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When I was a kid, my parents used to keep a boat in Avalon, NJ, and we’d make the long drive from the Philly area on weekends to fish, water-ski, and swat away greenflies the size of hummingbirds. But the best part of the trip was the vending machine at the local pizza joint that made all the bug bites worth it.
For a quarter you could get anything on the main racks, which included Hershey bars and Herr’s potato chips (two foods we weren’t allowed to eat at home), and for a dime you could get Lifesavers or a pack of Doublemint (also not allowed in the Israel household, except after Halloween). I guess the off-limits treats were part of the allure, but for me it was more about dropping the coin in and making a selection—almost as exciting as dropping a quarter in an Asteroids or Space Invaders machine. The bottom rack was always filled with what seemed like the dumbest choices to me: moustache grooming kits, nail clippers, nail filers, and travel-size toothbrush/paste kits. What a waste of a rack, thought the 10-year-old version of me.
My friend Carl was recently in Japan on his honeymoon and came back with some pictures of vending machines that blow the ones I grew up with out of the Avalon harbor. You may already know that Japan is the king of the vending machine, Yes, those are vacuum bags on the top rack.
After the jump, you’ll find another one, plus a picture of the strangest of all Japanese vending machines, one that sells live lobsters (via BoingBoing!). What about you all? What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever purchased or seen in a vending machine?
Comments (56)
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I heard the Japanese have vending machines for high school girl underwear. It disturbs me a little inside.
I’ve also seen vending machine depicted in Manga and Anime that have HUGE bottle of alcohol in them.
posted by Taryn on 11-11-2008 at 7:01 am
I have bought (and eaten) vending machine french fries in Austria. That was kind of awesome, actually.
posted by Fruppi on 11-11-2008 at 7:25 am
So the product wasnt that interesting but I was always delighted by the mechanism that my favorite vending machine used.
In my high school cafeteria there was an ice cream vending machine (popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, etc). Once you put in your money and made a selection a vacuum-type tube would hover over the selected product and suck one up then move it to the dispenser area to be released. It was kinda like the “claw” game (or the lobster grabber!) but with suction. It was so cool!
posted by Elphaba on 11-11-2008 at 8:03 am
The coolest one that I’m aware of was a machine made in the US back in the fifties that dispensed fresh popcorn. I think it was called Minit-Pop. Before the era of digital circuits, it made popcorn with grease in a pop kettle and dispensed it in a bag. I can’t imagine that machine was very sanitary.
posted by Dave on 11-11-2008 at 8:11 am
There is a vending machine in one of my local malls that has the Pro Active Acne medicine in it. Also I saw at one of the hospitals here a flower arrangement vending machine, which is cool if you are visiting after the store closes i guess.
posted by Jennifer on 11-11-2008 at 8:37 am
“I heard the Japanese have vending machines for high school girl underwear. It disturbs me a little inside.” Posted by Taryn.
Disturbs you a little? How about stomach churning weirdness.
posted by Dave on 11-11-2008 at 8:38 am
There’s a place down in San Antonio, TX ( I wasn’t sure if I could mention a place by name or not) that has one of those lobster games. It only costs $2 and if you win they will cook it any way you want for free.
posted by Melissa on 11-11-2008 at 8:53 am
Maggots. The pub near my Mum’s house in Norfolk (UK) is popular with fisherman and it has a vending machine for maggots outside.
posted by Jen C-B on 11-11-2008 at 9:21 am
I once saw an iPod vending machine – it had Shuffles and Minis, and it might have had accessories as well. (I don’t remember where I was at the time; I think it was a mall near Chicago.)
posted by Jodi on 11-11-2008 at 9:23 am
I actually saw the lobster vending machine, only it was really a cruel claw game. I love eating lobster, but seeing the claw game in action grabbing a lobster and watch it squirm and fight for its life was traumatic. I dont think I will ever eat lobster again because of it.
posted by Robert on 11-11-2008 at 9:32 am
Ok, I realize this will make me sound like a total dude but I remember seeing the Japanese underwear thing on late-night cable a few years ago (Real Sex 49 maybe?)…it’s not high school girls underwear…and not that this is better/worse but it’s just used underwear worn by attractive women. They have a picture of the girl wearing the underwear on the box and inside is the actual underwear (supposedly) that the girl was wearing. Now why anyone would ever want to buy/touch/look at used underwear is a question I cannot even begin to answer.
