Jump to content

General Questions on Bulk Candy and Novelty Toys


CashFlow

Recommended Posts

Hey guys,

      Just started this vending machine business and super excited. I have 13 Vendesign Vending Machines on the way. Should have read more on this forum before buying these. Also interested in getting some TOMY Gacha Capsule Vending Machines. Goal is quit job fast.

So these are just general questions I have.

The first up is candy.

How do you guys do routes? This is how I picture it in my mind, after the machines are all placed. Check back every 2 weeks. Day 1 collect money and make note on candy inventory levels. Day 2 Restock based on inventory levels. Do you guys taste some candy onsite to see if it goes bad? I plan on just filling these up with Mike and Ikes, Skittles, Peanut M&Ms,  and still haven't decided 4th candy. I plan on going to the sites to with prefilled canisters on Day 2. When you switch out canisters do you just pour new candy on top of the old candy? 

So when candy dispenses, it is more arbitrary than toys. How do you guys keep match up sales to inventory?

Tomy Gacha Machines

So, I see there are lots of businesses that sell specific toys for specific machines. Does anyone just import their own products and put them in? I'm looking at most of the generic stuff, and I feel i could get more sales with higher quality goods toys. Some of trinkets or toys I want to import are bootlegs. Are these as regulated selling through a vending machine like ecommerce (my current business) I think, but quality is good. Selling unauthentic merchandise like Disney, Pokemon, Nike?

Hand Truck:

So I plan on just buying this Cosco Dolly, only bad thing is that it doesn't have guard rails. Don't want candy to tip and fall everywhere.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IFMSKAQ/ref=twister_B01N8UAZJP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Car:

I have a Toyota Highlander as of now, I think this will be good enough to transport the Vendesigns. Not entirely sure if the Tomy Gacha can be taken apart.

So this is the plan I have, please reply if you have a much more efficient method of doing this. Thanks guys.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forgot to add.

Where do you guys learn to all types of machines? Or do you just play with it till it gets fixed?

Question to those that have been doing this for years, have you found a decrease in profits, due to this generation being more digital?

Candy Expiration Date?

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will never be leaving your job if you buy Vendesign and/or Tomy machines. You will go broke. Stop what you are doing and read more posts. 

You will never need a hand truck to carry candy into a location. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would recommend reading much more on this site. You will be surprised how little money these machines make and how hard it is to find locations. 2 week service cycles are way to often. Your vehicle is fine and you may only need a hand truck for delivering machines. You will want to save money anyway that you can. Welcome to the forum and vending! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, musser said:

You will never be leaving your job if you buy Vendesign and/or Tomy machines. You will go broke. Stop what you are doing and read more posts. 

You will never need a hand truck to carry candy into a location. 

I believe that if I scale up then yeah it is possible to make to quit my job. Plus, Vendesign and Tomy are just to start off. I will obviously branch into other types.

 

14 hours ago, Determined said:

I would recommend reading much more on this site. You will be surprised how little money these machines make and how hard it is to find locations. 2 week service cycles are way to often. Your vehicle is fine and you may only need a hand truck for delivering machines. You will want to save money anyway that you can. Welcome to the forum and vending! 

Hmm...ok. It may be hard to find locations, but not impossible. How often are your cycles? I made this post so i could find a more efficient methods. Thanks for the Welcome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, CashFlow said:

I believe that if I scale up then yeah it is possible to make to quit my job. Plus, Vendesign and Tomy are just to start off. I will obviously branch into other types.

Everyone is different, what one person thinks is chump-change another might be able to live off of. One thing that is constant though, is that vending isn't a get rich quick gig and is actually quite a bit of work. Especially if you're wanting to do it full-time. Rising product costs, vandalism, shrinking number of suppliers and increased competition(both by locations buying their own machines as well as other vendors) are just some of the issues vendors face. You won't be able to quit your job fast, but if you have the commitment and work ethic, it is a possibility. Plenty of people here to attest to that. 

I'm working towards that goal myself. I've been at it just over a year and still haven't gotten there,though I'm making some good progress.

