Vintage Vending Machines (PHOTOS)

With all this talk about newfangled "social" vending machines, we find ourselves nostalgic for the vending machines of yore. Our friends at LIFE.com put together a fabulous photo retrospective of old-school vending machines and prototypes that sold everything from milk to whiskey to Campbell's soup.

See a sampling of the photos below and check out all of Life's photos of old vending machines over at LIFE.com.

More from LIFE.com:
In Praise of the Automat
In Praise of the Typewriter
The Man Who Designed America
Eye-Popping Car Designs
Excellent Old-School Science Models

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See all of Life's photos of old vending machines over at LIFE.com.

Comments

[thebitterlady]

11:36 PM on 09/20/2011

I love the whiskey machine.No waiting for the bartender to shutup and notice you and no tipping so your assured your next drink.

[O K Ali]

11:46 AM on 09/19/2011

Back in the eighties, I was living in Germany on an Army base. Whenever we use to travel to different bases for sporting events, we would always stop by this little outpost for traveling Americans. Vending machine heaven. Also the first time that I had microwave popcorn.

[cameron d]

07:38 PM on 09/18/2011

Vending machines for alcohol and cigarettes are all you ever need.

[ProCynic]

10:57 AM on 09/18/2011

Can I get a Mojito machine?

[osofar]

10:45 AM on 09/18/2011

"Here I'll stand and here I'll die, but I won't give up this hunk of pie". Chet Morton stated in a fight at a vend-o-matic machine restaurant in a Hardy Boys novel.

[Eric Mann]

10:39 AM on 09/18/2011

A cocktail vending machine...I want one.

[gloriaswanson43]

09:53 AM on 09/18/2011

Whiskey!! Imagine...

There also used to be perfume and powder vending machines. Good times.

[mushimom]

05:40 PM on 09/18/2011

Reall? I would love to have one of those!!!...Oh and a Vodka vending machine!!

[gloriaswanson43]

09:08 AM on 09/19/2011

This one has a couple of pictures: http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2010/03/perfumatic-coin-operated-perfume.html

http://firstnerve.com/2009/12/perfume-museums-hall-of-olfactory.html

I couldn't find a face powder one. I once read an article criticizing Rudolph Valentino, suggesting that he was a "pink powder puff" from using a powder dispensing machines in the men's bathroom.

[Littleshovel]

09:52 AM on 09/18/2011

I need a whiskey vending machine at my work...

[John Kelley 1]

09:41 AM on 09/18/2011

One current oddity that you don't see here are the plethora of street side cigarette vending machines in modern day Germany.

I just spent a year living in Germany, and it blew me away to see cigarette vending machines literally on every street corner in both commercial and residential neighborhoods. Talk about a national addiction.

[grailknight]

11:33 PM on 09/18/2011

Indeed, as I recall from 35 years ago, der Deutscher Zigaretten gesmeck schlecht!

[shaunington]

09:18 AM on 09/18/2011

Pretty sure that after seeing those photos, Boehner ordered that two of the whiskey machines be installed in the house chambers, post haste!

[osofar]

10:47 AM on 09/18/2011

Would these be the oak barrel dispensing whiskey machines, or the smaller bottle versions?!??

[SmartladyDem]

08:52 AM on 09/18/2011

I guessing "Eva" was a very good listener.

[GeoNorth]

08:34 AM on 09/18/2011

We used to have a milk machine in town. Back in the days when most business was closed by 9pm, if we needed milk, Mom sent me down to get a couple of quarts. .25 a qt. There was also a pay phone there and I could talk with my girlfriend without anybody eavesdropping as I did my errand.

[WebSloth]

07:50 AM on 09/18/2011

oh I miss the day when the government don't enforce it's nanny state rules. Anyone should be able to buy Bourbon (an american product!) anytime anyplace. I am sure the free market's invisible hand will keep children and drivers from making the purchase.

[freddsky]

07:00 AM on 09/18/2011

Ice cold whiskey? Chased with a warm beer?
Don't knock it if you haven't been fried by it.

[Tim The Enchanter]

06:15 AM on 09/18/2011

The egg thing is cool, but I don't see the egg arriving at the exit in one piece.

[stape45]

07:12 AM on 09/18/2011

It can be done. There's probably a curvature involved, to reduce the speed, in conjunction with a little padding.

[Beth Grierson]

04:18 PM on 09/19/2011

Why not? They used to have glass pop bottles in vending machines. It's all in the delivery.