junk or not vending?

[SAMG]

Does anyone on here have any experience with vending companys? I have been thinking about purchasing one of those 30 vending machines for $4,999. But I wanted to know if anyone has done this, or recommend any certain company to go with, or a certain type of machine to go with. any info would be helpful. Thanks

[nochance]

In the Uk, there is a vending company with which i am aware of and know a couple of people involved.

Have a look http://www.snack-in-the-box.co.uk

Although they operate as a franchise, they are very helpful and may be able to assist you with advice.

[SAMG]

thanks for the link. Anyone had any experience with dvd vending machines. I love the concept, but think the market might be very limited, as it may be alot easier just to stop in at a local blockbuster or similar store.

[stakesauce]

you'll atract more audiences if you cater to different age levels. look for a machine that involves a game that little kids love, but that older kids can enjoy too. everybody likes dvds, but you need a reason for people to waste their money on your machine rather than go to store

[G-T]

$5k for a vending company? You could get a better ROI in plenty of other markets

[Young Spark]

I believe offering vending machines can be good, but I have to agree with stakesauce on this one, you have to find a specific niche for people to get into that many will want to purchase it out of your machine. I wouldn't recommend video game's honestly though, why? Let's do a study shall we.

Throw a video game vending machine outside a Wal-Mart... the likes of it still being there after a night of sitting there... slim and none, somebody would've done robbed you for the whole friggin' machine, thank God if you atleast get the change that was spent in the machine

[sspoldir]

Get used machines, they are significantly cheaper than buying through the bizzops. I would also suggest starting out with small single head bulk machines as moving large snack/soda machines is a pain if it's not already on location.

-SS

[Austin_Wilson]

I have a friend who does ATM's and has been far more successful with that then he was with his vending machine business... Just a thought.

[SAMG]

For a niche product, what about skate items. We have several skate parks in the area, indoor and outdoor. A vending machine that sold packs of bearings, wheels, etc. Anybody know where I can find used vending machines. I do have alot of mechanical background, so even if i can find them broken, im sure I would be able to figure out how to fix them. Any ideas?

[WanganRunner]

In regards to vending machines, the toughest part tends to be the placement of the machines and the agreements with the store owners.

If you are inexperienced with the vending business, I would advise that you try to purchase 1 or 2 machines from an existing route, and then try managing that route yourself for awhile before fully diving in. It will give you a sense of time commitment, cost of inventory, traffic, cash flow, etc....

Once you "own" a couple of locations, you can try to substitute new types of machines into them and see if you can increase revenues.

I have toyed with the idea of buying an intact route and then letting other people "walk" it for me, having them pay me a set monthly fee and then let them otherwise run the business as if it were their own. If they ever don't pay the fee I'd just change the locks and find someone else. The only issue would be the depreciation of the machines, as I'm not sure how long they last or how much maintenance is involved.

[rush1169]

Does anyone on here have any experience with vending companys? I have been thinking about purchasing one of those 30 vending machines for $4,999.

One machine in one location won't bring home the bacon. You've mentioned DVD vending - which Redbox seems to do quite well (at least around here) and it would be tough to compete them. If you can find a specialty vend item in an untapped market, you could hit one out of the park (see Redbox). There are literally hundreds of mom-and-pop type vending companies who come and go every year, but they are doing nothing special (sodas, snacks, kiddie rides, vids) and eventually quit because the ROI is paltry. . .

In my parts, there is an unspoken rule that if you "steal" a good location the business you stole from will counter-attack strong enough for you to know you broke the rule. If you steal a loser location, you'll soon wish you hadn't.

A vending route is doable - but don't quit your day job and realize that if you ever want to add more machines, even at a couple grand a machine, you'll need to refrain from spending any profit on yourself for a long time.