Is this set up better than a mini crane?

[Guyvender]

This is my correct set up for locations. Everyone keeps telling me to get into mini cranes, I don’t see the hype.

I’ve done cranes in the past, it seems like people play them once and don’t do it again the options are limited. I feel like with all my selections now it gives the customer more of a choice rather than just one chance at winning a prize from a mini crane. What do you all think? Would it be worth it? 

[gumball guy]

4 hours ago, Guyvender said:

This is my correct set up for locations. Everyone keeps telling me to get into mini cranes, I don’t see the hype.

I’ve done cranes in the past, it seems like people play them once and don’t do it again the options are limited. I feel like with all my selections now it gives the customer more of a choice rather than just one chance at winning a prize from a mini crane. What do you all think? Would it be worth it? 

That is a great bulk set up for that spot. In my opinion, going head to head, cranes will regularly out gross bulk racks just because they take bills, the game play is more exciting and the chance of winning a big prize is often too hard to pass up. Since you have operated cranes in the past, you know it is a completely different animal than bulk vending. Cranes can make great money but require a lot more attention and capital to operate. Generally, if you are going to delve into that business, it's not a bad idea buy several of them and put together a small route. That way you can buy more mixes and rotate items from location to location. If I were going to add one there, I would swap out the sticker machine for the mini crane (if it will fit) and leave the rack. You would also need to bolt it to the wall or floor.

I guess my ultimate advice would be to ask yourself where you want to be in vending 5 years from now. Is this something you really want to expand on or is it just a side gig for the foreseeable future? Bulk vending is a lot less demanding than a claw machine route but claw machines have a better future than bulk. If it is a just going to be a side gig, I would stick with bulk for the time being.

[jay22]

i don’t really see the appeal in crane machines. how much joy can a small plush animal(this is all i ever see in them)really give you? there’s no play factor, there’s no satisfaction from eating/chewing something factor. the cost to buy one, the maintenance, the percentage the owner would likely want for having one of those huge machines… no thanks. they are popular now though. a lot of my locations that used to only have my gumball machines, have cranes  moving in next to them. hopefully they break easily lol

Edited April 23 by jay22