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Vending Machines Too Weird to Be Fake

by Leila Brillson on June 4, 2009 at 12:43 PM

TechEBlog got our stomachs oddly rumbling with their grossly delicious looking posts about three wacky vending machines, such as fresh pizza made to order, a Wi-Fi enabled Coca-Cola machine with a touch-screen and a coffee machine with a built-in camera. We've all heard the rumors about Japanese used underwear dispensers, so we know that, if you can sell it, you can also vend it.



Maybe just as weird as a used-panties dispenser is this Japanese lobster-grab game. It's not a vending machine, per se, but with it a hungry hunter can use a claw to pick a lobster. And, if you win, the manager will give you a plastic bag to carry it home. [From: WeirdAsiaNews.com]





Recently spotted at the Regal Union Square Theater, fresh Kosher food can be delivered in under two minutes. "Hot Noshes" include onion rings and knishes. While we are all for cultural diversity, we were kind of floored that there was even a market for this. [From: koshervendingindustries.com]



URLesque.com has pointed out plenty of good vending machines, but we think our favorite is courtesy of Photomann. Separately, energy drinks and prophylactics are semi-reasonable to be found in easily dispensed containers, but together? That's just asking for trouble. [From: Photomann]



Perhaps the grossest for merchants to replenish is the live bait machine, dispensing such goodies as minnows and leeches to insomniac fishermen. Because when you gotta fish, you gotta have 24-hour access to meal worms. [From: vcibaitvend.com]



Only in California. If you are pre-approved by a doctor, register your fingerprint, and have a card detailing your prescription, you can get marijuana via a black, anonymous looking box. Now, if they only put a munchies-stocked machine right next to it. [From: Wired.com]

Tags: big in japan, BigInJapan, novelty, shopping, top, vending machine, vending machines, VendingMachine, VendingMachines, weird

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