You ever scroll through business listings late at night, maybe half-serious, maybe just curious, and suddenly see something like “vending machine business for sale”? Kinda random, right? But also… weirdly tempting. I mean, vending machines. You see them everywhere. Gas stations, apartment lobbies, laundromats, break rooms. They just sit there, quietly making money. Or at least, that’s the idea.
People have this image in their head like it’s passive income heaven. You buy a couple machines, throw in some snacks or sodas, and bam, money while you sleep. Sounds nice. But the truth? It’s not completely hands-off. There’s a bit more going on behind the scenes than just buying a machine and walking away.
So when you see one of these businesses for sale, the first thing to ask is, what exactly are you getting? Is it just the machines? Or do they come with contracts? Like, are they already placed somewhere, or are they just sitting in a storage unit somewhere collecting dust? That part makes a huge difference. A vending machine in a good spot, like a busy office building or a high school gym, can pull in solid cash. One sitting in a half-empty strip mall with zero foot traffic? Probably not so much.
Also, there’s the whole maintenance thing. These machines break. It’s not all snacks and easy money. You gotta be ready for that stuff, or at least know someone who can fix it without draining your wallet.
And don’t forget about inventory. It’s not like the chips and candy just restock themselves. You’ve gotta go out and buy the products, keep track of what’s selling, what’s just sitting there getting stale, and what people actually want. Yeah, you could load it up with whatever you like, but if nobody buys it, you’re just eating the cost. And probably the snacks too, let’s be real.
There’s also this thing called “routes.” If you’re buying a vending machine business and not just a couple machines, chances are you’re buying a route. That’s a set of machines spread across different locations that the seller’s been servicing regularly. So ask questions. How many machines? Where are they? How often do they need restocking? How much are they making, realistically? Sellers will throw out numbers like “this route brings in $2,000 a month,” but you need to dig deeper. Is that revenue or profit? Huge difference.
One thing people overlook is how spread out the route is. Like, are all the machines within 10 minutes of each other, or are you driving an hour in traffic just to hit the next one? That kind of thing eats up your time and gas money fast. It can go from “sweet little side hustle” to “why am I spending half my Saturday in a van with cases of Coke Zero” real quick.
And speaking of vehicles, you’re gonna need one. Maybe not a full-blown delivery truck, but definitely something with space. Those snack boxes and soda crates take up room. You might even need a dolly or a cart, depending on how far you’ve gotta roll stuff from your car to the machine. Sounds minor until you’re hauling five cases of drinks across a parking lot in the middle of July.
Oh, and you’ll be dealing with cash. Yeah, a lot of machines take cards now, which is great, but some people still use bills and coins. So you’ll be collecting that, counting it, maybe even rolling coins if you’re into that old-school grind. Also, you have to either install card readers or make sure the machines already have them. The tech side matters more than people think.
And don’t forget about permissions. You can’t just drag a vending machine into a building and plug it in. You need an agreement with the property owner. Sometimes that means paying rent or giving them a cut of the sales. Sometimes it’s super chill, and they’re just happy to have snacks on site. Other times it’s a whole negotiation. If the business you’re buying includes those contracts or agreements, awesome. If not, you’ve got some legwork ahead.
Now, pricing. It varies a lot. Some people are selling a single machine for a few hundred bucks. Others want $30K for a whole route with ten machines, card readers, and placement contracts. It all depends on what’s included. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. If you’re buying multiple machines, especially ones that are already placed and profitable, there’s room to talk price. Just make sure you actually see some financials before handing over cash.
And look, not everyone’s cut out for this kind of thing. It sounds simple, and yeah, parts of it are. But you’re still running a business.
But also, if you’re organized and you’ve got the time, it can totally work. Some people scale it up, hire drivers, even outsource the whole thing once they get big enough. Others just keep it small and local and use the extra income for vacations or paying off debt. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here.
Honestly, if you’re even a little interested, go look at a few listings. See what’s out there. Ask questions. Maybe even talk to someone who’s already doing it. You’d be surprised how open people can be when they know you’re not just kicking tires. And who knows? You might find something that actually fits your life.
Or maybe you’ll realize you hate the idea of driving around with bags of Funyuns every week. Either way, better to find out now than after you’ve bought a bunch of machines you don’t want.
