10 Interesting and Bizarre Facts About Vending Machines

Vending machines are everywhere—from high schools to hospitals to subway platforms—but they’re more than just mechanical snack dispensers. Behind those blinking lights and humming motors lies a strange and fascinating world of quirky innovations, cultural oddities, and unexpected trivia. These automatic vendors have dispensed everything from holy water to hamburgers, and their evolution is filled with stories that are, at times, brilliant, baffling, and downright bizarre.

So grab your change—or, more likely, your contactless card—and take a look at ten facts about vending machines that are anything but ordinary.

Related: 10 Most Complex Machines Ever Built

10 A Mystery Vending Machine Went Missing in 2018

For decades, a mysterious vending machine stood on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, quietly offering a selection of rare, vintage sodas for just 75 cents. The machine was unmarked and weathered, with cryptic buttons labeled things like “Mystery” or “?.” When pressed, they would dispense obscure drinks long thought discontinued, such as Crystal Pepsi and Black Cherry Fresca.

Who stocked this retro machine that only took coins? No one knew, and when it disappeared in 2018, leaving behind a note that read “went for a walk,” nothing was made clearer. Some believe it was an elaborate art project or guerrilla marketing stunt, but we may never know the truth.^[1]

9 They Can Be a Loophole for Gambling

There are many places in the world where you can enjoy a game of Blackjack or sit for hours at a slot machine, and there are also countries where it’s illegal.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. In countries like Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and especially Japan, vending machines offer an interesting loophole. Often called “lucky boxes” or “mystery boxes,” these machines dispense boxes with prizes that vary in price. The option to win a box of tissues or an iPad satisfies the gambling itch without actually being considered such.

More and more countries are catching wind of these mystery machines. They are banning them, especially because they offer a gateway for children and teens to become addicted to gambling.^[2]

8 Surge Pricing Machines Were Tested by Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has had a lot of failures in its long history. From Coca-Cola Energy to the infamous New Coke, the multi-million dollar company has had some embarrassing moments. One of the lesser-known escapades was tested in 1999 when new vending machines with variable pricing were introduced.

These new vending machines would automatically detect the outside temperature and adjust the price accordingly—hot weather means higher prices, naturally. Like how Uber and Lyft charge more when it’s raining, Coca-Cola knew that people want an ice-cold drink on a warm day. But unlike rideshare programs, these vending machines were physical objects that could—and would—have some anger taken out on them.

When thirsty buyers were met with a more expensive drink, so many of them either didn’t buy a Coke or took their frustration out on the machine itself that it was deemed not financially worth it to Coca-Cola to expand the idea.^[3]

7 Even Animals Can Use Them

Monkeys are notorious for their uncanny intelligence and sneakiness, especially when it comes to food. Videos of monkeys taking bananas, chips, and even cell phones from unsuspecting tourists all over the world have gone viral since the dawn of the internet.

So perhaps it should come as no surprise that Japan has seen monkeys that have figured out how to use vending machines. Multiple stories and videos feature monkeys either stealing or being given money and then inserting it into the machines, selecting their snack, and receiving it.

Sure, it’s impressive, but monkeys are famously smart animals. What would you say if I told you crows have proven to be able to do the same thing? In 2018, a small island in the South Pacific created a vending machine specifically for these birds. The crows were shown that food comes out if they insert a piece of paper into a slot. Not only did they instantly understand, but they were able to rip the paper to the correct size to ensure it would fit in the slot.^[4]

6 They Used to Sell Cigarettes

Though they’re now banned in most countries, there was a time when you could purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products just by using a machine. Even as far back as 1615, one could buy snuff and tobacco in English taverns via a coin-operated machine, but it wasn’t until 1926 that cigarette machines really took off.

