Planet Antares | Planet Antares Inc | Planet Antares Vending

A blog to discuss vending solutions provided by Planet Antares Inc

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Becoming A Crane Toy Vending Machine Operator

There are thousands of people who want to become their own boss and be financially independent. One of the best ways to do so is to join the vending industry as a vending machine operator. To begin with, you can opt for one or two vending machines and gradually expand your business as the profitability rises.

A Planet Antares crane toy vending machine with claws and plush toys is the perfect choice for anyone interested in starting a vending business. These are very popular among kids as well as youngsters and can generate reasonable amount of income. So, this is a lucrative option that can offer adequate return on investment within a short period of time, usually within the first year of starting the business.

Here are a few basic features of crane vending machines that will help you understand the main aspects of these machines.

• Usually, a claw vending machine has plush toys as prizes inside a glass box or cage.
• There is a crane or claw attached to the ceiling of the machine.
• A player has to insert a coin to start operating the machine by manipulating the joystick to control the claw movement.
• The time limit given for winning is about 15-30 seconds or even upto a minute in certain vending machines.
• At the end of this time limit, the claw will make a gripping attempt on the toys.
• After this, the claw will move to an opening in the corner of the cage to drop the toy won by the player.

A popular version of the crane vending machine is the “two button” machine that has a forward and right arrow. The crane is placed near the front of the machine and the user will have to press the forward button to move it towards the back first. Then the right button becomes active and is lowered to grasp a toy. This version is difficult as compared to the original one.

The first claw vending machines to gain popularity were those placed at Pizza Hut restaurants in the late 1980s in the United States. Later, they spread to other venues and many big brands started advertising through plush toys in crane vending machines.

By mid 1990s, the claw vending machine’s popularity had gained considerable heights with locations like Fry’s supermarket, K-Mart, Safeway and Wal-Mart. Even hotels started keeping these machines to attract young guests as well as sports establishments for inducing sale of stuffed toys with sporty symbols and designs.

At present, there is a large variety of plush toys to choose from. There are new toys being launched in the market each month. New movies and cartoons are promoted this way on a large scale.

Definitely, there is great scope for generating income in this vending business and for beginners; it is a very lucrative option.