{"id":312806,"date":"2026-08-03T20:23:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T20:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/312806\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T20:23:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T20:23:13","slug":"analog-joy-at-the-drop-of-a-coin-inhabit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/312806\/","title":{"rendered":"Analog Joy at the Drop of a Coin | Inhabit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\tA new wave of creative vending machines are mastering the art of dispense. Here are a few we\u2019ve found in places the Corcoran brand calls home.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something deeply satisfying about the tactile experience of dropping a coin in a slot, turning a knob, and receiving a little something in return. Call it a simple pleasure in a complex world, a sensation that\u2019s becoming increasingly rare in these streaming-only and tap-to-pay times.<\/p>\n

Much like vinyl records and typewriters, the vending machine is making a comeback. A devoted group of enthusiasts has been reviving these throwback contraptions for less-common purposes, helping keep whimsy in a world gone digital. Here are some of the most unexpected examples we\u2019ve found in our communities \u2014 offering all that but not a bag of chips.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"APhono-Mat<\/a> and Biblio-Mat<\/a>
\nToronto, Canada<\/a><\/p>\n

For most people, vending machines are a novelty. For artist Craig Small<\/a>, they\u2019re a medium. At The Monkey\u2019s Paw<\/a> bookstore in Toronto<\/a>, the beloved used bookseller known for its robust collection of eclectic and esoteric titles, Small created the Biblio-Mat<\/a>, a \u201cserendipity machine\u201d that dispenses a random used book for $5. Later, he followed up at Sonic Boom<\/a>, the largest independent record store in Canada, with the Phono-Mat<\/a>, a retro-styled sequel that dispenses a random 7-inch or a 12-inch record upon the deposit of a $4 token. Both honor the act of random discovery \u2014 a cheap thrill in a tightly curated world.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AMold-A-Rama<\/a>
\nChicago, Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n

Producing small plastic models on demand, Mold-A-Rama<\/a> machines first came to prominence at the 1964 New York World\u2019s Fair, and for a short time, were found all around the country, mostly at museums and tourist attractions. While most have vanished, a handful can still be found around Chicagoland<\/a>, where they were originally manufactured. The Museum of Science and Industry has seven Mold-A-Ramas, dispensing souvenir models of a steam locomotive, the Willis Tower, Chicago\u2019s skyline, and more. Elsewhere in the Windy City, the Field Museum\u2019s machines will make you an alligator or one of five dinosaurs for just $5. (In a concession to modern times, most machines now also take credit cards.)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AThe Greenie Supply Treasure Map Machine<\/a>
\nSouthold, New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Set discreetly on a tucked-away porch in the back of Southold<\/a>\u2019s Port of Egypt marina, the Greenie Supply Treasure Map Machine<\/a> isn\u2019t the final destination. Rather, it\u2019s the start of a journey. Every month or so, Bill Moulton<\/a>, the New York City adman behind the concept, hides numerous \u201ctreasures\u201d throughout the area, and he stocks the machine with $5 hand-drawn maps to find them. There\u2019s a real sense of wonder when the treasure is found \u2014 Scout\u2019s honor prevents us from describing the spoils, but it might be the search itself that\u2019s the real reward. Every map is printed with Moulton\u2019s personal mantra: \u201cChange your day forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AInciardi Prints<\/a>
\nNew York, New York<\/a> (+ nationwide)<\/p>\n

As Ana Inciardi dug for quarters to use the coin-op laundry in her building, she reminisced about the sticker (and temporary tattoo) machine in her childhood supermarket, a Key Food in Park Slope, Brooklyn<\/a>. A full-time artist, she wondered if she could create something similar, but dispensing art prints instead. Starting in 2022 with a few machines in Maine, her footprint soon grew to some 120 machines throughout the U.S. The $1 artworks<\/a> have won over a considerable base of collectors, who particularly covet location-specific offerings \u2014 like yellow cabs and pigeons, at NYC\u2019s Whitney Museum and Casa Magazines, or marshmallow fluff and CITGO signs at the ICA in Boston\u2019s Seaport<\/a> district.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AArt-o-mat<\/a>
\nNorth Carolina<\/a> (+ nationwide)\u00a0<\/p>\n

One could say Art-o-mat<\/a> walked so Inciardi Prints could run. Clark Whittington created the first Art-o-mat in 1997, 25 years before the first Inciardi machine. Rather than use sticker machines, Whittington repurposed cigarette machines, which were being increasingly banned, to dispense small sculptures and mixed-media creations in addition to flat prints in cigarette pack\u2013sized boxes. Started in North Carolina<\/a>, Art-o-mats can now be found all over the world, including cafes, bars, and museums, and even a Whole Foods in Boston\u2019s South End<\/a>. With an ever-changing mix of art and artists, each offers the opportunity for a fortuitous discovery for a mere $5. (Many venues sell tokens for use in their machines.)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"AMus\u00e9e Mechanique<\/a>
\nSan Francisco, California<\/a><\/p>\n

This famous penny arcade<\/a>, which started at the long-gone Playland, then moved into the Cliff House basement (the setting of a memorable scene in the movie The Princess Diaries) and, since 2002, has been located at Pier 45, is home to every kind of vintage coin-operated device imaginable. For just a quarter or two, you can have a mechanical baker open their oven to reveal a prize, or have your fortune told on a small cardboard card. Among the other highlights here: Vintage pinball machines, the infamous \u201cLaffing Sal\u201d marionette, and old-school, black-and-white film photo booths that captured generations of stolen kisses, with photo strips emerging a little wet and still smelling of developer.<\/p>\n

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