Vending Machines

aceskay · #1 07-24-2007, 09:48 PM

Has anyone here bought any vending machines and made any money off of them?

I am thinking of getting into on a small-time basis, mainly with small, candy vending machines, like $0.25 type machines that give a handful of skittles, runts, m&m's, bubble gum, etc.

Anyone have advice for good locations, ways to approach store owners, or general pieces of advice?

DJSHAD0W · #2 07-24-2007, 10:21 PM

Stay away, you are getting onto the Mafia's territory....

BradleyT · #3 07-24-2007, 11:05 PM

Place them in the DMV.

gordongecko · #4 07-25-2007, 02:00 AM

They can be very lucrative, but dont buy into that whole vendstar [censored], I picked up my machines off ebay and from a local guy who got [censored] by vendstar. The big thing is getting high earning placements, that way you make the most off your intitial investment equipment wise. Also get machines that you can adjust your serving sizes. Some older machines dont have that option. PM me if you want some placement advice, a mentor of mine gave me tons of tips (he used to do it in the 90s I guess), I dont really earn much from vending, but I do know alot about it.

Fishhead24 · #5 07-25-2007, 07:15 AM

I was at a local auction last evening and 11 vending machines went for $110 total!!

gordongecko · #6 07-25-2007, 06:27 PM

wow that sounds like a good deal. I picked up some smaller, countertop machines for about 20 per unit last year. They were already placed and profitable, the seller had to transfer to another state for a job. 11 per though sounds awesome!

prohornblower · #7 07-25-2007, 07:28 PM

There was a thread about this a while back. Like 6 months ago someone said he put a gumball machine in the laundry room at his dorm or something without getting approval and made a forture Rick Rockwell would envy.

onlinebeginner · #8 08-01-2007, 12:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Place them in the DMV.

[/ QUOTE ]

YESSSSSSSSSSSS

i never got the balls to do that, obviously... plan on putting mine back in the dormroom in a month tho....

onlinebeginner · #9 08-01-2007, 12:29 AM

also i never said i made a fortune lol

Shoe · #10 08-01-2007, 12:43 AM

If you can get vending machines in an office building (the ones that sell soda and snacks for anywhere from $.50 - $.75 each), I'd think those would be the most profitable for the least amount of work (and with the least amount of vandalism/theft problems).

Unfortunately, how easy it is to get a business to either switch to you, or a new business to choose you to provide vending machines to their employees, is not a subject I know anything about though.