JMS Vending Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I am really looking hard at a couple of quite different vending opportunities. My question is simply if you were to start all over today knowing what you now know would you pursue full line vending (snack, soda and coffee) or amusement (pool tables, arcade and crane games) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Amusment no question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainor5251 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I know its a business but what interest you more (what gets you excited) should be a factor. I have flirted with the idea of both to go along with my bulk locations and just have absolutely no interest in full line. Looking to buy a crane or 2 in the next couple of months for locations I already have bulk racks at. Not really interested in pool tables, looking to go with cranes, boxing machines, foosball, air hockey, quarter pushers and maybe even a few rides. I'm excited about venturing into new waters and looking forward to all the hard knocks that are expected with new ventures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pp47021 Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Let me just say I don't have any amusement machines but I will give my opinion. All vending has it's pro's and cons it really just depends on what you like, what you can do in your area, how much money you have to start with, etc... Bulk Candy- Cheap to get into and start out, you only have to check the machines once every 30-90 days (in most cases) depending on the location. You can make good money with them but you need to have large number of machines to make the quarters add up. I have just over 60 of these accounts. I spend about 8-10 hours a month doing bulk. Also most bulk locations won't require commission. Soda- During the warmer months I check 6 of my 7 soda machines once a week. During the cooler months I check them once every 2 weeks sometimes I stretch it to 3 weeks. It takes me about 2 hours each time so about 8 hours a month during the warmer months 2-4 hours during the cooler months. During the warmer months I make way more with these 7 machines in a week then I do with 60 bulk machines all month. However during the cooler months Nov-Mar they make less then my bulk. Soda machines cost more to buy and are harder to locate. Finding good locations is the key with all vending. Soda locations require commission so you have to deal with that. I am lucky only one of my 7 locations gets commission but I think that's rare. Snack- Like soda they make good money but cost more to buy and locate. The biggest problem in snack for me personally is having to keep and carry all the products to stock. Some people don't mind but I think its a pain. With bulk I carry 5 products. For soda I carry 12 different products, with snack you have to have lots more. Again good location is the key to making good money. But there is more product that can spoil and some of the things people request have short shelf life, when it gets hot some of the candy can melt and you loose money when that happens. Amusement- Like I said I have none, but have looked into getting some. The biggest pros for me is that your product does not go bad and the profit margins are great. Pool tables arcades, and juke boxes are very expensive to buy, but once they are paid off it's all profit. Cranes in a good location can be a gold mine. My biggest problem is that the good locations near me are already taken, and their are very few in my small town to start with. So I have just focused on Soda, and bulk, and the occasional snack machine to secure a good soda account. Bottom line I like all vending, I think the key is just figuring out how much time you have, and what will work in your area. I just finished my accounting for November. Last month after all expenses were paid I made just over $96 an hour with my vending. There is nothing else I can do on my day off and make that kind of money. During the warmer months when the sodas are at their peak I make way more. You are doing the right thing by asking these questions. For most I know that have tried to get into vending it all comes down to money. If you have thousands and you don't mind a longer ROI (return on investment) then the larger machines like amusement, soda snack etc. are a good option. However If you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars and wait 6 months to a year to get your money back, then bulk may be right for you. I have a friend in Fl who just picked up 10 triples for $100 ($10 each) they were vendstars but in great condition. he located them himself and spent about $25 in candy for each machine to start. So for $350 he has 10 machines out collecting quarters for him. I hope this helps some.... keep asking questions, take your time, explore your options, start slow and build your route slow and steady and you will do great! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Let me just say I don't have any amusement machines but I will give my opinion. All vending has it's pro's and cons it really just depends on what you like, what you can do in your area, how much money you have to start with, etc... Bulk Candy- Cheap to get into and start out, you only have to check the machines once every 30-90 days (in most cases) depending on the location. You can make good money with them but you need to have large number of machines to make the quarters add up. I have just over 60 of these accounts. I spend about 8-10 hours a month doing bulk. Also most bulk locations won't require commission. Soda- During the warmer months I check 6 of my 7 soda machines once a week. During the cooler months I check them once every 2 weeks sometimes I stretch it to 3 weeks. It takes me about 2 hours each time so about 8 hours a month during the warmer months 2-4 hours during the cooler months. During the warmer months I make way more with these 7 machines in a week then I do with 60 bulk machines all month. However during the cooler months Nov-Mar they make less then my bulk. Soda machines cost more to buy and are harder to locate. Finding good locations is the key with all vending. Soda locations require commission so you have to deal with that. I am lucky only one of my 7 locations gets commission but I think that's rare. Snack- Like soda they make good money but cost more to buy and locate. The biggest problem in snack for me personally is having to keep and carry all the products to stock. Some people don't mind but I think its a pain. With bulk I carry 5 products. For soda I carry 12 different products, with snack you have to have lots more. Again good location is the key to making good money. But there is more product that can spoil and some of the things people request have short shelf life, when it gets hot some of the candy can melt and you loose money when that happens. Amusement- Like I said I have none, but have looked into getting some. The biggest pros for me is that your product does not go bad and the profit margins are great. Pool tables arcades, and juke boxes are very expensive to buy, but once they are paid off it's all profit. Cranes in a good location can be a gold mine. My biggest problem is that the good locations near me are already taken, and their are very few in my small town to start with. So I have just focused on Soda, and bulk, and the occasional snack machine to secure a good soda account. Bottom line I like all vending, I think the key is just figuring out how much time you have, and what will work in your area. I just finished my accounting for November. Last month after all expenses were paid I made just over $96 an hour with my vending. There is nothing else I can do on my day off and make that kind of money. During the warmer months when the sodas are at their peak I make way more. You are doing the right thing by asking these questions. For most I know that have tried to get into vending it all comes down to money. If you have thousands and you don't mind a longer ROI (return on investment) then the larger machines like amusement, soda snack etc. are a good option. However If you can't afford to spend thousands of dollars and wait 6 months to a year to get your money back, then bulk may be right for you. I have a friend in Fl who just picked up 10 triples for $100 ($10 each) they were vendstars but in great condition. he located them himself and spent about $25 in candy for each machine to start. So for $350 he has 10 machines out collecting quarters for him. I hope this helps some.... keep asking questions, take your time, explore your options, start slow and build your route slow and steady and you will do great! Good luck! alot more questions u have to ask urself like can you move the equipment? can you fix the equipment? etc... i just got a crane from another member who decided cranes werent for him cause he didnt have the patience to fix the equipment ,when i started with amusements it was hell mving the machines in uhaul trucks so i got a pick up with a liftgate but it was a $3,000 investment but has paid off in the long run also its a game where u pay a ton of money p front and make it back kinda slowly if u arent buying dirt cheap used equipment like i do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Vending Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Lots of great information guys thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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