They have a DVD vending machine at our local grocery store…$1 a day, takes your credit card to rent it.
“I want a vending machine that dispenses vending machines…it’d have to be real f***ing big!” – Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
posted by Mike James on 11-11-2008 at 9:36 am
I remember a popcorn one as well. I’m glad I’m not the only one.
I also remember visiting Atlantic City on a train as a kid in the 60’s. There was a vending machine that let you make your own record. I wonder whatever happened to my recording of the Batman TV show theme song?
posted by Fred on 11-11-2008 at 9:56 am
At the Parks Mall in Arlington, TX they have a vending machine that sells digital cameras, and all the extra goodies that go with it. The same one used to sell iPods and all the extras that go with them. Right now it sell perfume. They often switch out what’s in it, I’m sure to the highest paying store willing to stock it.
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posted by LeeLee on 11-11-2008 at 10:15 am
Down here in the south, live bait is popular in vending machines. I’ve seen crickets, worms, livers and all manner of nastiness sold in vending machines.
posted by Kels on 11-11-2008 at 10:54 am
My favorite was a beer vending machine. Gotta love that!
posted by Juan Grande on 11-11-2008 at 11:00 am
My husband and I took a trip to Chicago and at the time when the big news about gadgets was the Motorolla Phone vending machine in what had recently become Macy’s so we stopped by to see it. Also, I’ve seen the bait vending machines at hunting/fishing stores. Our mall has the Pro Active machine as well as Coca Cola machines that take credit cards. Honestly, if they could make them more reliable I wouldn’t mind haveing more vending machines around selling all kinds of stuff. Who needs stores anyway?
posted by nihil on 11-11-2008 at 11:11 am
I saw a vending machine outside a Tennessee Wal-Mart that dispensed an assortment of bait. A little depressing when you walk up hankering for a candy bar.
I still can’t get used to the movie rental vending machines in Pennsylvania.
posted by Chelsea on 11-11-2008 at 11:48 am
“I love eating lobster, but seeing the claw game in action grabbing a lobster and watch it squirm and fight for its life was traumatic. I dont think I will ever eat lobster again because of it.”
Even when you don’t see it, the lobster is thrown live into boiling water where it suffers after having been taken from an artificial enveronment where it is crowded together with other lobsters all equally frightened.
Even if you don’t see it, it still happens.
posted by BassMan on 11-11-2008 at 12:11 pm
I love, love, love the dvd rental machines!
posted by GidgetGirl on 11-11-2008 at 12:18 pm
The ipod vending machines strike me as a bit dumb. What good is an ipod with no music on it and a lightly charged battery?
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posted by Oz on 11-11-2008 at 12:29 pm
When I was in college, the library had a vending machine with some tech stuff in it, like floppy disks and blank CDs. They had Zip disks too, for a much better price than you can get in a real store. (Yes, Zip disks. I’m getting old…)
posted by Jim on 11-11-2008 at 1:04 pm
I remember a vending machine here in Oklahoma that sold bait worms.
posted by J. Minter on 11-11-2008 at 1:06 pm
I saw a vibrator in a vending machine in scotland
posted by jodie on 11-11-2008 at 2:26 pm
It wasn’t a vending machine per se, but when I was in Japan I found a popcorn machine. It had Hello Kitty on it and I had no idea what it did, just that I put in money and then figured out I had to crank it. Then I got some mediocre popcorn in a Hello Kitty bag. It was definitely interesting.
posted by Sarah on 11-11-2008 at 2:47 pm
I can’t wait until they have the vending machines that interact with your smart phone to pay for the merchandise.
