sherlock Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 For those that recently bought NEW Northwestern 60's or 80's... Where are you getting your best price from? In theory, going to the MFR usually makes sense. But I wonder if that's truly the best price considering some Mfrs would rather not deal with the everyday customer buying 1, 2, or 5 products. Sometimes a Mfr prefers to sell wholesale to retailers in big bulk numbers, so there's no real price break for the small business person. There's little/no savings getting new NW machines on EBay. They're pretty much the same price as Sam's on EBay. But, you don't get the "warm and fuzzy" through EBay that you get from a place that will probably be there tomorrow if you have a problem with your order...like Sam's. Plus, some of those Ebay merchants are CRAZY with their shipping costs. Is going direct to NW the best source? If not, through whom and what are you paying? THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsimms Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 For those that recently bought NEW Northwestern 60's or 80's... Where are you getting your best price from? In theory, going to the MFR usually makes sense. But I wonder if that's truly the best price considering some Mfrs would rather not deal with the everyday customer buying 1, 2, or 5 products. Sometimes a Mfr prefers to sell wholesale to retailers in big bulk numbers, so there's no real price break for the small business person. There's little/no savings getting new NW machines on EBay. They're pretty much the same price as Sam's on EBay. But, you don't get the "warm and fuzzy" through EBay that you get from a place that will probably be there tomorrow if you have a problem with your order...like Sam's. Plus, some of those Ebay merchants are CRAZY with their shipping costs. Is going direct to NW the best source? If not, through whom and what are you paying? THANKS! They are probably getting their best price from people that are selling them cheap... just like 1800's - every now and again you see someone selling their lot off ... you just have to catch a good deal when one becomes available, and like you said, unless you have major bulk buying power, I doubt the mfg will even listen to you, unless they sell directly to the public, and if that was the case, people would go to them, and not sams club...people watch out for good deals, and when someone is selling their lots of machines off...its just a luck thing i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 They are probably getting their best price from people that are selling them cheap... just like 1800's - every now and again you see someone selling their lot off ... you just have to catch a good deal when one becomes available, and like you said, unless you have major bulk buying power, I doubt the mfg will even listen to you, unless they sell directly to the public, and if that was the case, people would go to them, and not sams club...people watch out for good deals, and when someone is selling their lots of machines off...its just a luck thing i guess. That's the hard part about wanting NW brand machines. NW machines are hard to find used and in good shape. Those machines don't really come available on the used market. The 1800's and other biz-op machines are much easier to find than a good quality lot of NW's because there are always customers that bought those cheaper machines to try the biz out. At least that's what my research has found. It's rare (I think) that folks will spend on NW, Beaver, or Oak just to "try out" the biz. I believe most times people buying NW, Beaver, or Oak have probably been in the biz a bit longer so they don't necessarily wind up liquidating the machine unless they're selling some or all of their route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevend Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I buy mine from Sam's Club. If you purchase direct from Northwestern the wait time is in the 2 - 3 week area. From Sam's it is 4 - 5 days. One time I needed 2 NW Sticker Machines and 2 NW 80's. When I called Northwestern for a price and they could not match Sam's price. The machines you buy at Sam's are shipped to you directly from Northwestern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 The lack of easily available second hand northwesterns is because northwestern does not have sales reps doing the biz-op. Most operators who buy their machines have at least some clue what they are doing. There are a few that do enough research to buy a quality machine, like northwesterns, but have no clue how to run the business. The opportunities to get them are few and far between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 I buy mine from Sam's Club. If you purchase direct from Northwestern the wait time is in the 2 - 3 week area. From Sam's it is 4 - 5 days. One time I needed 2 NW Sticker Machines and 2 NW 80's. When I called Northwestern for a price and they could not match Sam's price. The machines you buy at Sam's are shipped to you directly from Northwestern. THANKS! Good info. I read the FAQ on the NW site and the order turn-around time listed was long. I'm glad to hear going through Sam's may avoid some of that wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavity Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Wevend, Do the NW machines from Sam's have the drop through coin mechs now??? In the past, I don't think they sold them with that option through Sam's. Would be nice to have a definitive answer on this before making a purchase with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 Do the NW machines from Sam's have the drop through coin mechs now??? In the past, I don't think they sold them with that option through Sam's. Would be nice to have a definitive answer on this before making a purchase with them. GREAT question. The answer would be nice to know. We need someone who bought through Sam's to chime in. For the record, just spoke to NW... Prices are as follows (including the price-breaks for buying in bulk): Super 60 - $70 for 1-9, $67 (10-49), $64.25 (50-99), $58.25 (100+) 19" Super 80 - $118 for 1-9, $113.50 (10-49), $108.50 (50-99), 99.50 (100+) Sam's may be the way to go. Unless someone knows of a cheaper re-seller. I believe the Super 80 through Sam's is the 25" and it's cheaper than the 19" through NW! Even more interesting... NW Rep states turn around on orders is normally 7-10 days, but right now....3-4 WEEKS!! YIKES!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevend Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Cavity, The ones I have gotten from Sam's have the drop thru mech. The 80's only have a .50 cent mech so I have to change them to .75 when I get them. The .75 cent kit is 7.90 for each machine from the Northwestern parts department. Parts ship out fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavity Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Drop through meaning pennies, nickles, and dimes go through and not jam the machine, correct? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevend Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Yes - I have even found 1 car wash token that dropped thru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now