Comments on: Strange and Wonderful Vending Machines

By: Maggers

Maggers — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:10:16 +0000

I saw a vending machine for Proactive at an airport in Texas..... next to a store full of cowboy hats.

By: Revive

Revive — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:10:38 +0000

Cool post! Seems people are putting everything in vending machines these days! Marijuana, phone charges, I have even seen the toliet paper vending machines.....whats next?

By: clark whittington

clark whittington — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:18:01 +0000

hi thomas.

we now have an art-o-mat® in atlanta. just, it is not posted on our site yet.

the venue is wonderoot.

http://www.wonderroot.org/

thanks!

By: chime

chime — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:48:18 +0000

My favorite vending machine buy in Japan is the ever popular Pocari Sweat!

By: albert

albert — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:19:10 +0000

Dear Sir ,
I am wish to invite your company to form Joint venture to sell and promote your machine in my country and others .

By: Mr. Vending Machines

Mr. Vending Machines — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:06:49 +0000

I love how far vending machines have come! It amazes me, I can't wait to see what comes out in the future!

By: Cool Stuff

Cool Stuff — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:38:25 +0000

Japan is truly home of the vending machine. They having the wackiest vending machines without doubt. Here in the UK, vending machines are very boring with coffee machines being the most popular:
http://www.klix.com/klix/en-gb

By: Vending

Vending — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:33:51 +0000

These pictures of random vending machines are great! I have seen the porn vending machines all over Japan.

By: sarah4759

sarah4759 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:20:07 +0000

on kodiak island in alaska, there is one cigarette vending machine located in the cafeteria of a local fish processing plant [cannery, baby!] the trick was to go lateish at night, when very few souls were around.

this was extraordinarily frightening, given the fairly long journey through brightly-lit hallways to get to the cafeteria, and the ancient machine's inability to accept anything except quarters, and the loud crashing jangle the change machine next to the cig machine made.

ahh, memories. glad it didnt have age-verification. it even gave you free captain's keg-printed matchbooks if you pressed the button hard enough, even though the captain's keg closed twenty years earlier.

By: tsiatko

tsiatko — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:45:08 +0000

Here in Portland, OR there are "Gumball Poetry" machines, used candy vending machines (the kind that have plastic containers) where you get a random poem and a gumball.

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:24:54 +0000

I didn't include the cigarette machines because they are rare; I included them because of two stories on how Japan is enforcing age limits with new technology.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:17:59 +0000

I loved the "Coke Bot". It was cute. I should also mention the "Crow Food" was interesting. But, are crows really smart enough to learn how to operate a vending machine? Also, I think the "Cigarette Machines" was not worthy of the list, because you see them in airports, bars, gas stations, and elsewhere. For you see, they are very common.

By: Silander

Silander — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:28:10 +0000

There's an Apple Vending machine INSIDE a Macy's in the Staten Island Mall. But why anyone would buy from a vending machine, inside a store, inside a mall WITH actual electronics stores, however, is beyond me. Half the time my Diet Coke doesn't come out, I'll be danged if I take a chance on a $500 iPhone.

By: Rabbit

Rabbit — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:29:55 +0000

"Cigarette machines are only seen in antique stores in America these days, but they are still used in japan" Well that's not true is it. They're in almost every pub I've been in (I live in England) and from what I've heard they're not too rare in America either - I haven't got first hand experience of that though. And you just put your money in, no cards needed, if you're in the pub it's just taken for granted that you're 18. And it used to be 16 but the age is just going up for everything now which is ridiculous and if the drinking age goes up to 21 I will be the first to protest, even if it will only affect me for a few months. Anyway I'm rambling and digressing. So yeah, cigarette machines shouldn't be on the "strange and wonderful vending machines" list.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:22:40 +0000

I work at a casino in South Dakota, and there are cigarette vending machines at many of them, which do not require age verification. If you've got $5, you can get a pack of ciggys.

By: vega

vega — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:06:13 +0000

i wonder if the coke bots move around?

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:29:35 +0000

There's a live lobster claw machine at Happy Endings in Hollywood (its a bar/restaurant, not a "massage parlor"). If you win one, the chef will cook it for you for free! My buddy won one, and it was delish. Although the whole concept is kinda disturbing to me.

By: econobiker

econobiker — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:21:23 +0000

And nobody here mentioned the pet spa pet cleaning machine? You guys are so soft...

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1738258

By: Rebellus

Rebellus — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:32:50 +0000

Hah!
In my neighborhood in Rome there are 3 gorgeous cigarette vending machines, and that's only counting the once I know of. None of those require anything more than a few Euros! (no IDs, nothing) I have upped my cigarette intake by a 100%! God bless those crazy Romans, they honestly don't give a rat's culo when it comes to these things.

Other terrible practices they have done away with a)Paying for public transport b)Driving Sober.

Brings tears of joy to my eyes, just thinking about it.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:35:28 +0000

I remember seeing the cigarette machines everywhere when I was growing up (80s/90s). They were mostly in the entrances to restaurants and in hotels and stuff. But I haven't seen one in forever. I don't go to bars but I guess it makes sense that they'd be there if anywhere. In Florida that's the only public place you can smoke anyway (I'm not sure which other states are the same but I know there are several). I imagine this is part of the reason for the change as well as, of course, liability of giving minors easy access to tobacco. The crow vending machine is truly awesome.

By: gnarley

gnarley — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:47:46 +0000

In Israel there are cigarette vending machines all over. Plus quite a few machines for videos and DVDs. Both in English and in Hebrew.

By: Sath770

Sath770 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:10:03 +0000

you forgot about the vending machines tokyo like pants, jelly, and lots more...

By: Kateri

Kateri — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:02:29 +0000

we used to have a lobster claw machine in one of the korean shopping center on Oahu. By the time I went back to try it, it was gone. But evidently people won things, since their pictures were up right near the machine.

By: O_o

O_o — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:30:24 +0000

I've seen the lobster machine here in the states. There's a pier in Norfolk, VA that has the same one.

By: Santi

Santi — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:28:25 +0000

Hi everybody!

In Pals, nothern spain there is a medieval curch with a candle vending machine, so the priest can be resting at home (in spanish)

http://www.nopuedocreer.com/quelohayaninventado/5908/maquina-expendedo ra-cirios-pals-girona/

By: DOJ

DOJ — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:19:51 +0000

the crow one made me smile
also, i'm pretty sure youtube has a vid of the lobster claw game in action

By: MoniA

MoniA — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:19:22 +0000

the rows vending was cool. I also thought the coke bot was cute

By: ukanduit

ukanduit — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:05:39 +0000

I wonder if the crows will end up stealing from buskers and beggars

By: Stolen Name

Stolen Name — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:46:51 +0000

Are cigarette vending machines really that rare in the states? I live in Atlanta and almost all of the bars have them.

By: SenorMysterioso

SenorMysterioso — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:11:23 +0000

I remember buying cigarettes from a machine in a pool hall as a kid, ahh the good ol' days

I still see them around but now only at clubs and bars where you have to be at least 18 or 21 to get in anyway