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.
Some vending machines are there to snack on, sure, but these ones feel like they were built for very specific moments in very specific places. A train station in Romania has a book dispenser, a library in Los Angeles has a short story machine, and on Sydney beaches you can basically choose your SPF like it’s a flavor of soda.
Then you get the “wait, really?” category. There’s a dispenser in Japan that matches the neighborhood vibe, one in a cemetery selling grave lanterns and candles, and another that gives out tampons and pads for free. Even the serious stuff has its own twist, like the university setup for students, the hiking machine stocked with pilsner, eggs, and goat cheese, and the elementary school vending that trades candy for books.
And once you start noticing the pattern, you realize these aren’t random machines, they’re tiny solutions to everyday life, right there in public.
1. This Train Station In Romania Has A Book Vending Machine
BlueCl0ud2. Short Story Dispenser At Los Angeles Public Library Central
nytel3. Japanese Vending Machines Adapted To The Surroundings
9999monkeys
4. This Feminine Hygiene Product Dispenser Gives Tampons And Pads For Free
Complete_Atmosphere9
5. Taking Historic Architecture Into Account When Adding Vending Machines
VanillaLoaf
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
_Edobean
7. At The Cemetery In My Neighborhood, There Is A Vending Machine Selling Grave Lanterns And Candles
Vitekr2
8. Sunscreen Dispenser On Sydney Beaches
maksdjukic
9. I Buy Honey From Backroad Beekeeper Stands. This One Was On A Georgia Dirt Road
ratadeacero
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
BaronVonBroccoli
11. University Has A Vending Machine With All The Things You Need As A Student, From Sanitary Pads To A Power Bank
DutchBrownie
12. A Vending Machine Full Of Crochet Materials
AshyBooRawrs
13. Instead Of Sugary Treats, Fatty Chips, Or High-Calorie Sodas, A Vending Machine At This Elementary School Is Filled With Books
Mallory Hughes
14. Milk Dispenser In Greece
hariseldon2
15. My Local Library's Men's Bathroom Has A Tampon Dispenser
morenozaino
16. A Supermarket I Visited In Germany Has A Bread Dispenser
kevin_cg1
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
elle_gabrielle
18. This Sriracha Vending Machine I Stumbled Upon In Japan Today
sbako1
19. I Dared To Dream That A Vacant Retail Space Could Feed Me
JohnGeeMcCarthy
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
znojmak
21. This Bakery In Japan Puts Their Leftover Bread In A Vending Machine To Sell After Hours
hello297
22. My Workplace Installed Sunscreen Dispensers
HazelDaze592
This “AI super brain” robot phone hype feels like the new video launch that’s racing the iPhone 7e.
23. Succulent Vending Machine In A Nearby Mall
zoyaabean
24. Honey Dispenser At A Hotel In Japan
ImprobableValue
25. My University Installed A Free HIV Test Dispenser
porno_the_clown
26. Every Street Corner Should Have One
alastairi
27. Waiting For A Flight? This Airport Has A Machine That Teaches You How To Give CPR
siloxanesavior
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
DrCasteelEM
29. Germany Has Meat Vending Machines
OccasionallyNotWrong
30. This Flip-Flop Vending Machine I Found In Sydney
Madlad_24-7
31. A Town In Serbia Started Using Recycling Machines That Also Feed Stray Dogs
Its_me_Alex165
32. I Feel I Should Add That It's Sunshine Laundromat In Greenpoint. They Also Have Mad Pinball Machines
sigggnasty
33. A Cheese Vending Machine In A Mountain Village In Switzerland
SuspiciousLizardo
34. Pharmacy In Spain Has A 24-Hour Vending Machine Outside For When It Is Closed
reddit.com
35. Vending Machine At The Oktoberfest Fair Grounds In Munich
BakersTuts
36. The Post Office Box Has A Vending Machine For Stamps And Parcels
manlikerealities
37. My Gym's Vending Machine Organizes Water Based On Its Temperature
memesandkarma
38. I Stumbled Upon A Cupcake ATM
boobookittyfuck2000
39. This Vending Machine At The Hospital Sells Healthy, Affordable Meals
bartv42
40. This Butcher Has A Vending Machine For After Hours
AusJonny
41. This Vending Machine In Istanbul Dispenses Dog Food For Homeless Dogs When People Put Bottles In For Recycling
pugedon.com
42. Cake Dispenser In Toronto
BJuneTheLegend
43. LEGO Vending Machine! Chicago O'Hare Airport
Searching4Source
44. They Definitely Should Put The Baguette Machine Next To The Cheese Machine
JoseBeenTV
45. My Hotel Has A Nutella Dispenser
khazzaam
46. Dallas Love Field Airport Offers Free Feminine Hygiene Products
crazyoldmaurice
47. This Machine Dispenses Food For Stray Animals Whenever Items Are Recycled Into It
MotoTraveling
48. Vending Machines In Switzerland Sell Pregnancy Tests Called "Maybe Baby"
saugoof
49. So Cool, Forget A Birthday Late At Night? A Date? Flowers Always Ready
liviuuh
50. First Narcan Vending Machine In Austin At 4430 Menchaca
niceprojectatx
The book vending machine at the Romanian train station is the first clue, because it turns waiting time into browsing time.
But then the Los Angeles Public Library short story dispenser makes it weirder, like someone decided “reading” should be as automatic as grabbing chips.
When the cemetery in the neighborhood starts selling grave lanterns and candles, you can’t pretend this is just about convenience anymore.
And the Potat-O-Mat in Czechia, where people insert coins for fresh potatoes, is the final reminder that these machines are basically local culture in metal form.
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.
Nobody is just “buying a snack” here, they’re grabbing whatever their day needs.
For another tiny household fight, read how the wife begged her husband to press one button.