Definitely heed the advice of musser and determined and read, read, read. Everything you'll ever need to know, especially starting out, is a search away. It's how I've learned 99% of what I know and I've grown my business to its current size with alot of the credit to the information and advice of people here. 

Looks like you already learned your lesson with the Vendesigns, so user that in the future. Buying quality equipment is the foundation for a solid future. Beaver, northwestern and oak are the top trusted brands out there with deals on used equipment always popping up. 

My advice, take those machines and get them out there. Make them pay for themselves and buy quality equipment with the profits to swap out with them and sell them off. 13 machines is a pretty good number to start with. I started with 12 bulk machines and now I'll be sitting at 160 at the end of the month, along with 20+ soda/snack machines and a handful of honor boxes. 

Best of luck and welcome to the forum! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, QuikVend said:

Everyone is different, what one person thinks is chump-change another might be able to live off of. One thing that is constant though, is that vending isn't a get rich quick gig and is actually quite a bit of work. Especially if you're wanting to do it full-time. Rising product costs, vandalism, shrinking number of suppliers and increased competition(both by locations buying their own machines as well as other vendors) are just some of the issues vendors face. You won't be able to quit your job fast, but if you have the commitment and work ethic, it is a possibility. Plenty of people here to attest to that. 

I'm working towards that goal myself. I've been at it just over a year and still haven't gotten there,though I'm making some good progress.

Definitely heed the advice of musser and determined and read, read, read. Everything you'll ever need to know, especially starting out, is a search away. It's how I've learned 99% of what I know and I've grown my business to its current size with alot of the credit to the information and advice of people here. 

Looks like you already learned your lesson with the Vendesigns, so user that in the future. Buying quality equipment is the foundation for a solid future. Beaver, northwestern and oak are the top trusted brands out there with deals on used equipment always popping up. 

My advice, take those machines and get them out there. Make them pay for themselves and buy quality equipment with the profits to swap out with them and sell them off. 13 machines is a pretty good number to start with. I started with 12 bulk machines and now I'll be sitting at 160 at the end of the month, along with 20+ soda/snack machines and a handful of honor boxes. 

Best of luck and welcome to the forum! 

Thanks for the response. I really do appreciate it. I guess I left a bad taste in everyone's mouth by saying "fast". I know "fast" is relative and I guess many people here have seen way too many get rich quick garbage, myself included. :( I am aware it can take up to 5 years for business ventures to fully take off (3-4 years is considered fast for me). This is my second business, so I know what its like. It just need to know more technicalities. I have been reading constantly and still don't think 2 week cycles were that often like Determined said. A problem with other vendors is that they don't keep the vending machines full enough. Never hurts to check more often than not enough in my opinion.

Oh, by the way I didn't regret buying the Vendesigns due to quality, but due to it being a candy machine. I wish I started with toys, so I don't have to worry about candy going bad. Still don't don't know how long opened candy lasts. I have heard more good things that bad things about Vendesigns. I'm really not worried about the build quality of the Vendesigns at all. You are making me worried now saying these aren't quality equipment. :mellow:

For people that choose commission, Which money counting method do you choose?

1. Count in store? Could give a rude impression around customers and business owner will hover over your shoulder.

2. Take money back to car, count and bring back money? Looks shady, they may think I'm cheating them.

3. Take money and pay them at the end of the month through a bank deposit of paypal? Same con as #2.

Any Inputs?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's alot more reasonable. There have been quite a few people to pass through here with grand plans of taking over the vending world and a few months later they're not heard from again. 

Service cycles will depend on how much use the machine gets as well as how low you want to allow it to get. Most of my machines are 2-3 month cycles. A few are monthly and I have a few that are quarterly. Up to this point I've only done candy and gumballs(I just purchased a larger route of racks of toys).

Here's how I operate:

-When I place a machine at a new location, I usually only fill the machine(s) half way. Gives people the idea that is been used and will help control spoilage. 

-I'll start that location on a monthly cycle to get a feel for how much it will be used. I have had a couple times where I went back a month later and the machine was completely empty, but that's probably 1%. 