Suddenly, diners, cafes, and bars across the world had an easy way to appease customers without bothering workers. Unfortunately, as the harmful effects of cigarettes came into public light, age restrictions also rose in popularity. It became impossible for machines to operate, as there was no way to verify the ID or age of buyers. The few countries that allow them now generally require one to show an ID to a worker and then are given a token to insert into the machine to enable the purchase. Other countries, like the United States, only allow cigarette machines in places where people under 18 are not allowed, such as clubs and bars.^[5]

5 They Were Used in Victorian Times

Though the concept of vending machines has been around for thousands of years, the first modern version of what we know today cropped up in 1883 when Percival Everett designed a vending machine dispensing postcards. It was an instant hit at railway stations and post offices and soon began to carry envelopes and note paper.

Just four years later, candy and chocolate companies realized the profit of having these snack dispensers on every corner, and 15,000 were installed in Germany alone. In 1888, the United States got its first vending machine in the form of a gum allocator, and it was a hit on train platforms in New York City. Though the popularity of vending machines didn’t explode until the introduction of automatic restaurants, the fact stands they existed even in Victorian times.^[6]

4 At One Point, 1 in 9 Coca-Cola Purchases Was a Dud

In the 1950s, Coca-Cola had a problem. They were known for the cheap price of their iconic soda, which had been just five cents for over thirty years.

Unfortunately, inflation was taking its toll, and the vending machines weren’t able to reliably make change, so customers needed to have exact change in order to make a purchase. However, the company worried consumers wouldn’t want to carry multiple coins if they raised the price by just one cent.

Coca-Cola approached the U.S. Treasury Department in 1953 and asked them to mint a 7.5-cent coin. When this didn’t work, they took a creative step by implementing a new program in which one out of every nine Coke bottles was empty. These “blanks” meant a few patrons would have to pay ten cents for just one bottle, raising the price to 5.625 cents.^[7]

3 They Can Withstand Natural Disasters

Japan is widely considered to be the vending machine capital of the world. From classic sodas and chips to more risqué items, these are more than a convenience throughout the country—they’re a way of life.

And now they can actually help save lives. While some vending machines in Japan are beginning to be built to withstand earthquakes, which are common in the area, a few take it even further. The Japan Times reports that some machines are now equipped with external defibrillators and flood detectors. When a natural disaster is detected, these high-tech vending machines dispense food and beverages (and even Wi-Fi) for free.^[8]

2 They’re Deadlier Than Sharks

The release of Jaws in 1975 struck fear of sharks into the hearts of millions. Suddenly, every trip to the beach was tinged with horror—the idea of a bloodthirsty great white chomping on an arm or leg led to an uptick in galeophobia (fear of sharks). But if you’re a practical person, you’d do better to have a healthy fear of vending machines because they actually kill more people per year than sharks.

Every year, an average of just three or four people in the world die due to shark bites. Compare that with the number of people who are killed by vending machines—thirteen. Though they can’t menacingly stalk you through murky waters, vending machines have been known to fall and crush customers—usually people who are trying to force an item out.^[9]

1 The First One Dispensed Holy Water

Today, you can purchase almost anything from vending machines. Cupcakes, pizzas, crabs, socks, books, caviar, and even used underwear can be bought simply by tapping a card or inserting a few bills.

However, in the 1st century AD, Hero of Alexandria developed the novel idea of inventing the first of these evolved machines. Though it seems impossible for such a high-tech contraption to have been started two thousand years ago, it’s fairly simple. As the Smithsonian explains: “Put a coin in a slot at the top of a box. The coin hits a metal lever. On the other end of the beam is a string tied to a plug that stops a container of liquid. As the beam tilts from the weight of the coin, the string lifts the plug and dispenses the desired drink until the coin drops off the beam.”

Notice that it dispensed liquid—though not the kind you’re probably thinking of. Instead of Pepsi or Coke, Hero’s machine only allowed the buyer to purchase water. Not for drinking, though—for blessing oneself. Placed outside churches, the vending machines only released holy water. They were created to respond to people taking more holy water than they were paying for.^[10]