There’s a thrill that comes from stumbling across something that shouldn’t be where it is. Like a vending machine that dispenses Hot Wheels instead of Coca-Cola.
Across metro Atlanta, there are now vending machines stocked with more than your run-of-the-mill snacks. It’s like a return to the earliest vending machines, which were often filled with cigarettes or stamps.
These automated devices became a part of American society when they made their way over from Britain in the late 1800s, and inventor Thomas Adams put his gum machines on railroad platforms across New York.
Soft drink brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola found yet another way to sell their beverages to the masses, and by the mid-1900s, vending machines became a much more common sight in offices and buildings.
The vending machine innovations of this era now often come from Japan, which has one of the highest ratios of vending machines to people in the world, according to a CNN report.
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Though Atlanta may not be anywhere close to Japan’s vending machine dominance, nontraditional vending options are popping up around the metro area. The trend struck the city before with innovations like the now-shuttered Sprinkles cupcake ATMs that once made headlines, but this vending machine surge has moved beyond ready-made baked goods.
These little machines offer artists a way to disseminate their work, and let businesses attract crowds drawn by the whimsy and impulsiveness that stumbling across an unexpected vending machine can inspire.
Book vending machine
In the Krog District, a large teal vending machine popped up this spring, filled with books from forthcoming bookshop Long Story Books.
This wasn’t originally part of Kate Kiefer Lee’s plan when she started building out her bookstore, which is set to open in Inman Park in a few months. But when she came across a machine that dispenses books at her kid’s school library, she thought it would be a great way to generate excitement in Atlanta.
“I was thinking of it almost like a little billboard, you know, to tell people about this store, to offer a small selection of great books and let people know where they can get more, but it has exceeded all of my expectations,” Lee said.
Credit: Courtesy of Kate Kiefer Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Kate Kiefer Lee
The vending machine is selling books much faster than she expected, and every month, the stock is refreshed to swap out some titles. She said the vending machine’s top sellers include bestsellers and book club picks, but with the start of beach read season, the romance novels are also starting to go.
“I think a lot of people haven’t seen a book vending machine before, so I think there’s this just element of whimsy about it that people get excited,” Lee said. “When you walk up to a vending machine, you think it’s gonna have candy bars and bottled water and things like that in it, and when you see books, it’s just a fun surprise.”
99 Krog St. NE, Atlanta. longstorybooks.com
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC
Hot Wheel vending machines
When Kristen Albert was looking for a way to pivot from her career in tech, she landed on a new calling.
After Albert came across Hot Wheels vending machines, she partnered with Australian company Novelty Vending Global, which has an exclusive license with Mattel, to bring Hot Wheels to Atlanta.
The timelessness of these little toy cars appealed to her, and while she expected kids to be excited about the vending machines, she didn’t realize the depth of collector passion for Hot Wheels. Every few months, Mattel releases a new set of Hot Wheels designs for each line of cars, from Monster Trucks to its pop culture designs, and she’ll see people of all ages searching for pieces to add to their collection. The cars are priced anywhere from $3.99 to $10, though the Formula One cars can sell for around $14-$16.
Some of the machines have outperformed in sales beyond what she had forecast, she said, and she’s looking to add even more Hot Wheels vending machines in Georgia and beyond.
“I had no idea how passionate the adult base was about Hot Wheels, and how much of an impact it would have on families and their experiences on sites,” Albert said.
Terminal South. 1161 Ridge Ave. SW, Atlanta. instagram.com/hotwheelsvendingatl
Woodstock. 915 Ridgewalk Parkway, Woodstock.
Toco Hill. 2935 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta.
Bagel vending machine
When Emerald City Bagels opened its second location along the Eastside Beltline Trail, co-owner Jackie Halcrow said she was reminded of the vintage automats she saw in New York. She thought adding one next to the Emerald City storefront might be a fun way to let customers purchase hot bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwiches without waiting in line.
It’s temporarily closed for repairs, but once its running again, Halcrow said she’s planning to keep the bagels running on the weekends and possibly slot in smaller treats during the week.
