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My Crazy Idea


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So, I've been toying around with this idea for several years on and off, but I'm really considering making a go of it now to see how it pans out. What follows is (roughly speaking) my plan. Don't be afraid to shoot me down if this idea is terrible- I'm sure there's a good chance that it is.

In 2014, I approached the local mall (a very depressed mall even then) about the possibility of what I saw as an "automated" arcade. In essence, I would take over one of the small closed stores (there are 8 to choose from right now) and set up what coin-op gear I have in reserves there, including snacks, soda, and a coin changer.

After that, I thought a good way to branch out and "grow" the equipment inventory would be to reach out to other operators. Basically, I'd have the "location" and take care of that end of things, and they could move in their amusement/redemption/coin-op etcetera for either a percentage or a flat rate, I'm thinking like $5-$10 a month depending on what the machine was, or how big the machine might be. Back in 2014 I had spoken to a pair of operators I knew who had leftover machines they'd be interested in placing into a setting like this, but at the time I couldn't pursue it further.

My aim this time around is a 3-month "trial run" to see if the concept is feasible. Start in June, run through the end of August. The mall hosts a myriad of youth events through the summer, and the city recently took over one of the empty stores for their summer youth programs as well which begin in a few weeks, promising quite a few "regular" customers.

Now, the big "X" factor is balancing the cost of the location's lease and the insurance premium for the project out with both vends and income from other operators. The previous mall administrator had quoted me at a by-the-square-foot price of nearly $10 (which is high for a big mall, let alone one that at the time only had one anchor left) but he was replaced in the fall of 2015 with a guy I know from town, and I've worked with at the mall with my existing machines since then quite well. He did once offer me a very small space (less than 100 usable square feet (on map as D2)) for $50 a month, though I am not sure if he was joking or not. Knowing how thrifty the city is, I can't imagine they would move into a space that wasn't priced to move so to speak. The insurance estimate I had received previously when I looked into this was only going to be $500 for a whole year for the $2 million of required insurance, though the plan I had proposed at that time was somewhat more ambitious (featuring a possible miniature golf course and concessions, among other things, if it had worked out.)

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So, in short, I expect a total investment of less than a grand to net an unknown amount of money for both myself, and other local operators for at least 3 months while the mall has a "captive audience" of kids from grades 1 through 8 or 9. It's unmanned, and aside from cleanup runs and stocking my 'overhead' is very limited and predictable, if not totally paid up front. I figure if it works, we can figure it out from there- if it fails, we pack up our gear and go home- no one's really "out" anything barring some unpredictable disaster.

Which is why I'm pitching it to you guys.

Would you ever consider something like this? If another operator offered you space like this would you be interested in it?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and opinions; good, bad, or otherwise- I appreciate them all! ^_^

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I don't know what your mall would charge for space, but the one I operate in is expensive. Doing this adds another hand to the pot of income. I would recommend doing it on a percentage basis. I definitely wish you good luck though! Who knows, it might work out fantastically!

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Might be worth a test. My opinion though is that dead malls never come back to life and the death spiral only accelerates. I do know of one operator that basically used a mall as a storage unit moving stuff in and out as he needed it. I think money wise it was about break even so; "free" storage. Seemed to me to be a rather painful way to find storage as far as moving stuff in and out.

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