History of Vending Machines

It's likely that you've probably never taken the timebegan to vend animated figures in addition to gum in
to sit back and consider vending machines. In fact,order to increase their sales. Spherical vending
you have probably never taken the chance tomachines were also introduced in 1907 complete with
contemplate the history of vending machines. Afterlots of candy coated gumballs that could be found
all who would? I know I didn't, until I wrote thisinside the sphere. American vending machines also
article and found the history to be surprisingly......well,offered cigars, stamps and postcards. A vending
fascinating. The next time you stop at a vendingmachine restaurant was also invented in Pennsylvania
machine and purchase your favorite sweet, cold sodain 1902 and managed to stay open until 1962. The
or that big caramel candy bar you'll remember thatrestaurant's name? Horn & Hardart.Music to the Ear:
even a vending machine is full of history.What isThe Juke Box Vending MachineVending machines
Vending?Vending is automatic retailing. Basically aprovided everything from sweets to books but they
vending machine allows someone to sell theirdidn't produce sound, until the advent of the juke
products when he or she is not present to supervisebox, which like vending machines had a variety of
the sales. It is really quite an ingenious concept (afterpredecessors. One of the earliest forerunners to the
all, we all want more money and more time), andjuke box was the nickel-in-the slot machine, which
doesn't seem to be a new one either. A certainwas invented by Louis Glass and Willam S. Arnold in
Greek-a mathematician by profession and1889. This machine was actually a phonograph, which
interest-whose name was Hero created a vendingwould play a recording through sound or listening
machine of sorts, which would vend water withintubes when a coin was inserted into the apparatus.
Egyptian temples. Many centuries later, vendingThe tubes soon became a nuisance and juke boxes
machines were offered commercially in London. Inwere invented. Juke boxes allowed listeners to enjoy
the 1880s vending sales in London included vendingrecordings without tubes and in addition to select
machines that would dispense post cards orfrom a wider variety of music. Some of the juke
books.Vending Machines Take on a Sweeter Flavor inboxes, which were commercially available were the
the United StatesRock-Ola juke boxes (Rockola is a noun, not an
In 1888 vending machines and vending services andadjective), the Seeburg juke boxes, and the
sales were offered commercially in the United StatesWurlitzer juke boxes.Discount Vending and Vending
as well. The vending machines in the United StatesRepairVending machines soon became a big business
were first introduced by the Thomas Adams Gumin the United States and in other areas around the
Company, whose owners were of course interestedworld as well. New jobs and positions were created in
in taking advantage of vending machines for the sakeretail vending such as discount vending, vending sales,
of selling their gum. The gum's flavor?vending suppliers and vending services. As most
Tutti-Fruiti.Additional Vending Machines is the U.S.A.Asinventions do when they help us save time, vending
most retailers do, vending machine retailers andmachines made life a little easier for the general
buyers began to realize that just vending gum waspopulation and became a part of the mainstream
not exactly a way to capitalize on the concept ofAmerican lifestyle and culture.
vending. In 1897 the Pulver Manufacturing Company