Readers reply: What do you wish you could buy in vending machines?

I’ve heard that in Germany you can buy sausages in vending machines. What should be sold in machines that isn’t offered at the moment? Sybil Freestone, OregonSend new questions to nq@theguardian.com.Readers replyReasonably priced train tickets. EddieChorepostCome on – be sensible. I’ll take angel wings, magic beans and pots of gold but reasonably priced train tickets? Madness. RobRoy1975Anyone who has travelled in Japan has encountered the ubiquitous jidōhanbaiki vending machines selling cans of hot and cold drinks. The hot coffee is terrible, but I’ve bought some in desperation on train platforms or in stations when the lines at coffee kiosks were too long. And, of course, having a can of Boss Coffee with the kitschy image of the pipe-smoking man (Tom Selleck lookalike?) in your hand is too tempting to pass up. Nancy Cadet, New York, by emailI was quite impressed to see vending machines with bottles of whisky in them in Japan. I suspect they wouldn’t have lasted very long in this part of the world. BruthaHave you seen the anime about the guys reincarnated in a vending machine that sells anything? No, it’s not a joke. I wish. BalckeCoffee culture … vending machines in Tokyo. Photograph: Bruce Yuanyue Bi/Getty ImagesMortgages for affordable houses? GirlyouknowitstrueBooks, preferably good secondhand ones. There’s no need for any more instant food gratification – unless the machines are in the middle of nowhere, like the ones supplying baguettes, and occasionally half bottles of champagne, which you sometimes encounter in rural France. Jane Reed, by emailThere’s a wine bar in my town that has a wine vending machine. It’s lovely. Uphillstruggleuk[You] see them all over Spain. JohnH1973The first wine vending machine was made by Hero of Alexandria, in first-century Roman Egypt. TarlachmoorhouseA new boyfriend! A divorce. SpinnyAn EU passport. WindydayWhen I was a child, the ladies’ loos in our poshest local department store, Schofields in Leeds, had a vending machine that dispensed a squirt of perfume if you put in sixpence (I think) and pressed a button. There was a choice of four or five. I can’t remember them all but my mother liked Yardley’s flower fragrances such as Freesia, while my grandmother favoured Lenthéric’s Tweed. I’ve never seen this anywhere else. MistyPI think there should be cat vending machines. There is a glut of unwanted cats. Maybe another vending machine with plumbers … David Neville, by emailI would like small packets with a single nappy, two wet wipes, one soapy hand wipe and a nappy disposal bag – biodegradable if possible. To be deployed in baby changes in museums, rail stations, airports and all good coffee shops everywhere. Parenting is hard. 2opinionatedCigarette vending machines were everywhere when I was a lad. Most notably on the platforms of the London Underground. BristolBoyThat brings back memories. Also, those machines on the platform that sold odd-sized chocolate bars – they were more square than the rectangular shop-bought ones. reggiepurrinSeen plenty selling cheese and wine in France and Germany – even seafood. On a recent trip, we found one on Germany’s Baltic coast selling eggs and vodka – ideal for breakfast! David Bridle, Brightlingsea, Essex, by emailMore than 40 years ago, in Strasbourg I think, we bought merguez in lengths of baguette from a machine. It was about the only thing available on a Sunday afternoon. More recently, we bought baguettes in a small village on the boulanger’s day off. I have also bought chips in Amsterdam – not bad. Janet Carne, by emailFresh juice and fruit in an automatic vending machine in the Netherlands. Photograph: barmalini/Getty Images/iStockphotoVat-grown babies. To save the effort of conceiving, bearing and delivering them. Failing that, kittens. haztomRaising them too – option B3 for a 10-year-old, D7 for a 20-year-old. RobRoy1975Fruit salad, freshly made on demand. And if they can do that, a poached egg on toast while they are at it. daleawayA long time ago I had a holiday job in the kitchen of a factory, and we did prepare poached eggs for the vending machine the men used after we’d gone home. No toast, however. EastWestCatsAreBestOne of the places where I used to work had a snack vending machine that was topped up every month. If there were any out-of-date or close-to-date items they were given away to us for nothing – and there were usually loads of chocolate bars and crisps to be had that day, so people would stock up. Then it wouldn’t be used for a while and the cycle would repeat itself until the company decided it wasn’t viable and took it away. It was my favourite vending machine. Starling7[The supply of] Narcan, drug testing strips and safe usage supplies in vending machines was covered in the Guardian here. Kalluna34Psychology and self-help books. They are in high demand at our library, but are also notoriously not checked out properly or not brought back. NerdvanianHelp-yourself books, then? jno50Vending machines in toilets could sell incontinence pads. ArthurDalesWorld peace. And cash. You could have a machine that works as an automated teller. SavoryCharacterAren’t cash machines a kind of vending machine? Starling7Some are. They sell you the right to access your own money for a hefty fee. Looking at you, Paddington station. EastWestCatsAreBestI think a pizza could be selected, dropped through a slot into an oven and cooked before being posted out to the consumer. misruleI’ve just come back from France where there are lots of these machines. You can choose hot or cold (to heat at home). Not the best pizza but a welcome meal when there are no other eating options nearby. C0lumb1daeA DIY “rejuvenation tank kit” that cancels out all ravages of time, illness and climate crisis stress. And not at a cost that only billionaires can afford! GalliantUp a mountain in Valais in Switzerland a few years ago, there was a little deli full of fresh wonders – plus a vending machine outside that served up all the ingredients for raclette: bag of spuds, raclette cheese, wine, etc. It was so delightful that I just stared and smiled. My Swiss friend thought I was cracked. maryyBut how were you supposed to cook it, unless you’d lugged your portable raclette grill up the mountain on the off-chance? haztomMaking the big choices … a vending machine in Madrid. Photograph: Jose Gonzalez Buenaposada/Getty ImagesMy local pool has a vending machine for swimsuits. And you can get extremely good cheese from a vending machine at Besançon station [in eastern France]. EastWestCatsAreBestCancoillotte? TomboNo, just comté and morbier, but very good quality. EastWestCatsAreBestI’ve seen cheese and sausage vending machines throughout Switzerland, in or near hiking trails. Local goods, emphasis on the word “good”. EgoOnePacers, Marathons, and those green ET: the Extra-Terrestrial custard creams I used to get from Bromley’s Walnuts Centre vending machine after swimming. joshthedogThe perfect vending machine would be a “Santa Claus machine”, potentially a form of “molecular assembler”. Essentially, it’s a sci-fi type idea where a machine, given raw materials at molecular level and instructions, can produce any physical object you could imagine. The closest to something like this existing is probably a ribosome: the small components of every biological cell that use mRNA strands as the instructions. They assemble any proteins the cell needs from amino acids. If that’s not mind-blowing enough, the molecular-assembler-type vending machines would, in turn, be able to assemble molecular-assembler-type vending machines. leadballoonMore gluten-free snack options. StellaASPlasters. We have vending with condoms, lube, etc (mostly in bus stations – don’t ask me why), so there is space to spare to include plasters for little cuts, blisters, etc. BalckeWe’ve now got little shops here in south-west France that are like vending machines, but you go inside them. It’s like a tiny corner shop. You sign up, then scan your phone at the door, which lets you in. You do your shopping, swipe the items and pay by card, then scan again to open the door and exit. GoldgreenSame in rural Austria and Germany. HoofitoffAnything sold in a refill shop could be adapted for sale by vending machine, as long as you bring your own container. Last year, in Bath, I saw a vending machine for milk. Excellent initiative. IreneLavingtonA talent for music or art – or preferably both. If that’s not possible, then peace of mind. If none of the above are possible, then Smith’s Bovril crisps. AD2023Instructions on how to put your disappointing purchase back into the machine. IcommentthereforeIamAs someone on chemotherapy who is prone to accidents, new underwear would be nice. IlikeicecreamThat would also be useful to all those who menstruate. Dark knickers, cotton, plain, in sizes XS to 2XL, please. redstar1000A genuinely great suggestion. With a little baggy for the other pair. LadyzakisHardback academic textbooks that hit the bottom of the cabinet with an alarming thunk. Why? Well, in a world in which it’s possible to buy sausages (Germany), fresh eggs (Japan) and sex toys (Spain) from a vending machine, I see no reason to not cater to every possible niche. Oh, and prime ministers. Or are we pretty much there already? DorkaliciousAwww! Give Andy a break. AdnilsetabMini pieces of art and secondhand books. Posh snacks. Pawscrosssed53Second hand books are free at “book-stops”, and bus or train stations, and “phone box libraries” all over the place. confused23A light in the darkness. Photograph: MarioGuti/Getty ImagesI’m not saying that sausage vending machines don’t exist, but I’ve never seen one. PhineasPPhagbrakeThere’s one in Bangor. VanillaRadioAnd in Lincolnshire. GirlyouknowitstrueI like the idea of a vending machine that allows you to donate to a charity. There would be a broad selection; everything from mental health to foreign aid. You could pay a tenner and, in return, the charity gets a sizeable proportion of the cash and you get a booklet explaining what they do and how the charity uses the donated funds.You could read the booklet on your commute and recycle it when you arrive. No strings, quick and meaningful, and with the choices in front of you everyone gets a fair shout, although the charities at eye level may do better. It’s a spontaneous purchase that could make you feel you were making a real difference. deepbluepete66Kindness, hugs and love to our planet. Ooooh, and seeds for bees. Pawscrosssed53Parking tickets. There are far too many car parks now in which you can’t park if you don’t own a smartphone. SpoilheapSurferGenius idea! You could get a ticket as you enter, and before you leave, return it to the machine to let you pay the charge. It would then give it back and you return it again to get through the exit! So simple. confused23A family member has set up an egg vending machine. There’s no pun coming up, I promise. It operates brilliantly. VanillaRadioEggxcellent idea. DorkaliciousI’ve often thought, while waiting for ages to be served in a crowded and understaffed pub, that machines selling the usual alcoholic drinks might be useful. PeteTheBeatI used to frequent a bar in Austria that had a draught beer-dispensing machine – you tapped your credit card and it dispensed a half litre of beer. The ultimate beer on tap. HoofitoffI grew up in northern Europe, where every bakery had a vending machine outside, into which went a selection of the unsold bread and pastries at the end of each day. HoofitoffThey would be useful, as everything seems to be closed in rural Germany and Austria on a Sunday – especially in the mornings, when it’s hard to even find a cafe open. PeteTheBeatAt an airport I was recently at, they had a vending machine full of different versions of Top Trumps. LhurgoyfI’ve always fancied running a vending machine business, so … vending machines? saltybaconThat’s quite fractal! greendreamer