Machines that make Money

[AzHal]

First of all I want you all to know that I am a cheap S.O.B. when it comes to garage sales, I don't like spending more than a quarter per item and I think that is to much. Took my sister out with me today she found a few items and I wasn't finding anything great. We were going to stop at one more and then go to an auction preview of a coin sale on Saturday. As soon as I pulled up there was a trailer with a bunch of Gumball machines with a sign that said ALL 4 $130.00.
I asked the lady if that was for all of the machines as there were other items on the trailer and she said yes. She stated that her boss owns storage lockers and he auctions off or sales the items inside if tennant is deliquent in their rent. She said that the gumball machines came from one of the storage units. I looked at them and she said that they had quarters in them but someone ransacked them in the night and stole one and broke into some of the others and oh by the way there are no keys.
I told her that I would take them and would have to go to the bank to get the cash. I stopped at a friends, he and my sister went back in his truck and started loading them as I went to the bank. When I got back they were almost all loaded and they said they heard coins , We got them back to the house and found that I had 9 good machines, 4 that needed work, 2 that were junk, 1 big , 1 bigger, 1 that looks like a robot (vintage) don't have a clue as to what it does as it has speakers on the side and does not distribute anything, 2 $0.50 sticker machines with 8 different sticker coin slots, one that is about 5 foot or so tall that is a game where a ball is manipulated up a mountain and if you get it through the top hole you win a prize has some stuffed dolls in it, this one is on a timmer accepts quarters and has a dollar slot in it. (maybe some dollars in it? )
The one big quarter machine is about 3/4 full of little trinkets in plastic egg type balls. Well down to the nitty gritty one of them that was junk took out $8.75 in quarters all clad 11 pennies oldest 1959, a few nickles and 2 dimes. Was able to open up the big one with the trinkets in it and found another $3.25 in quarters all clad.
Now the next thing to do is get keys from somewhere or a locksmith, clean them up buy gumballs,trinkets etc... find some stores to put them in and let them make quarters hopefully all pre 1964. Needless to say I am kind of stoked about this find.

[AzHal]

One thing I forgot is the woman knocked the price down to $120.00 since she didn't have to help load them.

[Cynangyl]

how FUN!! We have not found anything like that in storage units yet but sometimes we do find some really fun stuff for sure!

[AzHal]

Update,  I found $1 more in quarters and the largest Machine I have is called Gravity Hill and brand new from the manufacturer they sell for $ 3749.00 . WooHoo!!!!  Should be worth at least a thousand used.

Another update today is the 12th of Dec. I finally was able to get into the money bucket of the Gravity Hill machine and recovered.
$125.00 in State quarters
$190.00 in Clad quarters
$ 0.25 Silver Quarter 1964

This has more than payed for my investment. I just can't believe it, finally a stroke of luck.

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

sweet


have a good un..........
SHERMANVILLE

[snake35]

Great score!

[AzHal]

I did call the manufacture about keys last week and they said that there are different locks on the machine. The back locks they keep records on but the front locks (where the money is at) are just cheap locks to keep the doors closed during shipping and the buyer replaces those with security locks. I purchased a key for the back hoping that the lock had not been changed, this is how I was able to get into the back.
Once in the back I was able to unscrew one of the two front locks the second lock was blocked by the coin bucket. I was able to unscrew four bolts that held the coin bucket to the machine then able to get to the second lock. Then to all of the quarters I first thought there were about 20 to 30 dollars in it, then once taking it out I thought wow must be at least $50.
Brought the bucket to the house dumped it out, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning sorting through the coins seperating them and counting them all. All in all over $300.00 in the one machine.

[Narthoniel]

That is incredible. Outstanding find!

[trezurhunter]

Wow great story. Ya did good.

The Trezurhunter.

[EDDE]

pm sent

[allen]

wtg on those awesome buys !!!