When you think of a vending machine, we tend to imagine a candy bar or perhaps row after row of bottled beverages. But have you ever seen, for example, a machine stuffed to the brim with blankets? We’ve gathered some of the weirdest and most interesting vending machines from around the internet.
We also got in touch with Lisa Yaszek, a professor of science fiction studies in the school of literature, media, and communication at Georgia Tech to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, be sure to upvote your favorites and share your thoughts in the comments section below.
#1 My Local Community College Has Free Emergency Contraceptive Pills In The Vending Machines
Image credits: LaUNCHandSmASH
#2 My Airport Has A Book Vending Machine
Image credits: LeafSamurai
#3 A Cheese Vending Machine In A Mountain Village In Switzerland
Image credits: SuspiciousLizardo
Bored Panda got in touch with Lisa Yaszek, a professor of science fiction studies in the school of literature, media, and communication at Georgia Tech to discuss vending machines and science fiction. Firstly, we wanted to know why this relatively old piece of technology still can feel like it’s from the future.
“Even though vending machines have been around since 1888, for over 103 years, I think they still feel like science fiction to us for three reasons. First, of course, vending machines are machines, which have been symbols of the future ever since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the late 1700s.”
#4 This Bakery In Japan Puts Their Leftover Bread In A Vending Machine To Sell After Hours
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#5 Grocery Store Near Me Has A Sticker Vending Machine With 90s Stock In It
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#6 They Have Baguette Vending Machines In France
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“Second, vending machines embody everything we associate with utopian visions of a post-scarcity society, where everyone has enough food, shelter, and clothing: they offer us a variety of pre-made goods ranging from everyday essentials like ChapStick, fishing bait, and razors to little luxuries like chewing gum, makeup, and champagne to health product like sanitary napkins, condoms, at-home tests and first aid kits.”
#7 A Local Farm Sells Eggs At A 24/7 Vending Machine On Their Driveway
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#8 24/7 Pizza Vending Machine In Finland
Image credits: Toby_Forrester
#9 A Shop Repurposed An Old Cigarette Machine To Sell Local Artisans' Work
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“This is especially true of the most recent generation of smart vending machines that use sensors, cameras, and algorithms to detect preferences and tailor recommendations—these are machines that offer us the future with a human touch,” she shared with Bored Panda.
#10 Short Story Dispenser At Los Angeles Public Library Central
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#11 A Blanket Vending Machine At My Local Movie Theater
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#12 Baby Supply Vending Machines With Diapers, Snacks, And Parenting Essentials At O’Hare Airport
Image credits: Klad_Steel
“Second, we associate vending machines with science fiction because they have been prominent aspects of science fiction across media for nearly a century! For instance, fans of visual science fiction might know the baby vending machines of the 1930 Hollywood sci fi musical Just Imagine!, the suicide booths in the 1999 animated comedy series Futurama, or the law enforcement vending booths in Robert Findlay’s 2023 sci fi short film “Change Return.””
#13 Yarn Vending Machine In Philadelphia
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#14 Farmer's Vending Machines In Germany Offering Fresh Eggs, Potatoes, Milk, Jams, Jarred Meats, And Noodles
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#15 There Are Wine Vending Machines In Austria
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“Science fiction readers have likely encountered the all-too lively “Padre Booths'' and “Homotropic News Vending Machines” of Philip K. Dick’s “Galactic Pot Healer'' (1969) and “The Game Players of Titan” (1963), and fans of Japanese light fiction might think about the sentient vending machine protagonist of Hirukuma and Itsuwa Kate’s Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon series (2016). Meanwhile, tabletop gaming fans can purchase whole sets of resin vending machines for sci fi games including Cyberpunk and Shadowrun on Etsy!”
#16 This Life-Saving Vending Machine In Oklahoma
Image credits: Taikuus
#17 In The Netherlands, There Are Vending Machines For Fresh Flowers
Image credits: Jonah_the_Whale
#18 A Public Library Vending Machine At The Train Station. I Love This
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We also wanted to hear her opinion on what makes these vending machines interesting for people. “Vending machines appeal to us as modern people because they offer immediate gratification—we don’t have to make a special trip to a store or negotiate a range of interactions with other people to get the goods we want or need. This is especially important to workers who don’t have time to go off-site to get food or other necessities, travelers who are looking for specific goods or services while en route from one destination to another, and people in institutional spaces like schools, hospitals, and prisons that limit the mobility of their various populations.”