-I'll track usage and after 2-3 months I'll decide on how long of a cycle I'll run it on. The idea is to run the route as few times as possible while maintaining top-notch service. If you have a machine averaging $20/mo., if you service monthly you'll make 3 trips for $60 but if you can fill it more and stretch it out, you can collect that same $60 but with 2 less trips. $ saved=$ earned

-Also,if a location really isn't performing very well, even with a stretched service cycle, I'll try different candy combinations before giving up on it. Locations can be hard to come by at times, so I'll exhaust all options before giving up. If a location is doing exceptionally well, I'll try to add another head or expand to capture more sales and to keep anyone else out. That's where having the right equipment will make things easier. If I have a double head in place, all I need to do is remove a few screws and I can downsize or just bring in a few extra heads and a rack stand to upsize.

Vendesigns will make you money, but they will make things a bit difficult for you. Too many options(that doesn't always mean more sales) and unless you already have the gumball-specific canister you won't be able to vend gumballs(which have great margins). When I started, I bought a route of uturns and bought a bunch of used uturns. Now that I've worked with them for awhile and seen first-hand every thing I've read about them, I'll be phasing them out of my routes. 

Add far as commissions, if you're dealing with just candy, you probably shouldn't offer much if any commission. There isn't much of a margin to share when it comes to candy. But, it can be done if your portions are set correctly. Any commission accounts I have, I usually go somewhere out of the way and count and separate their portion. I do have one account where I'll go back out to my van due to the amount of money I'm dealing with plus the lack of space. It just depends on the location. I don't think I've ever seen someone use the PayPal method but have heard of people cutting checks. I know most locations like cash in hand though. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, CashFlow said:

I believe that if I scale up then yeah it is possible to make to quit my job. Plus, Vendesign and Tomy are just to start off. I will obviously branch into other types.

 

Hmm...ok. It may be hard to find locations, but not impossible. How often are your cycles? I made this post so i could find a more efficient methods. Thanks for the Welcome!

I service a new location after a month. After that it's every 2-3 month's. The problem with vendesigns are they hold to much candy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most efficient methods:

Buy quality used machines (They are everywhere, just look at network)

Listen to the veterans here.

Profit.

 

Thats all. It is so simple. It blows my mind how many people constantly come into bulk vending thinking they are reinventing and/or taking over the entire industry. Almost everyone does it when they start. If your hung up on crap machines you will see real quick why we told you not to buy them. 

As for constantly rechecking/refilling machines every 2 weeks. Let me know how that works for you. Unless you plan on walking to every location you're gas expenses will eat away all of your profit. In this industry every cent counts and that just doesn't make sense from a financial point of view.

 

It looks like i come across as a $%^&^. Well I am. But seriously just read more posts and you will see. Start right otherwise you will be discouraged real quick. Goodluck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the shout out Quick.

First: think of buying a bull vending machine as buying a savings bond. I buy only Oaks ( for charity) and Northwesterns (for toy racks). They are both simple, durable, easy to get parts for. They are the fastest to service in those respective applications.

i know that the majority of small starting operators will say just buy cheap and replace later. I have Northwesterns on location that I bought used 30 years ago. At some point did I need to buy a globe or repaint? Sure, but that would be true if any machine. What I avoided was mis vends and service calls. Most important I avoided hundreds of hours of labor per machine over its life time due to the time it takes to service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, BlindVending said:

Most efficient methods:

Buy quality used machines (They are everywhere, just look at network)

Listen to the veterans here.

Profit.

 

Thats all. It is so simple. It blows my mind how many people constantly come into bulk vending thinking they are reinventing and/or taking over the entire industry. Almost everyone does it when they start. If your hung up on crap machines you will see real quick why we told you not to buy them. 

As for constantly rechecking/refilling machines every 2 weeks. Let me know how that works for you. Unless you plan on walking to every location you're gas expenses will eat away all of your profit. In this industry every cent counts and that just doesn't make sense from a financial point of view.

