Star Tech Journal

February 1987 (6)
STAR*TECH Journal
AVERAGE PRIZE PRICE (APP)
The average prize price is worth keeping
track of because it lets you raise or
lower, both the 'win rate' and the 'win
frequency' without making a single
electrical or mechanical adjustment to the
crane!
APP is the Cost Total (total cost of all
the prizes won) divided by the Quantity
(total number of prizes won). Cl'/Q = APP.
I recommend starting with an APP of around
80 cents. To have a high 'win frequency'
there must be many low-priced items (25
cent to 50 cent range), that can be easily
won. If you want to use some high priced
goods {in the $2-$3 each range), it just
means putting in enough low-priced itrnes
to keep the APP at 80 cents. Each item
must be able to be picked up by the claw,
or APP is 'meaningless'.
play. One operator told me jokingly, that
he doesn't have to worry about noving or ~,
fluffing-up plush inside his crane because
his players do this by shaking the whole
crane!
only possible response to this is to
hope that the roore the operator reloaded
and attended to his crane, hopefully the
less his players would desire to do it for
My
him.
I also recommend using the plastic
granular beads that come with nost cranes
-if you are using items other than plush
(jewelry, watches, calculators). A
one-and-a-half in depth of the beads
accomplishes two things:
1) it is deep enough to keep the items in
an upright position without burying them;
and
2) it doesn't put too much 'drag' on the
claw mech as it pulls the items out •
.AruUSTMENI'S
The 'win rate' can be increased by simply
increasing the APP (adding some items
priced above 80 cents, or taking out some
items priced below 80 cents).
At the same time, you are either
increasing or decreasing the APP, you
should be attempting to maintain or zero
in on a high 'win frequency', if yours is
too low. Easier to win items should
naturally be the lower priced ones.
For further information call or write me
or Jimmy (Service Dept.) at Alpha-omega
Amusements & Sales, 6 Sutton Pl., Edison,
NJ 08817 (201)287-4990
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CRANE MERCHANDISE
C'AUTION
Some operators want to stock the cranes
with just expensive itmes (increasing the
APP above the $3 range) and make these
items 'difficult' to win.
In this case, I feel it is better to raise
the price-per-play to 50 cents or even $1
and let the customer win more often. It is
my feeling that the use of too many
high-priced items (APP above $1.50) will
draw negative attention from the FUblic
and especially law enforcement officials,
as the crane will no lonaer be the
'innocent machine' it wa; intended to be!
LOAD MAINI'ENANCE
The nore often you reload and 'fluff up'
the merchandise, the better your crane
will look and the nore your customers will
,,,.Ji,es,
DIFFERENT • ONIQOE • EXCITING
IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
Call Toll Free:
(800) 992-2388, (800) 992-6577 (in California)
1590 Sunland Lane, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
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