#19 Put In A Coin And Get A Random Tattoo. I Was Surprised With A Tattoo Vending Machine Gift For Christmas. I Loved The Concept, And It Was Super Fun To Do
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#20 A Fried Chicken Vending Machine In Otaru, Hokkaido
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#21 Heraklion Airport In Greece Has A Seed Vending Machine
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“We also like vending machines because they can provide us with a curated experience: we don’t have to sort through hundreds of different options online—we get a reasonably sized selection that we can actually see with our own eyes before we make our purchases,” she shared.
#22 A Sock Vending Machine
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#23 Book Vending Machine At A Local Elementary School
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#24 Thongs Vending Machine In Melbourne
Image credits: lordofalldragons
“Furthermore, if we are using a very specialized vending machine, we actually might well get more options for the product in question than we would at a general store where there are only one or two versions of the item we want competing with many other items. This can be especially useful when we’re traveling and we find vending machines that connect us with souvenirs and other unique items from the local culture.”
#25 Ramen Vending Machine
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#26 A Sausage Vending Machine In Germany
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#27 This Airport Vending Machine Sells LEGO Sets
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Lisa shared some parting thoughts and suggestions. “My very favorite vending machines in the world are the Sista Sci Fi Book Vending Machines in Seattle, Washington and Oakland, California because they literally bring science fiction and vending machines together!”
#28 This Cotton Candy Vending Machine
Image credits: Big-Calligrapher-675
#29 Vending Machine Just For Skittles
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#30 My University's Engineering Building Has An Electrical Component Vending Machine
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“The machines were created by Isis Asare, founder of the online Sista Sci Fi bookstore, which is dedicated to speculative fiction by Black women and nonbinary people. The book vending machines are Asare’s way of getting even more great science fiction into readers hands. I can’t wait until we get one here in Atlanta, Georgia where I live!” You can find more information about Lisa on her webpage.
#31 My Kid's School Has A Vending Machine For School Supplies
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#32 Flower Seed Vending Machine In A German City
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#33 "Herb" Vending Machine In Italy
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#34 Strawberry Vending Machine. This Is At A Strawberry Greenhouse In The Westland In The Netherlands
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#35 Pringles Gambling Vending Machine, The Cost Is Slightly Higher Than Buying In A Store But You Have A Random Chance To Get One, Two Or Three Tubes
Image credits: Little-Slime
#36 Vending Machine With Some Juice
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#37 This Champagne Vending Machine
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#38 Germany Has Vending Machines For Meat Products
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#39 My Dentist Has A Vending Machine For Toothpicks And Toothbrushes
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#40 A Dispenser That Sells Local Cheese (Fromage) And Morteau's Sausages In The Train Station (Besancon, France)
I saw that while waiting for my train. I tried a Comte cheese, and it was really good. I couldn't finish it, so I gave it to a random homeless dude (who gave it to someone else).
Image credits: Stock-Account-5841
#41 A Macaroon Vending Machine In Japan
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#42 A Vending Machine For Bouquets In France
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#43 "Vending Machine Corner" In Akihabara Contains A Number Of Vending Machines Selling Strange Things Like Popcorn, A Tennis Ball, A Tube Of Carrots, And Mystery Boxes
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#44 I Found A Jansport Backpack Vending Machine In Mexico City
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#45 Condom Vending Machine In Japan That Has "I Love You" Written In Many Different Languages
Image credits: Little-Slime
#46 This Pencil Vending Machine At The Local Middle School
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#47 Ever Been Walking Down The Street Needing A Bottle Of Soup Stock With A Fish Inside? Fear Not. Osu, Nagoya
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#48 You Can Buy Crutches From This Vending Machine Next To A Local Hospital In Vilnius, Lithuania
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#49 The Men's Bathroom In This Movie Theatre Had A Vending Machine For Pain Meds, Chapstick, Cologne, And Candy
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#50 Grocery Store I Live Beside Sells Ammunition Out Of A Vending Machine
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