The History Of Vending Machines

You may love getting what you want out of vending machines, but have you ever stopped to consider how these very popular icons in our society came to be? If so, then keep on reading for some very interesting information about vending machines. They have been out there since the late 1880's. People in London placed them around travel locations with post cards. They sold so many that they did the same thing with books.

In 1888 the were something that captured attention in some areas of the United States. Those offering gum were placed in some well known subway stations along the areas of New York and Chicago. There were plenty of styles of vending machines that came out in the early 1900's. They featured a variety of items including gum which was a hot selling item.

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.

If you haven't really notice the icon vending machines around you try to do so. See what the details are that make it more enticing, what is offers, and the operational features of it. If you are in the vending machine business then you need to know all of that so you can decide which types of vending machines to invest in. Older ones do get replaced but plenty of the very early vending machines are sought after by collectors willing to pay a premium.

Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/

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

Please Rate The Above Article From The Food and Drink Category
Article Title: The History Of Vending Machines

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated

Syndicate Food and Drink Related Articles Via RSS!

Boost your websites' search engine ranking! Attract more repeat visitors!
Automatically, consistently update your content via Really Simple Syndication (RSS). To syndicate the above article and other Food and Drink related articles on your blog or site, simply click on the XML Icon above to grab the RSS feed -- It's FREE!

Subject to Orbitaloc.com's Publisher Terms of Service, you may reprint this article on your own website, blog, and ezine. (English only) You may also syndicate the article via Really Simple Syndication (RSS). It is free of charge.

Free Articles on Food and Drink and Other FREE Content Article Topics
The preceeding is an informative article from the Food and Drink category.

Visit Our Sponsor for 2 Free Quarts of Liquid Vitamins