FAQ

Why buy a kiddie ride?
A staple of the amusement industry for decades, a kiddie ride is not subject to fads or trends. A ride will keep returning whatever is desired – smiles, good behavior, money – for years to come.

What are the electrical requirements for a ride?
A standard 110V outlet is required. A ride draws 5 amps of power at start and then pulls 3 amps while running.

Can we choose our vend price?
Absolutely! Our standard setting is to vend the ride for $.25. We can change the coin mechanism to accept a wide variety of currency (eg: Canadian looney), tokens, or vend price (eg: $.01, $.05, $.50, etc.). We can even make the rides “free play” – where the ride begins with just a push of a button. There is a $50 additional charge, per ride, if we do change the coin mechanism from our standard $.25 setting.

How long does a ride last?
A minute is standard.

Can rides sit outside?
Definitely! All rides are designed to operate for years outdoors.

How long will a kiddie ride operate?
Kiddie rides are manufactured for commercial/industrial use. Steel frame and machine grade electric motors are used for reliability and durability. Marine quality fiberglass is standard for the main body of the ride and the base. Consequently, many kiddie rides from the 1940’s & 1950’s are still in operation today.

What kind of routine maintenance do kiddie rides need?
Nothing! If that sounds funny, think about how often you maintain your ceiling fans in your home. That’s the beauty of an electric motor. No maintenance required.

How can I get a ride fixed if it quits working?
Our highly trained technical staff is available to insure years of hassle-free use. Because of a rides simplistic mechanical and electronic design, problems are generally simple to fix. In the event something should happen, our staff provides free and friendly advice and problem solving on any aspect of your ride’s operation. We also have a large parts inventory to make sure your ride provides years of enjoyment.

Do your rides come with a warranty?
Fortunately as stated above, the reliability of our rides is excellent. In the event something happens, we provide 90 day parts warranty from the date of shipment.

What if you don’t have a particular ride I’m looking for?
We have the largest variety of rides anywhere. A manufacture has a narrow product line. In contrast, we have hundreds of different styles of rides. If you don’t see the exact ride you want – call us! If you’re looking for a particular theme, we can customize most of our rides to fit about anything (see customizing rides below). We’ve taken some very generic rides and created one-of-a-kind masterpieces to fit a particular customers request. If you’re looking for a particular ride, we can obtain it through our extensive network. We would then completely refurbish the ride and ship it to you in like new condition. All you need to do is communicate your desires to our sales staff, and we can make it happen!

Can I customize my kiddie ride?
Certainly! We can do almost anything. We can paint a ride in any color. We can add a company logo. We can airbrush a child’s name. We can even print digital photos onto stickers and place them on the ride. The possibilities are pretty much endless!

Why should I buy a recrafted ride instead of a new ride?
Price and Quality. Purchasing a recrafted ride can save you as much as 60% over buying a new ride. A recrafted ride is like new and often even better. (See below)

What is involved in recrafting a ride?
In addition to these rides costing half as much as new rides, they really are not inferior. We completely overhaul them mechanically, and the beauty of a kiddie ride is that they use the same technology today that they have used since the beginning. In some rides, we actually improve on a faulty design. Where faults exist, we may re-route wiring or add some steel tubing for re-enforcement. In those cases, you’re actually getting a ride that is better than when it was initially manufactured. Where appropriate, we add working lights where none existed when they originally left the factory. We also install sound boxes in all our rides. Many rides were not equipped with sound originally.
Once we have checked them out mechanically, we begin refinishing them cosmetically. The nice thing about fiberglass is that it lasts forever. All the old Corvettes on the road can attest to the quality of fiberglass. And in most cases, older rides have thicker fiberglass than new rides. With that in mind, we strip off all the old paint down to the raw fiberglass. We then re-paint the rides with high-end automotive paint repeating the exact same process of painting a new ride. Often our paint and painting is of a better quality than that used by the original fabricator.

What are the risks in buying recrafted rides?
The real risk is in overpaying for a new ride. If you’re a vending company, overpaying for a new ride significantly hurts your return on investment. If you’re an individual, a kid smiles whether the ride is new or used. So why pay more? Most things that make a ride malfunction – coin jams, unplugged cords, etc. – would happen whether the ride was new or used.

Do you buy kiddie rides?
Yes. We purchase kiddie rides. Please call us.

Can I buy just a fiberglass body without the mechanical part of a ride?
Absolutely. We sell a lot of bodies to be mounted for kid’s hair salon chairs. We’ve sold bodies for stage props. There is no end to the possible use of a fiberglass body. We sell them both repainted and “as is”.

What are the benefits of owning a kiddie ride for an existing route operator?
If you are already a vending operator, kiddie rides are a great way to diversify your product line. It’s a great way to increase income internally with current locations you already occupy versus the hassles and frustrations of finding new locations. The margins are much higher by adding rides to your current locations because you increase your labor and time very little since you’re already servicing the account. Also, because there is no product dispensed, you don’t have to manage inventory or take up more space in your vehicle.

How much income can I earn from a kiddie ride?
It totally depends on the volume of traffic at a location.

How can I maximize income from a kiddie ride?
The location of a ride is the most important. Frequency of visits to inspect the ride is critical. If the ride is not working it will generate NOTHING. Rides should be inspected weekly. Collection is not necessary weekly but cleaning weekly is. That’s the next key. Keep the ride clean! This is a must. Good operators know that a given ride will generate more income if they take the time to thoroughly clean rides on each visit. If Coke was spilled in the seat of a ride, no mother would allow her child to ride. If scuff marks from shoes aren’t frequently removed with WD-40, then the ride becomes unsightly and income falls dramatically. (Cleaning kit contents: toothbrushes, WD-40, window cleaner, putty knife, rags, etc.) Rotate your rides frequently between locations. Kids grow tired of riding the same ride continually. It’s exciting to ride a helicopter, for example, the first few times a child visits a location, but it becomes less appealing each time. When a kid returns to that same location and finds a horse where the helicopter use to be, the old excitement is back!

How do I determine the best ride for a given location?
Ask these questions:

• How much room is there?
• Some locations such as laundromats are short on space.
• Conversely, at a fun center you need a large ride that stands out amongst all the other attractions.
  Is there a theme at the location a ride may complement?
• For example, if you’re placing a ride in a jungle themed location, you would probably opt for an alligator or elephant. Or, maybe a zebra-striped 4×4 vehicle.
• Is it single or multiple ride location?
• If it is multiple ride location, you want a gender-balanced mix of rides. Also, you want a balance of animal and transportation style rides within a given location.

How do you decide on the vend price for a ride?
A fair value image is best. If you are in a mall location people are walking by and it’s more impulse. You can probably charge $.50. At a laundromat, you have a captive and repetitive audience. They’ll probably still spend $.50 within an hour if you only charge $.25, and why not give them two rides instead of one. It’s not costing you any more, and the customer gets more perceived value.

How are commissions paid?
Commission paid to the owner of each real estate location is negotiable. Typical commissions are 40%-50% paid to the location.
Being creative in your negotiations can greatly help your profitability. For example, you may get the owner to agree to reduce the initial commission period while you recoup the cost of the ride. Once you own the ride, then you can raise your commissions paid.

How much does the ride cost to operate?
The cost to operate a ride over the course of a day is less than a continually running lightbulb.