sterling Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 The question of what is a good price for machines comes up a lot. If you are reading this you have probably realized that biz op new machines are waaaaaay toooooo expensive making your ROI far off if ever achieved. For the last year I have been expanding my route through craigslist,networking, and ebay. Here is my opinon on price for bulk candy 2 and 3 headed used machines. Machines should be in working order in good shape, and HAVE KEYS. No keys screams stolen, don't go there. I will generalize for simplicity. I am talking about machines like Vendstars, 1 800, silent sales force, even the old style machines like beaver or acorn. I'd love to hear others input on this subject. $30 or less= excellent price $40= Very good price $50= fair price $60= ok price, ask for $50 $75= ok price if on location with candy $100= better be on location with candy and gross sales have to be above $10/month (Whatever the selling tells you the average is assume that is the best month they had and divide by 2 to be realistic) Unless they show you bank deposits or some other proof. $125 or = Same as the previous but the sales have to of course be better. $150 or above= Don't bother there are better deals out there. Be patient. I hope this helps someone researching bulk candy machines not to overpay getting into the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 IMO most machines for less then half of original cost is a good deal.biz op machines maybe a third of thier original cost.for example a 1800 machine is 300$$ so 100$$ imo is a decent price for that paticular machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Sterling, are you talking about single or double head machines? In some cases it should make a difference, particularly if it's being bought w/o location. In some cases a double head is really just two singles on a larger stand. That's worth more than a single. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 When I'm shopping for used machines, I will not pay more than 1/2 the full retail price for the item. That includes shipping. A brand new Oak Vista 300 from the manufacturer is ~$50 delivered. If a USED vista costs more than $25 delivered, then I pass on the deal. It also has to be much less than that if it needs anything like locks or repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I only buy used if I can save 50% to 60% from the retail price including the shipping. There are too many potential add-on costs and time to get used equipment up to par. Sanding, painting, cleaning, replacement parts, matching lock codes, adding capsule/gumball wheels, removing sticker residue, replacing cracked globes, etc. all add up fast. I had some situations where I really wish I had bought new machines after factoring in all the cleanup time, repainting and replacement parts/locks cost. It really helps if you can buy locally and physically see the equipment first hand. Even the picture on ebay will not always show all of the damage, dirt and rust on a machine. Use caution when buying across state lines! Also, things can get damaged during shipping and filing a claim is a real hassle and the seller could care less even when they did a poor job packing it. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yerda Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Jax, what do you mean by use caution when buying across state lines? Is there something to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I am just saying that if you can't drive to the seller's location to physically see the machines, then use caution. You may end up with some lemons that even a photo can't reveal. The repairs and clean up time for lemons can add up quickly and make it not worth your while. I bought some NW60's on ebay that looked good in the photo, but were in much worse shape in person. This vendor loved to vend peanuts and the salt over the years rusted the machines badly. The dust created by the nuts also clogged the coin mechs and each one has to be cleaned and re-lubricated. The Globes also had a very cloudy look due to years of salted peanuts and sunlight. There were also stickers baked onto the globes from years of sunlight exposure and were very difficult to get off without damaging the globe. After all of the cleaning, sanding, painting, repacement parts etc. it would have been better for me to buy them new. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philo Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 I agree with Jax. I will only buy used from CL. I avoid paying shipping and I can see the machines before I hand over the money. I will pay $75-100 for a triple if its a name brand and in good shape. I will never pay for a location since I usually end up finding better locations myself. Regards, Philo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T BIRD Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I also agree totally with Jax. I have had second thoughts after purchasing used equipment after seeing the condition and changing out parts that needed to. ( and also painting etc ) Sure you can not take the machines but if they are shipped to you its a real hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 After purchasing some off ebay and realizing there were three missing coin mechs that I'd have to replace (not mentioned in the auction), I'm a little bitter towards the idea. I drove over 200 miles one way to pick them up. Now all the extra parts I got still made the deal fairly profitable for me, however it did cause me to be more wary. If it's on craigslist and near you, it's a good option. My business strategy is to watch Jax and Tbird and copy parts of their business strategy for the first year. Past that I should have enough experience to rely on my own judgment and use their strategies to supplement it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 lurtsman,the good thing about ebay is now sellers can`t leave feedback.did u leave a negative for the seller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepavend Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Good line of thinking Jax. I am more extreme than you though. I look for bigger lots that I can get for $10/head or less. There are so many deals out there that unless I hit a deal that is worth the time of fixing/cleaning/prepping, I just pass and wait. I have and will always try to keep money on the side for such deals so I can jump on them fast. The prime example is a storage unit I cleaned out with 71 Oak Vista 300s/450s and pipe stands for $700 (580 to the seller plus van rental, gas, meal) I traveled 2 1/2 hours to Downingtown from Scranton to get them. The seller was going to scrap them for iron and metal! Most were on location 6 months or less, many not at all, and just needed cleaning. But even then, they were all singles so I had to order double bars from A&A at about $6 each, so even with a near perfect deal there was a hidden cost that added a few dollars per head to my cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I guess the bottom line is that most used machines need to be sold at a fire sale price to make it worth our while after factoring in cleaning, painting, new locks, toy wheels, other parts, etc. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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