Share any vending machine experiences? Here is my brother's experience with them

[Sunny1115]

Hi guys, Im really new to all this. I just recently starting looking for different ways to make a little extra income and I came across the whole vending machine business. Im not looking to build an empire or anything like that but I would like to state that we are the managers to an apartment complex and we have two different laundromats with a pool. I figured kids and adults dont always want to go to the store when they have a craving, so why not ask the owner of the complex and see if he will allow me. I live onsite so I can restock/service it when needed.

I just found a really good deal on a machine that I found on offerup. the reason why the seller is putting his vending machine on sale if because he claims to not have a location for it.

does anyone know anything about what to look for when purchasing a machine or if this is even a good machine to buy? if not, can someone point me in the right direction to this.

the machine is a snackshop 4000 and it was originally posted for $350 and he brought it down to $250. he said he has the lock with the manual and knows how to program it .

any suggestions or advice would help. thank you.

[artillery77]

I think there's a great future in vending machines, but not necessarily just related to food. Anything where you need a controlled and counted release is a potential market. Even when you think of factories issuing gloves or safety equipment, a common problem is some a-hat steals everything so suddenly someone has to babysit this stuff and control the issuance. A vending machine that could track use wouldn't even need to supply new product, just lease the machine so the company could have control.

Oh, as for sugary drinks....anyplace can get a free Coke/Pepsi machine. They'll put one in any company for free and restock it. Just call the local bottler.

[vicky3vicky]

Okay, this probably is not what you are looking for, but I love to share this story.

When my Autistic son [I am also Autistic] was 7 or 8 years old, he was looking at a picture of a little girl from Sierre Leonne who we sponsored to help pay her schooling, food, etc. I was reading to my son that Jassa Magay [or something like that] lived in a hut with a leaking roof and a dirt floor. My son started crying, saying that when it rained that the little girl would be sleeping in mud. Then he said "When I grow up I am going to marry Jassa Magay and buy her a nice house to live in."

I told him if he wanted to do that, that he should start earning money now. So the next day he started a lemonade stand, picked up dog poop, and walked dogs for money.

When he had $100 we opened a joint account. The bank was right across the street from our house, in a very small town, so my son, even if he only earned 25 cents that day, would put it in the bank.

When he was 10, he was helping my husband do al ignments [ he didn't get paid for this] at our auto repair shop. Bob was talking to the customer as he aligned the car [i know, against rules] and the customer mentioned that he was getting a new pop machine in his shop and that he needed to get rid of the old one. My son immediately offerred him $200bought it,and the pop machine was put in our automotive shop.

2 years later my son became terribly ill [he still is] and could barely function. Life is still hard for him but most days he is glad he is alive [ he is that ill]

Then LJ turned 20 years old. Long story short, but LJ bought an extreme fixer-upper, paid in full, with the money he earned from the pop machine. He is 26 years old, rents out the house, and he is hopeful that someday he might be able to be well enough to live in it.

I love to tell this story.