Sunday, February 5, 2012

Card vending machines

Image borrowed from the internet
Last week I was in the pantry at my work, and I noticed that they installed two of those old school candy machines. The ones where you put the quarter in, turn the nob and a few pieces fall out. We have two now – one with peanut M&Ms and one with Mike & Ike’s.

It got me thinking. Does anyone remember those card vending machines from the ‘80s? They usually displayed some semi-decent player on the front? Then you put in a quarter or two, pushed the coins into the machine, and a card or two came out? I particularly remember one of these machines at the pizza joint at the mall (Villa Pizza…remember that place, Night Owl?).

I don’t think anyone ever got anything good, but they were still fun. Did anyone else have one of these at a local store?

Enjoy the Super Bowl. Go not New England!

9 comments:

  1. I vaguely recall these, but I don't remember anything I ever got out of one.

    As recently as last year, there was still a full-sized trading card vending machine at the local supermarket. It mainly dispensed packs and singles of Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh game cards, but there were usually some baseball and other sports cards inside too.

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  2. I don't remember anything like them but I got some decent cards from a vending machine at a local mall a couple of years ago.
    http://canthavetoomanycards.blogspot.com/2010/09/card-fun-at-mall.html

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  3. Villa Pizza is drawing a blank. Maybe if I knew where it was in the mall.

    Last time I was at the skating arena near my home, there was a small vending machine that spits out hockey cards.

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  4. I've looked on ebay from time to time.I would to have an old one but they're a little too pricey for my budget !

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  5. I have never seen one of these before. One of these machines looks like something you would see on American Pickers.

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  6. Ha! I saw one of those last year at a Dollar Tree near Carol Stream, IL (with slightly updated cards of course).

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  7. What a blast from the past. I remember the movie theaters near my house had these. Possibly 25¢ for 5-7 cards? For some reason, I associate 1986 Topps baseball cards with these machines.

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  8. I remember these and may have used a couple as a kid. I recall seeing one in a card shop in the San Francisco area too. The store in Belmont has a few too I think.

    There are card vending machines here in Japan too (of course). The ones I've seen have been stocked with game cards though. I got a couple packs of a baseball game from one (I say packs but they were different than the pack style you'd find on a shelf). Some of the card vending machines dispense large sized cards but these have all been anime related so far.

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