Seeing the vending machines we have all around us today, we can sometimes forget what they were like in the past. As with most things in our society, the have evolved over time. New ideas emerge from the old and the advances in technology certainly help as well. The first ones came about in London in the 1880's. They first held only post cards and then books as well.

The United States caught wind of vending machines in 1888. The first ones featured a variety of packs of gum. They were located in Subway stations in both New York and Chicago. It wasn't long before various types of vending machines were cropping up all over the place. It was in the 1900's that the still popular circular gumball vending machine was introduced and immediately a huge success.

From 1902 until 1962 a Philadelphia location called Horn & Hardart had a restaurant with a unique feature - all of the food and drink items came out of vending machines. This was a very original idea and attracted people who were traveling through the area. They all wanted to get a glimpse of what it entailed.

The really big popularity of vending machines in the United States though didn't take place until both Coke and Pepsi got involved. The two rivals are to this day still looking for ways to do better than the other one. They both mass produced vending machines so they could distribute more soda to their consumers. It was in the 1940's when they were offered and making huge sales.

The bottles were in there sideways and when you entered enough coins you could turn the latch blocking the opening of each door. After you slide the bottle out it would return to the place. Then another bottle would roll into that slot unless the vending machine was empty. They even featured a bottle opener on the door for convenience.

The designs on vending machines have really changed since then. They vary in size and design. Most of the time the design is a marketing ploy to encourage you to buy something from it. They are also designed better inside too which means they can operate more efficiently. This cuts down on money lost due to not working and on angry customers who got ripped off.

You can find just about anything you can want quickly from a vending machine as well. It may be something to eat or drink, supplies you need, reading materials, and more. There is no limit to the ideas that continue to come around and be offered in a vending machine. What consumers express that they want is often in the works if it can be figured out by the engineers.

The next time you are out and about, take some time to notice the different physical appearances of the vending machines around. Look at the features they offer as well such as hot drinks and cold foods. You will find many with dollar bill acceptors. The older models of vending machines aren't widely used anymore. However, many of them are viewed as collectors items so don't toss them out.

Business Products on our marketplace

Robert Farnham built a profitable vending business after starting totally the wrong way. He now writes about building a vending business and the pitfalls to avoid. Visit his website at My Vending Uncle for more.