Starcat Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Hello, I am BRAND new to vending, i am self employed and work from home, and i have some money i can dump into this so i figured i'd give it a shot. I started out purchasing 2 vendstar 3000 machines on ebay from ebay for 199. i know nothing about these machines, they haven't even arrived yet, due tomorrow, but i plan on taking them apart and really looking them over. I also plan on using Rodney from vending services to help place most of my machines. My questions are as follows: 1: are vendstar 3000s decent machines? i have read pros and cons.. some people say they are junk because they are plastic, and the mechanisms fail often? opposite that, they say never get metal machines, too heavy, too expensive and you dont want metal or rust near the candy, and it heats up too much. so im not really sure what to do here. 2: Pieces per vend - i see a lot of people talking about 10 pieces or 18 pieces etc, how can you control how many pieces come out? i mean i know there is a wheel with numbers on it, but how can you make sure exactly 10 come out? 3: Gumballs, i see the 850 ct gumballs do pretty well, but is there a special mechanism to get just one gumball? how can i make sure only one comes out? or is there a special "gumball" wheel i need to purchase thats round? 4: Best place to buy? So far i've only seen 2 contenders for good prices per pound, Amazon has most of them, and sams club has 1 or 2, but the numbers i've seen are kind of amazing, Where on earth is anyone shopping to get these prices? the most i've seen is 40 pound bags of runts or something like this. but i have not seen any skittles for anywhere near the price of 2.72 per pound. 5: realistically, how much can i expect to make per month Per triple head machine? honestly i am only expecting like 5 dollars a month, but i know this is subject to location and trafic and tastes of people who come in. 6, is there an app or something that i can keep track of my inventory, cost per vend, profits, margins, or what candy is doing well? or is everyone just old school using pencils? and i mean a free app , not one i have to pay for monthly. 7, what is a good place to buy bulk vending machines? im still researching but what do you think is a good price for a triple head machine? i think 100 is a bit much now that i've looked around. but maybe 75? 8: any candy machines you recommend? Thanks for taking the time to read. Erick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 1. NO 2. the wheel has an adjustment 3. gumball wheel 4. gumboils a&a for zed gum or sams for double bubble, sams for skittles, quill for runts 7. oak, refurb oak vistas $39 each where are you if you are close to alabama I have stands for sale 8 oak vista oak vista oak vista Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuikVend Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 1. I've never heard anybody say to avoid the metal machines. Durability is very important, and the metal machines are just more durable than plastic. Vendstars do have their uses. I've used them in breakroom where they won't be beat to death. I've since upgraded and gotten rid of any Vendstars I had. 2. Pieces per vend will be determined by the product cost. Cheaper candy you can afford to give more and the more expensive candies you'll be to give less to make money. The best way to figure it out is to put together a machine and test it 7-8 times and see how many pieces comes out per vend. They will vary slightly, but you can get an idea of what's coming out and adjust accordingly. 3. There are wheels specifically for gumballs. Unfortunately, with a vendstar you're going to have trouble finding one(they weren't designed to sell gb, so people have made their own) and you'll pay a pretty penny for it. 4. Check your local sams clubs. You'll want to avoid shipping costs. Around here a 62 oz bag of m&ms or peanut m&ms goes for $10, 54 oz bag of skittles for $7 and 4.5 lb bag of Mike and ikes or hot tamales go for $8. Some also carry gumballs for $21. 5. Hard to say what you can expect to make sure to those reasons you mention. You could make 25 cents a month or $60. Foot traffic and customer base make a difference. I've had a location that went from $5/mo to $20/mo and it was mostly because of 1 or 2 people who had a candy habit that started working there. 6. I use a spread sheet to keep all of my info for every location. That, along with the formulas, helps me keep everything simple and easy to read. I have it tied to my Google account so I can access it from my computer, tablet or phone at anytime and it updates immediately. 7. I use Craigslist ad will add the apps Letgo and offerup. I don't usually order any online so I can avoid shipping costs, which usually are pretty high. 8. I prefer northwestern super 60s or oak vistas/300s personally, but beaver makes a solid machine as well. If you have to have a triple, northwestern triple plays are solid and 1800 triples are decent machines(I have about 15 of them myself). $100 for a Vendstar is a terrible price. Those usually go for around $20-25 in good condition. I usually find the northwesterns or oaks for about $25-35 for each individual machine. Like parrotthead said, oak sells refurbished machine on their site for $39. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted May 29, 2017 Author Share Posted May 29, 2017 wow.. so much to take in. thanks for the responses! I went to sams today and bought mike and ikes, skittles, m&m's and 2 gumball 850ct's for about the prices you mentioned. Since i have vendstar 300's apperantly i wont be able to do gumballs in there, is there any good machines that are not gumball specific, but you reccomend for a gumball attachment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuikVend Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Any of the ones I mentioned are capable of doing candy, gumballs, bouncy balls and 1in toy capsules. You'll need the correct wheel for each product, but they just swap out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCandyMaN Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 stay away from vendstars, they are obsolete, but will many you money, until they break, the $199 you paid for them is out of this world, if I bought them, it'll pay no more than $5 per unit! best candy to use is skittles, good all year around, they will melt, but will not make a mess, gumballs come in many sizes, choose the one that works for you, just remember every machine has to have a gumball, that is the one product that will always sell! using Rodney for locating is great, he's good, he's very good with corporate spots, now picture yourself walking into a corporate store with a vendstar, or a beaver? do you think they will allow you to place it? but the mom and pop shops will be your best customers, with a good commission, they will love you, don't forget to give out some freebees (depends on how you feel about the place). not all corporate locations allow their workers to have gum, so watch out for those. As far as the weight of the machine is concerned, think about plastic and metal, metal will survive! grab a hand truck and wheel the machine in, let gravity do the work for you! I can run real fast with a light machine. now beaver is not the only machine made of metal, but it is the best, AA Acorn Northwestern and few others out there have them also as far as the amount per vend: skittles 10-14 $7.50 per 3.5lbs mm peanut 4-6 $9-12 per 3.5lb gumball 1 $21.89 per 850 count gumball 3650 count 3-5 $26-42 16lb chicklets 7 $29-50 depends on pieces mm chocolate 10-14 $9-12 per 3.5lb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 4 hours ago, NYCandyMan said: stay away from vendstars, they are obsolete, but will many you money, until they break, the $199 you paid for them is out of this world, if I bought them, it'll pay no more than $5 per unit! best candy to use is skittles, good all year around, they will melt, but will not make a mess, gumballs come in many sizes, choose the one that works for you, just remember every machine has to have a gumball, that is the one product that will always sell! using Rodney for locating is great, he's good, he's very good with corporate spots, now picture yourself walking into a corporate store with a vendstar, or a beaver? do you think they will allow you to place it? but the mom and pop shops will be your best customers, with a good commission, they will love you, don't forget to give out some freebees (depends on how you feel about the place). not all corporate locations allow their workers to have gum, so watch out for those. As far as the weight of the machine is concerned, think about plastic and metal, metal will survive! grab a hand truck and wheel the machine in, let gravity do the work for you! I can run real fast with a light machine. now beaver is not the only machine made of metal, but it is the best, AA Acorn Northwestern and few others out there have them also as far as the amount per vend: skittles 10-14 $7.50 per 3.5lbs mm peanut 4-6 $9-12 per 3.5lb gumball 1 $21.89 per 850 count gumball 3650 count 3-5 $26-42 16lb chicklets 7 $29-50 depends on pieces mm chocolate 10-14 $9-12 per 3.5lb Thanks a lot man.. to be honest im really nervous about getting into this venture, but ive already started. i guess since its new and strange, i am just nervous and slightly skeptical. i know i shouldnt because its a proven model but i havent seen it for myself. so i am placing a lot of trust in rodney to find me places and that scares me because its a heavy investment to buy machines, worrying about if im buying a good enough machine for what im trying to do, getting the best prices, etc. my goal is to invest in say, 10-15 machines, then use the money i make from them to buy a new machine each month until i can afford 2. then 3.. etc. also what are your thoughts on the honor boxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrybrooksvendall Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 I would start slow. Make sure vending is the right fit for you. You have already spent money on 2 vendstars, and candy. See how that goes first. Vendstars are good machines. ( Providing you don't put them in violent places.)Sent from my Z987 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrybrooksvendall Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Google vendstars 3000 parts. Snack attack is what you'll