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Vending machines dispensing gold bullion were recently introduced in Tokyo, Berlin, Vegas, Abu Dhabi, and elsewhere -- sparking tongue-in-cheek speculation about the sorts of goods people might purchase form cashier-less machines in the future.![Wall Flowers in Berlin, 1930]()
A man purchases fresh flowers from a vending machine in Berlin, 1930.![Airline Insurance 1960]()
What? You didn't know you could get airline insurance from a vending machine? Well, at least in the 1960s.![Bikinis for Sale 1962]()
A model poses next to a vending machine selling bikinis in 1962.![Sex Sells, Taipei, 2009]()
A student displays a vending machine design during the 2009 Young Designers Exhibition, YODEX, at the World Trade Center in Taipei, May 2009.![Vending Luxury, 2009]()
Hotel guests check out the selection available at the Semi-Automatic, a vending machine that dispenses items costing anywhere from $10 to hundreds of thousands of dollars (a yacht trip, a penthouse condo, a BMW motorcycle) at the Mondrian hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. For the more expensive items purchasers receive a bag with a voucher that can be redeemed for the desired item.![Quick Change, 1956]()
A woman buys a new pair of nylons from a stocking vending machine in Stockholm in 1956, and changes into them in a doorway.![Automatic Whisky, 1960]()
At the Second Automatic Vending Exhibition in London in 1960, a woman helps herself to a vending machine-mixed whisky and soda.![Soup Vending, 1950]()
Three women enjoy soup from a Campbell's Soup vending machine in their office. The woman on the right opens a can of soup with a floor-mounted can opener. See more wacky vending machines at LIFE.com.The 9 Strangest Vending Machines Ever
Perfume? Flowers? Bathing suits? Booze? A quick glimpse at the history of vending machines suggests that, if a product can be consumed, someone has probably already designed a machine for it. See the full slideshow at LIFE.com.
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- The 9 Strangest Vending Machines Ever
