Comic Book Vending Machine 1 1

[jsilverjanet]

I’ve never seen one of these before

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/clt/6773332381.html

 

[the blob]

Too bad it isn't full of MS. Marvel 1s or even star wars or nova 1s that came out around the same time. Frankly I think this concept ( and we have discussed it here before) would work if the footprint is small. Multipacks of overstock in packages that will survive the drop. 3 comics for $5 in rest stops all over, 7-11s, etc. A marvel selection or a DC selection. Maybe archies or something.  This wouldn't be a good impulse buy to shut the kids up on a road trip? Or is my mind stuck in the 70s? Just need to retrofit some other type of vending machine. Building one from scratch would be prohibitive.

[Karl Liebl]

They call it The Mangler.

[the blob]

https://www.candymachines.com/Seaga-Snack-and-Soda-Combo-Machine-P2635.aspx?afid=575

Don't the top 2 racks look like they could potentially fit comics? Or at least the top rack? The question is whether the space below is big enough to get them.

[Aweandlorder]

Come get your 4.5-6.0 books here kids!

[BabaLament]

I was looking into this, as the local movie theater owner is a buddy of mine. He doesn't have enough space in the building for me to set up shop, but there's a great spot between the arcade & theater concessions area that would work for a vending machine. There is a decent book vending machine that supports hardcovers; I think it would work for books on bag/board. Vending machine vendor in the city has one, might go up with a tape measure and some dollar bin stuff on bag/board to give it a functional check.

[kav]

This machine presses the books and delivers em in one grade higher than when they were loaded up!

 

Edited December 18, 2018 by kav

[the blob]

1 hour ago, BabaLament said:

I was looking into this, as the local movie theater owner is a buddy of mine. He doesn't have enough space in the building for me to set up shop, but there's a great spot between the arcade & theater concessions area that would work for a vending machine. There is a decent book vending machine that supports hardcovers; I think it would work for books on bag/board. Vending machine vendor in the city has one, might go up with a tape measure and some dollar bin stuff on bag/board to give it a functional check.

I would think to prevent some of the damage from falling the books could be put in a stiffish envelope with a clear front. I kind of think it needs to be like 3 for $5 in a multipack to make sense as a seller. Put the better cheap book in the front to be seen. Yes, it doesn't allow you to replicate a store, but allows the sale of some overstock. You just need to get enough overstock with some popular books so that at least 1 out of 3 are desireable.

[the blob]

This looks handsome:

 

[the blob]

I guess it has been done recently:

 

[Cliff R.]

But can you rock, kick and punch these things if the comic jams?  Would I have to buy the book behind it to push it out? 

All of these machines should have a light curtain to detect when the item falls into the chute.  

[letsgrumble]

1 hour ago, kav said:

This machine presses the books and delivers em in one grade higher than when they were loaded up!

https://www.uspto.gov/patent

[kav]

2 minutes ago, letsgrumble said:

https://www.uspto.gov/patent

bingo

shark tank here I come

[letsgrumble]

1 minute ago, kav said:

4 minutes ago, letsgrumble said:

https://www.uspto.gov/patent

bingo

shark tank here I come

Here comes the Press-o-Matic, from the makers of the Slab-o-Matic.

[kav]

1 minute ago, letsgrumble said:

Here comes the Press-o-Matic, from the makers of the Slab-o-Matic.

brought to you by the folks at patty press

[kav]

But wait!  There's more-

[BabaLament]

I know it might fall into "too soon" territory for some people, but hear me out...

Anyone remember shopping at Toys-R-Us as a kid? Particularly, the video games? I remember the big glass case with all the game boxes on display, and then the wall of tickets. We had to grab a ticket, pay for it at a register, then go over to customer service where they would pull the game and/or hardware out of a cage and exchange it for the ticket.

I could see that as a way to make a vending machine work without causing damage to the books. Put a copy/ticket of the cover of the book/bundle for sale in the vending machine with an item number/barcode, people can pay for it at the vending machine, then take it over to an exchange area (in my case it would be the ticket exchange counter in the arcade) where the kid exchanging tickets for plastic stuff could swap the copy for the comic(s). I'm sure I'd have to cut my buddy in on the profit since it would involve a minimum amount of effort on the part of his employees, but its a workable method.

[kav]

7 minutes ago, BabaLament said:

I know it might fall into "too soon" territory for some people, but hear me out...

Anyone remember shopping at Toys-R-Us as a kid? Particularly, the video games? I remember the big glass case with all the game boxes on display, and then the wall of tickets. We had to grab a ticket, pay for it at a register, then go over to customer service where they would pull the game and/or hardware out of a cage and exchange it for the ticket.

I could see that as a way to make a vending machine work without causing damage to the books. Put a copy/ticket of the cover of the book/bundle for sale in the vending machine with an item number/barcode, people can pay for it at the vending machine, then take it over to an exchange area (in my case it would be the ticket exchange counter in the arcade) where the kid exchanging tickets for plastic stuff could swap the copy for the comic(s). I'm sure I'd have to cut my buddy in on the profit since it would involve a minimum amount of effort on the part of his employees, but its a workable method.

Or, instead of handing a ticket at the counter just hand clerk money and he hands you the book-

[the blob]

5 minutes ago, BabaLament said:

I know it might fall into "too soon" territory for some people, but hear me out...

Anyone remember shopping at Toys-R-Us as a kid? Particularly, the video games? I remember the big glass case with all the game boxes on display, and then the wall of tickets. We had to grab a ticket, pay for it at a register, then go over to customer service where they would pull the game and/or hardware out of a cage and exchange it for the ticket.

I could see that as a way to make a vending machine work without causing damage to the books. Put a copy/ticket of the cover of the book/bundle for sale in the vending machine with an item number/barcode, people can pay for it at the vending machine, then take it over to an exchange area (in my case it would be the ticket exchange counter in the arcade) where the kid exchanging tickets for plastic stuff could swap the copy for the comic(s). I'm sure I'd have to cut my buddy in on the profit since it would involve a minimum amount of effort on the part of his employees, but its a workable method.

The point is to not have humans involved in the process at the venue. It is a slow drip of sales and not worth the hassle. This could take up 6 square feet of space that may otherwise not be generating revenue in a rest stop, movie theatre, tattoo parlor, hookah lounge, convenience store, whatever. The venue doesn't need to worry about damaged items, returns, whatever. they collect rent or a % of sales or whatever and the machine operator takes care of the rest. It is simple enough to package the comics in a stuff enough envelope with an open front to avoid most damage. this is not the place to be buying future 9.8s, it is a place to buy some reading for a road trip or to shut the kids up or whatever.

[BabaLament]

@the blob Agreed; it would be three for a dollar stuff in there, not wall hangers or future-college-money.