 

It looks like i come across as a $%^&^. Well I am. But seriously just read more posts and you will see. Start right otherwise you will be discouraged real quick. Goodluck!

I like bluntness. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to max out efficiency in time and money through a long term perspective.

16 hours ago, Determined said:

I service a new location after a month. After that it's every 2-3 month's. The problem with vendesigns are they hold to much candy

I'll just fill them half to combat this problem.

10 hours ago, musser said:

Thanks for the shout out Quick.

First: think of buying a bull vending machine as buying a savings bond. I buy only Oaks ( for charity) and Northwesterns (for toy racks). They are both simple, durable, easy to get parts for. They are the fastest to service in those respective applications.

i know that the majority of small starting operators will say just buy cheap and replace later. I have Northwesterns on location that I bought used 30 years ago. At some point did I need to buy a globe or repaint? Sure, but that would be true if any machine. What I avoided was mis vends and service calls. Most important I avoided hundreds of hours of labor per machine over its life time due to the time it takes to service.

There is a Vendesign thread from 08 on here. I keep getting the impression from everyone's posts that the biggest mistake I made was buying Vendesign due to poor quality. There are far more worse options like the plastic Vendstars. Vendesign owners, arethere really that many problems? Just regret not going into toys first. Spoilage is my biggest worry for candy. Don't know how long these lasts

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, CashFlow said:

I like bluntness. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, just trying to max out efficiency in time and money through a long term perspective.

I'll just fill them half to combat this problem.

There is a Vendesign thread from 08 on here. I keep getting the impression from everyone's posts that the biggest mistake I made was buying Vendesign due to poor quality. There are far more worse options like the plastic Vendstars. Vendesign owners, arethere really that many problems? Just regret not going into toys first. Spoilage is my biggest worry for candy. Don't know how long these lasts

Don't fuss over the feedback on this post to much. Best way to learn is experience! I would get a good charity and try to get them located in restaurants and bars. You will learn a lot. You will find a big knock on vendesigns is just a lack of flexibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The longevity of bulk candy varies. All candy has a "best if used by" date on it. I believe M & Ms are 12 months, Mike & Ikes are 24 months. So you can go to Sam's and look at expiration dates when you buy. Pressed candies such as Runts and Tootsie Tarts have a much longer shelf life and are more durable in tougher environments. They just don't sell as well as the mainstream candies. The real challenge for vending bulk candy is the environment that the machine is in. Heat is the big culprit when it comes to reducing the vending life of your candy. Heat obviously melts candy. Your big sellers like M&Ms, Skittles, Mike & Ikes, Hot Tamales and Reese's Pieces will have drastically reduced shelf life in hot conditions. If you want to fill things to the top that will make it even worse because it will compress the candy below and make a nasty mess. Pressed candies will be your go to in hot conditions. Chicle gum is also something that can work in the heat but it has it's limits as well. If you want to see what a Vendesign looks like in a cocoon try some peanuts when it's blazing hot out.  Sunlight is another issue to worry about as well. Even if the venue temperature is cool direct sunlight can heat up the candy and melt it as well. It will fade the color out of all candies including pressed so you need to use cardboard to screen the sun or see if the location has a place to put the machine out of the sun.  If the conditions are good (no sun, 70 degrees year round) you could go a year if you had to with mainstream candies but if it is taking that long to turn product you need to make a change.

So try to find locations with a controlled climate. Try to place the machine out of the direct sun if possible. Use appropriate candy for the location conditions if the climate isn't controlled.  Hope this gives you some direction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vendesigns can make money just watch the portions.  I rather have a machine a little more awkward to service than a vendstar or uturn with plastic coin mechs, and the ones I have certainly collect money at the locations I have them at.  I don't actively seek to build my route with them I just happened to get some on location for an offer I could not refuse.  Considering the amount of candy they hold I would recommend trying to find a place or quickly re-locate them to places that gives you a good enough turn over rate to not have to worry about it.  With that being said I would keep the fill amount low until you get an ideal of how quick it goes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with a sega triple-head, sold so much stuff out of them I bought 7 vendesign. I then found a guy in Florida that was selling new oak 300s for $30 single head and $60 for a double head with the stand (looking back I wish I would have bought him out). I have 1 of the vendesigns left, most of the oaks and I sold the sega with-in 6 months. I tried to pull the vendesign but the girl who runs the salon won't have anything else. I have some vendesign bubble gum wheels and several other parts if you are interested

