Anyone own or mess with vending machines? If so , did you buy new or old and how hard was it for you to find place to put them ? What was the deal with the property owner ?

Something to keep in mind, office buildings were probably a profitable location in the past, but many have transitioned to at least partial work from home. My office just had our vending machine removed because it wasn't profitable, likely due to quite a few employees working from home 2 or 3 days each week.

It has helped me cut out soda not having it readily available just down the hall though!

I can't think of the last time I saw a vending machine. Maybe in the "airport terminal" in Wrangell Alaska. BTW, that passenger terminal is maybe 1000 square feet.
The lack of vending machines in this day and age would make me a little leery about investing in the business.

Are you looking to become a “Full Line Operator” (FLO)?

Years ago if there was available electric, the soda companies tried to have a vendor there. Now I believe the model is based off of a sales minimum. They are also minimizing their Full Service operations.

With the companies getting out themselves it very well could be an opportunity.

Most machines now have on board computers and can send you data on sales and machine operation. This improves efficiency.

They're everywhere here

At work we got "open" vending. You set up an account, get what you want, pay through a scanner. There is some honesty involved. They have a bout 5 cameras on the area. If the company starts noticing a loss of revenue, they start revueing they cameras.
Anyone remember the cigarette vending machine's?

I'm curious what they sell out of them other than soda?

We have several in the breakroom at work... 2 beverage machines, one that sells snacks like chips, cookies, crackers, honeybuns, etc, and then another that sells food... like chicken sandwiches, chimichangas, hot pockets, little pizzas, cold sandwiches, sausage biscuits, etc.

I see vending machines pretty regular. They don't sell cigarettes that I know of. I usually buy a bottle of water when I'm thirsty. You see them @ mechanic shops around here. No clue on whether or not, they're profitable. Just a sidenote, the one mechanic shop unplugs the vending machine to run power tools and you can't buy stuff out of the vending machine without power. You need a power source to run a vending machine in my limited experience.

Yup, and they tell you when to restock.
Don't even THINK about buying one that doesn't take Debit/ Credit, etc, these days, you'll lose most of your potential sales

Yup,
In 1976 I was 12 and I'd go to the local service station and buy Marlboro reds for 75 Cents a pack. those vending machines were mechanical. Just pull a knob.

Every walmart and grocery store has a whole row of them. Every motel has several for pop and snacks. Most work place break rooms have them. They are everywhere you look. Not just pop machines, but also everything else is being vended in them these days. A lot of places around here have live bait machines. One grocery store has a vending machine with fishing lures. You can even get prescription drugs from vending machines at drug stores and hospitals.

Must be millions of them.

Even seen portable corn dispensers pop up during deer season

Many vending machines companies are controlled by the Mob in larger cities. FYI