When thinking about a used vs. new snow hut, your initial thought should be the cost. Most of the time, it will probably be much less expensive to invest in a stationary stand than a stand with wheels. Mobile stands require significantly more dollars to build in order to be roadworthy. A normal sales price range for a building can be anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. A standard mobile trailer can cost as little as $4,000, but is typically between $8 and $15,000. If, therefore, you are on a budget, then you already know that you are most likely looking for the least expensive solution.
Snow cone mobile stand
If finances are not your only concern, there are other aspects to consider. For your standalone stand, I recommend buying a used stand. A new booth can very easily cost twice as much as a used one, while the differences will likely be extremely minimal. A snow cone stand is usually a simple wooden structure, comparable to a storage building. The only distinction is that it has run on power and a closed water system. These two upgrades take incredibly little care. This is mainly because the buildings are usually so plain that there’s really no reason to get a new trailer.
A second solution regarding these structures will be to build them yourself. Although this is an adventure well beyond my personal capacity (and that of some of my viewers), I really don’t doubt that there are a handful of mechanically biased people who could follow the simple instructions for taking a storage building and turning it into a snow cone holder.
Stationary Snow Cone Stand
A mobile snow hut is a distinctly different perspective from a free-standing building. One person simply can’t build one, and you may find some reasons to consider the “new stand” option. The price differences between used and new trailers are substantially narrower than good quality mobile trailers. If you’ve found a great used stand at a great price, then make that purchase. But in case the price tag variance is quite close, then you should consider purchasing the support directly from a dealer. A new snow cone trailer (through the dealer) has several advantages. Buying direct from the source means you know the stand is in excellent condition and should work without any issues. While a used trailer may look great, buyers should beware. Just like a used car or truck, you may have problems under the hood that aren’t easily visible. While this isn’t likely, there’s something nice about getting a new vehicle that you know is problem-free and will perform for the long haul.
time horizon is an additional factor. If you’re shopping for a snow cone stand for your high school kid and plan to get rid of it when she leaves for college, then a used trailer should be her call. If this is a long-term business that you intend to run for many years, a new trailer will most likely end up being the best option.
For more information, check out our post on stationary vs. trailer snow cone stands.
Resume
So what type of snow cone holder should you buy? Being a finance person, I tend to look at this from a RIO (Return of investment) point of view. Once you contemplate ROI, the lower your investment cost, the higher your return. In other words, in case you buy a trailer for $8,000 and make $8,000 for the summer, you definitely had no return on investment. If you bought the trailer for $5,000 and made $8,000, you certainly had a positive ROI. this is a trading company. You don’t need to be considering what’s shiny and new. You have to think about the end result and that is what gives the best performance. So while there is a time and place for a new trailer, when in doubt, go with the used alternative.
