Confidentiality Agreement
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This agreement remains in effect for a period of two (2) years from the date of access.
1. Non-Disclosure. You agree not to disclose, publish, or otherwise distribute any information contained herein to any third party without prior written consent.
2. Limited Use. This information is provided solely for evaluation purposes. You may not use this information for any commercial purpose or to develop competing products.
3. No Reproduction. You agree not to copy, reproduce, or duplicate this document or its contents in any form.
4. Return of Materials. Upon request, you agree to return or destroy all copies of this document and any notes derived from it.
This agreement remains in effect for a period of two (2) years from the date of access.
Half Hand Horror
Automated Vending Unit — Technical Specification v3.4
Front Elevation
$2–5
$9.99
PEPPER'S GHOST
Animated Display
8"
▪ Arduino / Pi
▪ Battery Pack
▪ Payment Module
▪ Motor Drivers
6"
▪ Battery Pack
▪ Payment Module
▪ Motor Drivers
RECEIPT PRINTER
Short Story Dispense
5"
TABLOID STACK
20–30 Units
12"
▼
GRAVITY FED DROP SLOT
4"
WIDTH: 10" — DEPTH: 8"
TOTAL HEIGHT: 35"
WALL MOUNTED
TOTAL HEIGHT: 35"
WALL MOUNTED
Dual Revenue Model
Short Story (Receipt)
$2–5
Thermal print
~100 word flash fiction
Near-zero material cost
~100 word flash fiction
Near-zero material cost
Net: ~$1.85–4.80/sale
Full Tabloid (Comic)
$9.99
Physical magazine
Overflow inventory
Sunk print cost
Overflow inventory
Sunk print cost
Net: ~$9.50/sale
Component Costs
| Component | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Acrylic dome (display housing) | $30 – $60 |
| LCD screen 7" (Pepper's ghost) | $40 – $70 |
| Reflection glass/acrylic | $15 – $25 |
| Thermal receipt printer | $35 – $80 |
| Thermal paper rolls (×10) | $15 – $25 |
| Arduino + motor drivers | $15 – $25 |
| Battery pack (12V 10Ah) | $40 – $80 |
| Payment terminal / QR display | $0 – $200 |
| Magazine dispenser mechanism | $25 – $50 |
| Cabinet (MDF + finish) | $80 – $150 |
| Vending lock | $10 – $20 |
| Magnetic facade + panels | $40 – $70 |
| Wiring, mounts, hardware | $40 – $60 |
| FULL BUILD TOTAL | $385 – $915 |
Cost Reductions
Existing Raspberry Pi: −$30QR code print (no hardware): −$200
Skip Pepper's ghost (v1): −$85
MINIMUM VIABLE: $250 – $400
Example Layout
1-BIT DITHERED ART
THE HOLLOW MAN
No. 037 · Series One
DREAD ████████░░ 8.2
UNEASE ██████░░░░ 6.0
LINGER █████████░ 9.1
100 word Two-sentence story goes here in a neat typewriter block.
☽ HALF HAND HORROR ☽
QR
jamjar.red
CR-80 Format: 3.375" × 2.125"
Card Specifications
Front: Character Portrait
Floyd-Steinberg dithering converts grayscale or color images to pure black and white using error diffusion. Creates a stippled, newsprint-horror aesthetic that prints perfectly on thermal or ID card systems. No grayscale needed—just ink or no ink.Free tools: Dithermark, Hyperdither, GIMP
Art sources: commission line art ($15–30/piece), stills, original photography, ad space sales, public domain horror stills. Artwork is then processed through one of the free dithering tools.
Stats Block
Horror-themed metrics sell the collectible bit:DREAD — Overall fear factor
UNEASE — Creeping discomfort
LINGER — How long it stays with you
Optional: BODY COUNT, SLEEP LOSS, PARANOIA. Stats create comparison, conversation, game potential.