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for delay in response everyone. Been away working on my other business. Update: My Vendesigns are from a far location so i still didn't get them yet. I am starting to second guess my decision in vending in general. Just the trend of everything being online and digital. I feel like I wouldn't even hit $10 a month per machine. I prefer to go back to my car and count everything with a semacon, but for commission I feel obligated to  count in front of the owner (just to show I ain't cheating him). At first I wanted to do all Charity, but I have read older posts that the probability of getting kicked out is higher. To buy candy first, guestimating stock levels. Too much candy is bad. Too little, I have to make another run destroying margins. Buying after doesn't make any sense, since that is guaranteed back and forth already. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, CashFlow said:

I am just having a lot of regret now realizing that probably nobody carries quarters.

Well, it's obvious you've thought about it quite a bit. There are a few things you might want to chew on. 

- Quarters aren't going anywhere for awhile. You're right that were in a digital world,  but cash is still king. Just looking at the number of people around here should tell you its still possible to make money vending. 

- Your machines are still going to make you money. Every one starts somewhere. You learn as you go, I know I have, and start finding equipment that will last awhile with few problems. 

- Charity locations are still viable. If you have a location that is really doing well, you should be offering commission and getting as many machines as you can in place. 

- As far as offering commission, if your running Vendesigns, you're only going to be doing candy. You're not going to be able to offer much if any commission and still make money for yourself. The margin just isn't there. If you have gumballs and a few higher margin candies, you could offer a little of it was a good location, otherwise I'd just offer it as a convenience or as a charity location. 

- Lastly, when I'm putting out new machines and need to fill them for the first time, I don't fill them any more than half way. For one, if it's a slow mover, spoilage won't really be an issue. Also, it gives the impression of a machine that has been used so others are more likely to use it as well. 

Vending isn't easy, but it surely beats any other job I've had so far. It's something that I enjoy doing and I just so happen to make money doing it. I say, get your machines out there making money. Once you start counting all your quarters, I think you'll start to enjoy it as well. I was hooked after I opened my first machine and pulled $40.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, QuikVend said:

Well, it's obvious you've thought about it quite a bit. There are a few things you might want to chew on. 

- Quarters aren't going anywhere for awhile. You're right that were in a digital world,  but cash is still king. Just looking at the number of people around here should tell you its still possible to make money vending. 

- Your machines are still going to make you money. Every one starts somewhere. You learn as you go, I know I have, and start finding equipment that will last awhile with few problems. 

- Charity locations are still viable. If you have a location that is really doing well, you should be offering commission and getting as many machines as you can in place. 

- As far as offering commission, if your running Vendesigns, you're only going to be doing candy. You're not going to be able to offer much if any commission and still make money for yourself. The margin just isn't there. If you have gumballs and a few higher margin candies, you could offer a little of it was a good location, otherwise I'd just offer it as a convenience or as a charity location. 

- Lastly, when I'm putting out new machines and need to fill them for the first time, I don't fill them any more than half way. For one, if it's a slow mover, spoilage won't really be an issue. Also, it gives the impression of a machine that has been used so others are more likely to use it as well. 

Vending isn't easy, but it surely beats any other job I've had so far. It's something that I enjoy doing and I just so happen to make money doing it. I say, get your machines out there making money. Once you start counting all your quarters, I think you'll start to enjoy it as well. I was hooked after I opened my first machine and pulled $40.

Thanks again QuikVend for the fast and solid info. Its just finally becoming a reality feeling uneasy/excited at the same time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got the machines, lighter than expected. But dang I got lots of repairs to do. Anyone know if these candy containers are acrylic? I need to fill in scratches. What type of metal are these coin mechs made of? I was going to dump them all into a vinegar solution to clean it all. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...