Where To Find Old Candy Machines

How can a 12 year old start up a candy machine business?

You will need to find a parent/adult willing to work with you. At your age you will not be able to sign any legal agreements with the vendor or the business where you locate the candy machine. Ask you adult partner to help you research the cost of the machine, how much work is involved in maintaining/stocking the machine, and the anticipated profit. The vending machine business is very competitive. You might want to start by finding a way to sell candy directly to consumers. When I was in high school I would buy candy at a discount (large amounts from a warehouse) and then sell at store costs at football games to make money for our student body. I generated a lot of income that way. You might want to think about starting small (maybe selling directly to spectators at soccer games [make sure you are not violating any health/city codes]) and building up the funds you will need to purchase/rent a machine. Best of luck--it sounds like you were born to be an entrepreneur.

Can I make money by placing vending machines?

I lost a bunch of money ($30,000) when I started a vending business in my early 20s. This was partially because I bought new vending machines from a company that specialized in marketing and selling vending machines.Yes, you can make money in vending, but you have to be very shrewd about it. Some things to consider:If vending is such a great business model, why are so many used vending machines for sale for pennies on the dollar on sites like eBay?Never buy a new vending machine, ever. Always buy used. Buy machines as cheaply as possible to reduce overhead and accelerate your breakeven point.Many of the best locations in urban and suburban areas are already tied up by large vending companies like Canteen, which operates in Denver. Therefore, some of the best vending opportunities are in small towns where there are no large vending operators.Many public school districts have contracts with Coca-Cola directly so that no Pepsi products can be sold in schools. Coca-Cola fulfills on these contracts, effectively cutting out the opportunity for solo operators to place vending machines in schools.Tip: Selling soft drinks is far more profitable than selling snacks. This is because soft drinks have a higher profit margin and sell in greater volumes. You will have a hard time making much money if you're doing snack vending in areas where a large company is already handling the soft drink vending.Stocking and refilling machines can be very difficult if you have a full-time job. You might need to get bonded and insured to get access to buildings after hours.You really need a vehicle that can haul large amounts of soft drinks and snacks if you want to efficiently restock machines. Furthermore, you need a way to keep chocolate snacks from melting during hot months.Transporting and placing machines is a pain in the butt. I had to rent a U-Haul truck each time. If a business decides they don't want your machine anymore, you've got to get it out fast.I'm sure there are still many opportunities in vending, but they are probably fringe opportunities that big companies aren't targeting. If you really want to make a go of it, think creatively about what types of machines to place, how to acquire them, how to place them, and how to service them.And to read my personal vending story (nightmare), you can read that here:The Dream Stealer I Wish I Had Listened To (Or, How I Lost $30,000 on a Dumb Business Opportunity) — Business Growth Strategies

How much should I offer someone for an old vending machine?

First and foremost, I'd ask him if he would just give them to you in exchange for hauling them away.You're going to have to rent a truck with a lift gate along with a pallet jack to move them. And if he does not have keys to them, you'll need to drill out the locks in order to get access to them. If you plan to use them as anything other than a "mancave" decoration, you'll need to buy new locks.You'd be surprised at how many people don't want to deal with removal of an old vending machine. I've been asked to do it several times.By the way, if he does not have the keys, then its almost a sure bet that the machines are not his. Whether or not they've been abandoned is another matter, but I would check the machine very carefully for labels or tags that indicate who operates them.If they are branded machines (meaning they say "Coke" or "Pepsi" or another brand) then most likely they were operated by the local bottler or distributor for that brand. They still might be abandoned as this happens with large operations.If he says that he needs to get "something" for them, then be prepared with what the "scrap value" would be. Call around to scrappers and ask what they'd pay or at least what their offer is. Most of the time they offer to just haul them away because there are few salvageable parts relative to the size and bulk of what they are moving.

What were cigarette vending machines like?

At 9 years old I was able to buy my own cigarettes from the vending at the local laundromat. ID wasn’t necessary anywhere, but a machine did not ask my parents about it like the owner at the deli would.My mom remembers vending machine cigarette packs containing a penny inside the cellophane as change for your quarter coin. $0.24 in 1950s, now $9.00 here in NJ and up to $14.00 in NYC.I remember most this funny story. Next to our High School was the Police Station/City Hall where a vending machine sold packs for $1.50 by using 6 quarter coins. Being smart asses, we figured out how to load only 3 quarters, pull the plunger halfway until you felt a notch, push and pull again and voila! Half-price cigarettes at the Cop Shop. We emptied the machine about 3 times before they caught on & removed it altogether from City Hall.You can thank us for Clifton City Hall removing the cigarette machine circa 1987.