Back: Sponsorship Space
Portrait section and reverse-side is sellable real estate. Artists, small press, horror creators pay for placement on limited runs.Sponsorship model:
• 100-card run featuring sponsor art/promo: $50–100
• Co-branded card (their character, your story): $150–250
• Exclusive variant (full back takeover): $300+
Sponsors get collectible marketing that lives in wallets, not trash. You offset print costs or profit before sale. Card becomes co-branded artifact linking two audiences.
QR on back → links to Half Hand Horror shop and ecosystem, and/or artist's portfolio. Trackable traffic for both parties.
Monthly Revenue Projection (single unit)
| Product | Units | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Short stories @ $3.50 avg | 100 | $350 |
| Tabloids @ $9.99 | 50 | $475 |
| MONTHLY NET | ~$825 |
Payback Period
Full build: 1–2 monthsMinimum build: 2–3 weeks
Revenue Scenarios
| Traffic | Stories/mo | Comics/mo | Monthly Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow | 50 | 15 | ~$260 |
| Medium | 100 | 30 | ~$520 |
| Good | 200 | 60 | ~$1,040 |
| Hot | 400+ | 100+ | ~$1,900+ |
Stretch Goals
| Upgrade | Cost | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Base build (thermal receipt) | $250 – $400 | Functional prototype, ephemeral prints |
| Full build (Pepper's ghost + facade) | $385 – $915 | Complete experience, swappable branding, sellable ad space |
| Collector upgrade (ID card printer) | +$800 – $1,500 | Permanent duplex cards, premium product tier |
| Full build + collector upgrade | $900 – $1,700 | Select capabilities |
ID Card Printer Upgrade
Replaces thermal receipt printer with dye-sublimation ID card printer (Evolis, Magicard, or Fargo). Prints credit card–sized collectibles on blank PVC stock, front and back, with permanent image. Cards don't fade like thermal paper.Hardware: $800 – $1,500 (duplex models)
Blank PVC cards (500): $50 – $80
Ribbon (200–500 prints): $40 – $80
Per card cost: ~$0.30
Suggested price: $5 – $7
Net per card: ~$4.50+
Enables true collectible product line: numbered series, variant cards, duplex art/story format. Higher price point justified by tangible quality still at a low-cost impulse-buy tier without increasing the size of the unit.
Technical Notes
Payment flow: Customer taps card or scans QR → selects product (story or tabloid) → dispense triggers. QR code also links customer to site ecosystem with subscription teirs to content (bypasses social media extraction models).
Receipt printer: 58mm thermal, USB to Pi/Arduino. ~100 words fits comfortably on card/receipt-length paper. Print on demand, low inventory cost (Thermal $0.01/print and ID stock is $0.30/print)
Content rotation: Story library stored on Pi. Random selection or curated weekly drops. QR on receipt links to full catalog.
Power: Sleep mode between transactions. 12V 10Ah battery lasts months. Swap during restock.
Receipt printer: 58mm thermal, USB to Pi/Arduino. ~100 words fits comfortably on card/receipt-length paper. Print on demand, low inventory cost (Thermal $0.01/print and ID stock is $0.30/print)
Content rotation: Story library stored on Pi. Random selection or curated weekly drops. QR on receipt links to full catalog.
Power: Sleep mode between transactions. 12V 10Ah battery lasts months. Swap during restock.
Donate
Bring This Prototype to Life
What You're Building
A wall-mounted vending machine for horror flash fiction. Thermal-printed nightmares, collectible cards, Pepper's ghost display. One unit in one location—proof of concept for a new distribution channel.$250–400 — Base unit, functional prototype
$400–900 — Full build with animated display
$900+ — Collector card printer upgrade
Every dollar shortens the timeline. Overfunding multiplies units.
Backer Transparency
Monthly build logs with photos. Discord access for the build crew. Vote on first-run story selections. Your name or creation in the first Series Zero print run. Once the first protype is running, backers get auto-pinged into the design (if selected).Your support goes toward manufacturing an actual haunted object.
HALF HAND HORROR — SPEC SHEET v2
Dual-dispense vending unit with animated display
© 2011-2026 Jamjar Entertainment, All Rights Reserved
Dual-dispense vending unit with animated display
© 2011-2026 Jamjar Entertainment, All Rights Reserved