Tuesday, March 13, 2012

World's Most Bizarre Vending Machines

So, here at 7-Eleven, I get a daily newsletter keeping me up-to-date on industry trends.  Honestly, I usually delete it right away, but today, the heading caught my eye: World's Most Bizarre Vending Machines 

I thought you'd enjoy the list.
  1. Live crabs: Subways in China offer live crabs for sale in vending machines. To repeat: they’re live, which should make for some interesting commutes home.
  2. Gold dispensing machine: Where else but Dubai could you buy gold bars and coins from a vending machine, with prices automatically updated every 10 minutes to keep check with markets.
  3. Bike dispenser: Bike-friendly Holland offers the Bikedispenser, a jumbo-sized machine that emits a bike after you’ve paid for your ride.
  4. Sushi: Vending machine sushi? What would Anthony Bourdain say? You can find it Japan, and we’re guessing it’s healthier than a bag of chips.
  5. Dog washer: France offers the Dog-O-Matic, an automatic dog washer, where you open the door, insert your dog (or someone else’s, we suppose), and pay by size. NOTE: Not PETA-approved.
  6. Canna MedBox: It’s medical marijuana dispensed quickly and accurately from this California vending machine, with a fingerprint and prescription scanner that verifies patient identities.
  7. Cupcakes: Beverly Hills offers bakery Sprinkles, a 24/7 cupcake dispenser where consumers get their sugar rush for just four bucks.
  8. Fingernail painting: Japan comes in with another top-10 entry with a machine that offers quick and easy touch ups to chipped and unsightly nails.
  9. Automatic apparel: Boston addresses the under- and over-dressed crowd with its automatic apparel machine that offers everything from shoes to underwear to shirts.
  10. Let’s Pizza: Vending machine pizza in Italy? Seems sacrilegious, not to mention pizza bagel-ish, with a pie that’s ready in just 90 seconds.

My favorite is #2, the Gold dispensing machine.  I imagine you can beat the market on this one if you get gold prices in real time.  If you see the market has gone up and you are standing at the vending machine, quickly purchase the gold for the "old, dated" price before it correctly updates. 

Doesn't this list make you think "Why didn't I think of that?"  Which one is your favorite?

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