Items sold via vending machines vary by country and region. For example, some countries sell alcoholic beverages through vending machines, while other countries do not allow this due to strict laws. Cigarettes were commonly sold in the United States through these machines, but this practice is increasingly rare due to concerns about underaged buyers. Sometimes a pass has to be inserted in the machine to prove one's age. In some European countries, cigarette machines are still common. Believe it or not, in the 1950's life insurance policies were sold through vending machines.

HISTORY


The first vending machine is believed to have been invented by Hero of Alexandria, a first century inventor. His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed a fixed amount of holy water. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve which let some water flow out. The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until it fell off, at which point a counter weight would snap the lever back up and turn off the valve.

Despite the early precedent, vending machines had to wait for the Industrial Age before they came to prominence. The first coin operated vending machines were introduced in London, England in the early 1880's, dispensing post cards. The first vending machine in the United States was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on train platforms. The idea of adding simple games to these machines as a further incentive to buy came in 1897 when the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small figures which would move around whenever somebody bought some gum from their machines. This simple idea spawned a whole new type of mechanical device known as the trade stimulators. The birth of pinball is ultimately rooted in these early devices.