because of the profit I found these ugly things on craigslist for 150 each but whats the most that you would pay for them, if you would buy them at all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snack dude Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 They are time consuming hard to change prices and probably worth more at the scrap yard than as a vending machine I would not pay more than 75 to 100 for all three. The person selling them probably thought the same as you and is trying to recoup his money. Sorry, just my honest opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryChris Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 They are time consuming hard to change prices and probably worth more at the scrap yard than as a vending machine I would not pay more than 75 to 100 for all three. The person selling them probably thought the same as you and is trying to recoup his money. Sorry, just my honest opinion What he said. I don't know if barber shops do well but salons can yield some decent revenue. I had a mechanical machine in a salon and the thing did $25-30/week and definitely paid for itself. However, for full-line, you don't want accounts that do this low. I recommend trying to place a soda and snack at a decent blue-collar location with at least 15 people to start. You could probably get away with just installing a can machine that you could probably buy for $400 off of craigslist and easily make $30/week in revenue from that can machine alone. That would pay for itself, after COGS, in about 6 months. This would be a very low-cost way to get started and the equipment would be good to move into bigger locations in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 probably worth more at the scrap yard than as a vending machine Yeppers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 try honor box instead you will make more money probably, even if you dont it will only cost you $2 to find out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendors Tech Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Save your money, buy full size machines. It will be easier not only now, but when you go to sell the route on down the road. In ten years, you probably won't be able to sell a mechanical machine route period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shauna Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 From a technical standpoint: You can't charge more than $1 for any selections in a mechanical snack machine. Oh, yeah. And their resale value sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinnJinn Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 when I was starting out in vending, I bought some of those. They are a PAIN IN THE REAR!!! I was constantly having to work on them and was spending more time keeping them working properly than I was stocking them and collecting the money. Also, the thing I found is in my area, most people don't carry very much change, so you have to get change machines as well. When I moved into the full size machines, I tried selling the small ones on ebay and craigs list as a set. People were more interested in just the changers. So I ended up selling the changers and taking the machines to the scrap yard.... Lesson learned... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbishop Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I have made a point not to buy mechanical machine. Keep cheking out craig's list. I buy cheap electronic machines all the time. I bought a 3wide for $150. No need to buy mechanical, just keep looking. You need to be ready to jump on a deal when you see it. I just missed a 3wide with a can satalite for $250. Keep you eyes open and jump on them fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 try honor box instead you will make more money probably, even if you dont it will only cost you $2 to find out Yep, better investment..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenewguy Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 I hate to make a seperate thread so what about a FUTURA Combo Vending Machines they are asking $1895.00 on craigs list but I'm sure I can talk them down maybe to 1500.00 i have a beauty salon that wants a soda and a snack so i'm thinking a combo would be better http://www.evending....nding-Machines/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I hate to make a seperate thread so what about a FUTURA Combo Vending Machines they are asking $1895.00 on craigs list but I'm sure I can talk them down maybe to 1500.00 i have a beauty salon that wants a soda and a snack so i'm thinking a combo would be better http://www.evending....nding-Machines/ I am sure they do want a drink and snack machine, I am willing to bet they would take a cold food and ice cream to if they had the room and you were willing to put it in. I am thinking the beauty shop buy their own machine and do it themselves. Stay away from this type of account and machines all together. If they would take an honor box then fine but not a combo machine or any vending machines for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendors Tech Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 That machine is not worth that kind of money. Those cheap China machines have only one appealing feature which traps many vendors into buying them, and that is the fact that they are a combo machine. Don't fall for it. IMO, you should only buy: Dixie Narco, Vendo, Royal, National, GPL, AP, and maybe USI. MOST other companies are NO GOOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 barber shops and beauty salons rock for honor boxes, i was doing $60 a week in one before they changed managers and booted me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashman Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 ageed, keep the combo machines out of the beauty shops, to nuch equipment just sitting there, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shauna Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Some beauty salons do decent, but I would not solicit business from them. I currently have two. And the only reason I have those two were because they went with the route I purchased when I first started in the business. If you really have your heart set on putting a machine in the salon, make sure the machine is available to both customers and employees. In one of my locations, I have a machine sitting near the bathrooms in a very busy salon with 25 chairs. That salon is always busy when I go in, and there are kids running in and out on a regular basis as well. That account does about $35 a week on a good week. The other one is in the back room for the employees only, and it only does about $15 a week. The only reason I haven't pulled those machines is because their mechanical combos and I would not put them anywhere else. They are close to some profitable locations, so expenses are minimal. But there will come a time when I will put those locations on Craigslist to sell to some other unsuspecting newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Some beauty salons do decent, but I would not solicit business from them. I currently have two. And the only reason I have those two were because they went with the route I purchased when I first started in the business. If you really have your heart set on putting a machine in the salon, make sure the machine is available to both customers and employees. In one of my locations, I have a machine sitting near the bathrooms in a very busy salon with 25 chairs. That salon is always busy when I go in, and there are kids running in and out on a regular basis as well. That account does about $35 a week on a good week. The other one is in the back room for the employees only, and it only does about $15 a week. The only reason I haven't pulled those machines is because their mechanical combos and I would not put them anywhere else. They are close to some profitable locations, so expenses are minimal. But there will come a time when I will put those locations on Craigslist to sell to some other unsuspecting newbie. I hope you are joking...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I hope you are joking...... never heard of the "theory of a greater fool" ? http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greaterfooltheory.asp#axzz1qNuSirc3 The only reason I haven't pulled those machines is because their mechanical combos and I would not put them anywhere else. They are close to some profitable locations, so expenses are minimal. idk is it really worth ur time to stock the machine for $15? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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