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The history of the

interactive vending
machines

I will never forget the summer of 1993.  I was so excited when I serviced my first bulk candy vending machine and counted the quarters.   I was amazed at how quickly the quarters added up into big bucks!   

As I became more experienced, I found that the first couple months after I first placed a candy machine at a new location were the best, then the sales typically began to decline.  Sometimes a lot!   I realized that what I needed was a machine that would let customers play an exciting game with their gumball before it was vended. The game's novelty would encourage customers to purchase a gumball each time they saw the machine.  This would keep the machine's revenue from dropping off because most people would be challenged to see if they could beat their last score.  

What I didn't realize was that some people would buy more than one gumball at each visit because they enjoyed the challenging game so much.  These repeat plays  increased the number of vends for the location and made my per location sales higher than I expected.

This was during the era of the "giant" machines that had become commonplace in malls and large stores. These "giants" were quite profitable, but their huge size made them unsuitable for most locations.  I researched extensively and found that there were no interactive machines available.  What I did find were a couple of different brands of  boxy, expensive, motorized kinetics, but they weren't any more interactive than the "giants" or "spirals" and they cost several thousand dollars.  I also discovered, when I talked to a route owner that had several motorized machines, that the motors and moving parts required frequent, complicated maintenance.  

I decided that this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. In March of 1994 I set out to build a sports game vending machine that would address the points I discovered in my research.  The machine had to be small enough to fit in most any location, be affordable, reliable, non-electric and simple to maintain. I built a few prototype basketball machines and located them in July of 1995.  The locations I got for the prototype machines were in a regional mall in Mobile, Alabama.  After the first month I knew I was onto something - customers loved the interactive game!  The machine did better than any other type of machine I had ever owned. 

The management of the location even commented that the commission they received far exceeded their typical return on coin-operated machines. I have a referral letter from that mall that I am very proud of to this day. To show you what type of quality we build into our machines, that prototype machine is still in operation today, ten years later!

Over the years I have continued to refine the design of the machines, and has sold over 11,000 machines in Canada, the United States and Mexico.  Our newest machines are small enough that they are easy to deliver to locations using just my car.  I can fit 5 in my Nissan Altima with no problem.  When I deliver or pick up some of the other machines I use on my route, I have to use a truck or utility trailer. 

While discussing the size of our machines, there is an interesting point I must tell you about.  There have been a few instances when a location has requested that I replace a large interactive machine at their business with a smaller one (to save space).  What I experienced really surprised me.  The smaller machines seem to do just as well as the larger more expensive machines do at the same location.  

So basically, here is what my experiences have taught me:

1. Only buy factory direct.  Don't buy machines from middlemen. Their 2-3 times markup will only mean that I have to wait 2-3 times longer for the machine to pay for itself. 

2. Interactive machines typically make four times more than standard venders when side-by-side at the same location.  We have even had interactive machines on our route that outperformed candy machines an amazing 10 to 1. I rarely buy regular candy or gumball vending machines unless I am mounting them on a rack beside my interactive machine to increase customers candy options.  "Plain old" candy machines are only average in their ability to attract customers and are difficult to locate because there are already so many of them out there. 

3. Any location that has a candy machine is a great potential location for an interactive machine.  The interactive game feature of our machines is so different and exciting, many business owners are willing to let you place a machine at their location right next to a candy machine they already have.  Try this with a regular candy machine!  Because regular candy machines are already everywhere, and because businesses don't have any need for more than one, they will be less likely to let you place another candy machine next to a machine they already have. 

4. Spending more money on bigger machines doesn't improve my route's profitability.  's interactive machines do as well at any given location as the larger, more costly machines you might find elsewhere.

5. And obviously, the more locations I have the better.    Buying affordable interactive machines is a great way to grow my route.  The less expensive each machine is (as long as it is interactive and high quality) the more machines I can have working for me.

From the day you place them on location, these machines are real money makers!  But don't just take my word for it.  Check out our testimonials page to read what our customers have to say.  Our prices are so affordable, you can't afford not to try them out!  Call us at (800) 591-0486 and ask for a "Great Deal" package.  It is time for you to start out on the road to your success!

Sincerely,

Steven Schneider
Founder of .