665 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta. emeraldcitybagels.com
Mini art vending machines
Several vending machines around metro Atlanta are doling out art from local and national artists. Most pieces cost $1-$5, so if you’re headed to check one out, make sure to keep quarters and cash on hand.
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Georgia Tech Library
The Georgia Tech Library has its own Art-o-mat machine set up on the ground level. The bulky machine features Ham, the first chimpanzee to go to space, painted on its top, and each slot is stocked with art from local artists. These Art-o-mats were invented by North Carolina artist Clark Whittington to repurpose cigarette machines. He commercialized them in the ‘90s, and Georgia Tech is one of several hundred places to install its own science-themed machine, and even hosted Whittington in 2022.
Students and visitors can purchase $5 worth of tokens online, then pick them up at the information desk nearby and use them on the machine. There are various types of art available, including paintings of wild animals, mini-notebooks and rock pets with sweaters.
260 4th St. NW, Atlanta. 404-894-4500, library.gatech.edu/art-o-mat
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Lenny’s Hair Salon
Len Thompson, the owner of Lenny’s Hair Salon, has created a time capsule in his hair salon, featuring technology from bygone eras. There’s a jukebox machine, a functioning retro TV set and a cigarette vending machine out front. But that cigarette vending machine no longer dispenses cigarettes.
Insert five dollars, pull the knob associated with your chosen artist, and see what surprise trinket or piece of art comes out of the pocket-sized cigarette box.
Thompson wanted to create his own Art-o-mat to showcase Marietta’s local art scene. He stripped everything out of an old cigarette machine, then filled it back up with work from local artists.
He purchased old cigarette boxes and filled them with art, sourcing artists with help from the Marietta Arts Council. There are tattoo artists who contribute art, trinkets and jewelry, a notebook maker and even “alternate histories.”
“I love the idea of younger people who’ve never seen a cigarette machine using it for a purpose a little bit better than what it was intended for,” Thompson said.
25 Powder Springs St. SW, Marietta. lennyshairsalon.com
Postern Coffee
This cafe in Doraville is home to a vending machine dispensing art, stickers and photographs from rotating artists. The mini machine is operated by Eunice Min, who always loved art, but when work and life got in the way, she wanted to find a “passion project” to keep her involved in the art community, she said.
She purchased a candy vending machine, and started looking for artists to fill it with work, which has been a challenge.
Because each piece only costs a dollar, it doesn’t generate much profit, so Min asks artists to send her digital files of their work, then makes the prints, stickers and even temporary tattoos herself.
“It’s uplifting for (artists) to see their art at Postern, especially because from what the Postern workers have told me, people love this,” she said. “Just the fact that they know that people are loving it, I think gives them kind of a little bit more confidence, too.”
Inside Postern Coffee. 2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville. 470-391-2840, instagram.com/euniceymin
Inciardi Vending Machines
Purchasing full-sized art prints can be expensive, but there’s a spark of joy that comes with holding a piece of original art in your hand.
Increase your art collection with mini prints from the several Inciardi Vending Machines located around Atlanta, including at Grant Park’s Little Tart Bakeshop, in the Krog District and at Decatur’s Little Shop of Stories. The prints come from Portland, Maine-based artist Anastasia Inciardi, who launched the vending machines in 2022 and has expanded them across the country.
Krog District. 99 Krog St. NE, Atlanta. inciardiprints.com
Little Tart Bakeshop. 437 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta.
Little Shop of Stories. 133 E. Court Square, Decatur.
Credit: Courtesy of Roxanne Thompson
Credit: Courtesy of Roxanne Thompson
The Art Station
Cobb County Parks owns and operates the Art Station — Big Shanty, an art center that offers art classes, workshops and exhibitions. At the Art Station’s front desk, a free art vending machine offers art, stickers, buttons and key chains, all of which are donated by local artists, recreation program coordinator Roxanne Thompson said in an email.
2050 Kennesaw Due West Road, Kennesaw. 770-514-5930, cobbcounty.gov/art-station-big-shanty
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