On the lobster machine ( and consumption ) I don’t mind the machine but the eating of bottom feeders gets to me…blah
posted by bucsfan on 11-11-2008 at 2:50 pm
I used to work at a company that manufactured vending machines. We had to test all kinds of thing to make sure they would consistently vend correctly. I remember testing things like CD/DVDs, movies, tampons, all kinds of different pastries, etc. Honestly, the oddest thing I ever saw was Soap Flavored Gum. It was produced for Canada under the Willy Wonka brand. At first I thought it was a misprint and should have been SOUP flavored gum, like from the original movie. So of course, I had to try it and it really did taste like soap. The rest of the day, people told me that my breath smelled like handsoap.
posted by Elizabeth on 11-11-2008 at 2:52 pm
Japan has vending machines with beer and other types of alcohol and in Italy you can easily find machines with pronography. You don’t have to have ID in either country. You would never find that in America (except perhaps San Francisco) as young people would take advantage. I for one am glad we don’t have them here as it is already too easy for people under age to get them.
posted by J on 11-11-2008 at 2:58 pm
I don’t speak lobster but I’m pretty sure suffering and fear are human traits.
posted by Mike James on 11-11-2008 at 3:03 pm
In 1997, vending machines appeared in Winston-Salem, NC selling original art. There are now 82 across the country, typically using old cigarette vending machines. They’re called “Art-o-Mat” machines. I think it’s great!
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posted by Julie on 11-11-2008 at 3:22 pm
Last time I was in Germany I found a vending machine that sold cans of beer.
posted by Jason! on 11-11-2008 at 3:40 pm
Live Bait. Tennessee is great.
posted by Rachel on 11-11-2008 at 4:04 pm
they have one of those lobster claw machines at happy ending on sunset just west of la brea in los angeles. when i seen it i thought it was the best thing in the world!
posted by eli on 11-11-2008 at 4:14 pm
A supermarket in Newport Coast, California has both Proactiv and iPod vending machines.
posted by Carter on 11-11-2008 at 4:16 pm
They had one of thoselobster machines at the (now defunct, post Kitchen Nightmares) Black Pearl restaurant in New York.
posted by adrian on 11-11-2008 at 4:16 pm
Houston Internation Airport has the following vending machines: Best Buy, Proactiv, Apple, and Rosetta Stone. I’ve never used any of them. You’d have to be really bored or impulsive to buy a ipod from a vending machine.
posted by Downchez on 11-11-2008 at 4:56 pm
While going through Atlanta a couple of months ago, I saw a Best Buy vending machine at the airport. It blew my mind — you could buy an iPod or a Nintendo DS, out of a vending machine, at the airport.
posted by M on 11-11-2008 at 6:03 pm
Back in my Model U.N. days, I was in the basement of Cornell’s (or maybe Brown?) student union and came across a pizza vending machine. It was really bulky, and only had two or three choices. As far as I could tell, the pizzas were a bit smaller than your usual, but more expensive.
posted by gibson8or on 11-11-2008 at 6:33 pm
My former place of business (a tv station) had a vending machine stocked with everything from Red Bull and milk to microwaveable soup and cheeseburgers. A lifesaver when you’re working the overnight shift and left your lunch on your kitchen counter.
posted by Lindsey on 11-11-2008 at 6:56 pm
Don’t recall any odd vending machines. However, I do have a weird anxiety whenever I go to use a vending machine – I’m always scared I’ll punch in the wrong code! My coworkers made fun of me until our boss put in the wrong code and got something he didn’t want!
posted by Dawn on 11-11-2008 at 6:58 pm
Go to Holland. I don’t necessarily condone drug use, but there are magic shroom and pot vending machines. Not out of the ordinary there, but not a common thing for an American to see!
