Here Are 50 Interesting Vending Machines That Are Made For A Few Very Specific Purposes

All you need is a uniquely-designed machine that sells something unexpected

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• January 25, 2023

Nothing compares to slipping out to a vending machine during a break for a sneaky bite. There is something mundanely wonderful about feeding scrap metal into a robot that spits out meals, whether you're finishing up extracurricular activities at school, working late at a university, or putting in extra hours in the office.

It has the appearance of something out of a vintage science fiction book. Vending machines are tremendously useful and cool innovations that continue to astound us whenever we consider how strangely retrofuturistic an idea they are.

They are now so commonplace in our lives, though, that many of us hardly ever even notice them anymore. Fortunately, you can quickly reverse that; all you need is a machine with a distinctive appearance that offers an unusual product!

We adore the seamless, albeit occasionally awkward, interactivity of vending machines. You pull out a few bits from your pocket, put them in the machine, and wait patiently for the treat to come out.

After all, there are considerably more intriguing items available for purchase than simply candy bars and Coke cans. We've gathered images of some of the world's most interesting, odd, and plain bizarre vending machines so scroll down to see them.

1. This Train Station In Romania Has A Book Vending Machine

2. Short Story Dispenser At Los Angeles Public Library Central

3. Japanese Vending Machines Adapted To The Surroundings

4. This Feminine Hygiene Product Dispenser Gives Tampons And Pads For Free

5. Taking Historic Architecture Into Account When Adding Vending Machines

6. Pretty Sure Most Of These Games Are Bootlegs, But I Just Thought It Was So Weird To See Something Like This At A Mall

7. At The Cemetery In My Neighborhood There Is A Vending Machine Selling Grave Lanterns And Candles

8. Sunscreen Dispenser On Sydney Beaches

9. I Buy Honey From Backroad Beekeeper Stands. This One Was On A Georgia Dirt Road

10. This German Vending Machine Has Everything You Might Need During Your Hiking Tour: Pilsner Beer, Eggs, Goulash, White Beer, Aspic, Lemonade, And Goat Cheese

11. University Has A Vending Machine With All The Things You Need As A Student, From Sanitary Pads To A Powerbank

12. A Vending Machine Full Of Crochet Materials

13. Instead Of Sugary Treats, Fatty Chips, Or High-Calorie Sodas, A Vending Machine At This Elementary School Is Filled With Books

14. Milk Dispenser In Greece

15. My Local Library's Men's Bathroom Has A Tampon Dispenser

16. A Supermarket I Visited In Germany Has A Bread Dispenser

17. Most Tests Here Are Around 2-3€ Each But We Also As Citizens Get 1 Free Rapid Test A Day From The Government So We Can Attend Restaurants, Events, And Gyms

18. This Sriracha Vending Machine I Stumbled Upon In Japan Today

19. I Dared To Dream That A Vacant Retail Space Could Feed Me

20. In One Village In Czechia, They Have A Vending Machine For Potatoes, AKA The Potat-O-Mat. People Can Use It To Get Local Fresh Potatoes Just By Inserting A Few Coins

21. This Bakery In Japan Puts Their Leftover Bread In A Vending Machine To Sell After Hours

22. My Workplace Installed Sunscreen Dispensers

23. Succulent Vending Machine In A Nearby Mall

24. Honey Dispenser At A Hotel In Japan

25. My University Installed A Free HIV Test Dispenser

26. Every Street Corner Should Have One

27. Waiting For A Flight? This Airport Has A Machine That Teaches You How To Give CPR

28. My Hospital Has A Boba Tea Vending Machine. I Spent Almost Every Childhood Weekend In The Doctor's Lounge At Some Point And Would Have Appreciated This

29. Germany Has Meat Vending Machines

30. This Flip-Flop Vending Machine I Found In Sidney

31. A Town In Serbia Started Using Recycling Machines That Also Feed Stray Dogs

32. I Feel I Should Add That It's Sunshine Laundromat In Greenpoint. They Also Have Mad Pinball Machines

33. A Cheese Vending Machine In A Mountain Village In Switzerland

34. Pharmacy In Spain Has A 24-Hour Vending Machine Outside For When It Is Closed

35. Vending Machine At The Oktoberfest Fair Grounds In Munich

36. The Post Office Box Has A Vending Machine For Stamps And Parcels

37. My Gym's Vending Machine Organizes Water Based On It's Temperature

38. I Stumbled Upon A Cupcake ATM

39. This Vending Machine At The Hospital Sells Healthy, Affordable Meals

40. This Butcher Has A Vending Machine For After Hours

41. This Vending Machine In Istanbul Dispenses Dog Food For Homeless Dogs When People Put Bottles In For Recycling

42. Cake Dispenser In Toronto

43. LEGO Vending Machine! Chicago O'Hare Airport

44. They Definitely Should Put The Baguette Machine Next To The Cheese Machine

45. My Hotel Has A Nutella Dispenser

46. Dallas Love Field Airport Offers Free Feminine Hygiene Products

47. This Machine Dispenses Food For Stray Animals Whenever Items Are Recycled Into It

48. Vending Machines In Switzerland Sell Pregnancy Tests Called "Maybe Baby"

49. So Cool, Forget A Birthday Late At Night? A Date? Flowers Always Ready

50. First Narcan Vending Machine In Austin At 4430 Menchaca

Contrary to popular belief, the computer itself is quite old, but vending machine history is really bizarre! Even coin-operated eateries are available.

Vending machines have a strong retrofuturistic feel to us, which is in part why. Around 2006, credit card scanners began to appear on an increasing number of vending machines, removing the need for cash payment.

Maryjane