Sunday 8 July 2012

Money in, out Krugerrand

TIN MACHINE Wiesbaden is one of many locations around the world almost 40 / repeat customers

Is chewing gum and candy bars from vending machines is, of course, coffee and cola - and sometimes even real gold coins in the form of kruger rands. However, devices that spit out the precious metal, very rare - the world they are found only at nearly 40 locations. For example, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates or in Las Vegas. But in Wiesbaden-Schierstein on the grounds of the German Golf Ltd, whose board is the machine operator.

The idea comes from the Ex Oriente Lux AG, based in Reutlingen. Under the brand "Gold to go", the company markets the unmanned shop with "the security of a Swabian Fort Knox and the simplicity of a vending machine." However, hidden inside the nearly 500-pound machine a lot high-tech: A passport and ID card scanners to prevent money laundering, camera systems, various alarm devices, fuses and surge, electronic and manual locking systems and tamper-proof cash boxes and goods Magazine.

With the gold machines Ex Oriente Lux AG, has apparently discovered a market niche. Hans is Kleser of the German Golf AG in Wiesbaden satisfied with the response in any case: "The machine is well frequented, now we have a lot of regular customers," he says. The number of buyers is not invariant to the current development on the stock exchanges - prices fall, demand for gold. The machine spits out ten different products. "The best gold bullion is a grams and currently costs around 55 euros," explained Kleser. Mostly he would buy as a gift. Who selects the touch screen, 250-gram version, you have to invest that much more. Even Krugerrand there a button. "Older customers tend to prefer ounces", has observed Kleser.

It sells the gold coins and gold bullion to real-time prices - the machine will update the prices every few minutes. Besides the standard products, which are also in Abu Dhabi from a vending machine, in Wiesbaden and collectibles are sold: 2.5 gram candy bar with the Biebrich Palace or the Wiesbaden Kurhaus.