Here is the status of the industry right now:
Bars- only things making money are digital jukes and pool tables (when the location doesn't set the tables to free play). Golden Tee, big buck, silver strike... They don't make shit anymore. You're better off burning the cabs and selling the parts. A pinball will gross between 60-100 a week for a month, then make about 40-50 a week.
Restaurants, Carry Outs - mspac/ galaga or multicades will GROSS 60-100 per week in a GOOD location. Claws and self redemption make a little more... It really depends on what prizes you're vending. Angry birds, electronics, ball cranes, that kind of stuff.
Video is DEAD, unless it is the newest, hottest thing, and you're paying $8000 plus for a game. Redemption is where it is at. Case in point... I was down in Rehoboth on the boardwalk recently. One arcade... The only non-ticket, non merch games were terminator and pirates pinball. THE WHOLE ENTIRE ARCADE was ticket or merch. Probably a dozen or so claws, 3-4 Key Masters, a couple stackers, stuff like that. Down the boardwalk a bit, another Gameroom had a few more.... A couple h2os, terminator..., but the rest of the vids were 10+ years old: hod3, time crisis 3, rush 2049, Crusin exotic, and ocean hunter. Rest was redemption/merch.
Bottom line is: vids aren't worth buying! They depreciate like a rock, and they make you money, relative to what you have in them. I'd rather have a Crusin exotica that I paid $400 for at the last auction making $25 a week than a super cars making $125 a week that I paid $8000 for.
Now... Remember the lawsuit against CEC last year where the mom accused the chain of illegal gaming? Well, CEC is co-sponsoring a bill that would eliminate or severely limit the prizes distributed by merchandisers or FEC's. CEC sees the writing on the wall, and is being proactive in leveling the playing field, so to speak.
A few ops around me (including myself) have slowly started to stockpile classic video as if that will be the next fad in coin op. we'll see.
My advice: don't do this full time. If you're looking to supplement your income with what you already own, then fine. Ops are dropping like flies right now.
Mike