come up with. Sent from my Z987 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 well i am hearing too many negative things about vendstars so i will probably take everyone's advice and not get another. i would love to lower my initial cost by getting a less expensive machine. as it is right now the cost of the machine plus rodneys' cost makes it about a 160$ initial investment per machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrybrooksvendall Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Vendstars are not that bad. Their just not the best machines out there. I have several. They have made me money.Sent from my Z987 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuikVend Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Like I said, they do have their place. They will make you money just like any other machine, but they could easily break at any moment. Since you have them already, get them out there and let them start earning you some quarters. You can always use your profits to upgrade in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendtex Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I have a few too from a purchased route but have replacements ready if needed. I prefer NW but am growing to like beavers and oaks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 The main reason I say vistas is if the machine gets knocked over( and they do) it is easy to replace a panel or two. I carry a box of panels with me when I rob my machines. I'm using the northwesterns on racks and I'm getting rid of the 300s but thats just me I have had a plastic machine or two and around here they almost always get broken into( that's the reason I don't have beavers even though I LOVE their coin mechs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinch Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 This isn't a plug for Vendstars but possibly of interest. I saw this on Seattle Craigslist. I only have 1 Vendstar and it's at the locksmith but I might try something like this for fun. Whatever I do won't look as cool as some of these I'm sure. https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/for/6153725095.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Yea, i've contacted those guys. thats actually someone trying to sell modifying them not the machine itself. one of the things that i never thought to ask was.. what type of machines are making you money? Single? double? triple heads? For me, i ALWAYS thought in terms of triple heads because its like having 3 machines in one place. it seemed like a waste to not have at least 3 heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuikVend Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 There are a few pays concerning number of heads. I always thought more was better, but bulk candy is more of an impulse buy. As long as you have fresh candy in a good looking machine, 1-2 heads is plenty. Some locations will support 3 or more, but a majority of them you won't see much of a difference in sales by adding more heads. When I first started out, I bought 2 routes. One was mostly triples and the other was all Uturns (4-ways and 1 8-way). The triples, for the most part, have 1-2 solid sellers and a slow seller. I could use the money from buying that third option and buy more of the popular sellers and not worry about product going bad. The same issue with my u-turns, although I have a couple locations that empty out all 4 heads in 2 months or less. Triples are a good way of finding out what products will sell best at a location or trying a new product out. Again, they have their place just like vendstars do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 can anyone send me some links of some less expensive but quality machines they'd get? i want to work with rodney and i want to be able to get machines that he would place at high traffic locations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuikVend Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musser Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I've got a bunch of good oak vistas with heavy cast iron stands that I need to get rid of. Your choice $35 a set. I wont ship (too expensive anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 i think you misunderstand, I live in puyallup. sorta by seattle. just think seattle. i mean i just wanted pictures of some good vending machines. to get an idea of the types you are talking about. My vendstar 3000's arrived and my god they are hard to unlock. it took me 20 minutes of jiggling it to unlock the boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 go to oakmfg.com and click on limited time online special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 here is an oak vista Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Interesting, those are not as new / modern looking as i was anticipating. i think so far i think the vendstars look the best. i guess im just not a fan of the bulky metal look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starcat Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Do those oaks come with stands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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