Here at work we have what is dubbed the “Wheel of Botulism”. Simply a vending machine filled with sandwiches and such.
posted by Mel on 11-11-2008 at 7:29 pm
At the Atlanta Int’l airport my friends and I were looking for a Starbucks and we found an Apple vending machine. It had ipods, usb cords, itunes giftcards, and batteries for laptops it was so cool! and it took credit cards.
posted by Rachel* on 11-11-2008 at 7:41 pm
OK – I will REALLY date myself here. When I went to UCLA in the early 80’s they used to sell decks of blank IBM punch cards for completing computer programming assignments so they could be read into the mainframe…..
posted by JL on 11-11-2008 at 8:17 pm
I saw an Apple vending machine in the Atlanta airport, and a Proactiv vending machine an another airport……can’t think of which one off the top of my head.
posted by Amanda on 11-11-2008 at 8:40 pm
Not super exciting, but we used a machine in Japan that dispensed both hot and cold canned beverages. I never figured out the mechanism for heating up a can of coffee but it’s got to be some kind of induction I’d guess.
I can vouch for the second poster’s frenchfry machine too. The had one in one of the local arcades in the mid80s and it made insanely hot but good fries.
posted by Scott on 11-11-2008 at 10:00 pm
How about the bowling alley vending machines that carry socks?
posted by Andrea on 11-11-2008 at 10:20 pm
Vending machines which can be activated by cell phones were here in NZ a few years ago. It wasn’t using the smart/web technology but rather simply texting/smsing the number of the item you wanted to the machine.
Vending machines which sell ice creams (packeted) always strike me as odd. I mean, I know they are really common but they never seem to break the ice cream or popsicle. That I find odd.
posted by Sam on 11-11-2008 at 10:37 pm
The oddest vending machine that I have seen was just outside of Osaka Castle in Japan. It served burgers, yep, hamburgers!
I didn’t have the nerve to try one though as the thought of how long the meat had been sitting in the machine made me a little squeamish.
posted by Shane on 11-11-2008 at 11:23 pm
When I lived in Japan, I was constantly on the lookout for a vending machine that vended other vending machines. They have just about everything else there!
posted by Christian on 11-11-2008 at 11:42 pm
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posted by Meg on 11-12-2008 at 2:33 pm
They have cigarette vending machinese in Japan. Although, there’s a sign that says you have to be 18, I think, to purchase, I doubt that would really stop anyone who’s underage.
posted by J on 11-12-2008 at 4:37 pm
I stayed at a hotel in Seoul that had vending machines in each room. They sold assorted snacks, like dried squid, as well as condoms, lube, etc.
J, the answer to your question is that to buy cigarettes from a vending machine in Japan, you have to swipe a Tapsco card, and you have to show proof of age when you apply for the card. Of course, kids just borrow adults’ cards, so it’s not foolproof.
Another cool thing about Japanese vending machines is that you can often pay with your train fare card. Nice when you don’t have enough change!
posted by Karen on 11-13-2008 at 2:59 am
Mike James – it’s true about the schoolgirls underwear. It was one of the ways that high school girls would make money – they would go into a store, try on panties, and give them back and get paid. Gross part is, they would get more money if the underwear was “dirty” when they gave it back (and I don’t mean skidmarks.) You’re righ ton one account – I don’t know if they sell it in vending machines anymore or just stores. It’s also Snopes verified if you don’t believe me.
Japanese vending machines can carry:
beer
used panties
sex toys
cigarettes
Hello Kitty errata
fried foods
porn
electronic equipment
eggs
umbrellas
soup
fishing equipment
toilet paper
designer condoms (some play music)
pet rhinoceros beetles
posted by Leah on 11-13-2008 at 7:03 pm
Don’t forget Bike Vending machines. These were on the news recently. Has it’s flaws but cool idea!
posted by Vending Machines on 11-24-2008 at 5:22 am
I have seen produce vending machines near my old apartment in Japan. How many people can say they’ve bought lettuce and carrots from a vending machine?
posted by stiles on 11-27-2008 at 9:58 pm
A couple years ago, when I was in Las Vegas, there was an iPod vending machine in the Las Vegas Hilton (I took a pic!). It not only sold the iPod but accessories also.
posted by Sarah on 1-17-2009 at 12:53 am
Its amazing how far vending machines have come from when they first came out!
posted by Mr. Vending Machines on 2-4-2009 at 12:18 am