Seattle’s Mystery Soda Machine
On the corner of John Street and 10th Avenue East, in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood lies the world’s most mysterious soda vending machine. Nobody knows the true history of the rusting machine, which looks like it was spat straight out of the Seventies, but locals continue to plunk down their change and the machine never seems to run out of stock. Who first installed the outdoor machine, who stocks it, and who collects the money are all a mystery.
The modern antique offers a comparatively limited selection of drinks with yellowed plastic buttons offering Coke, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and Barq’s, but the intriguing button marked “Mystery” generally produces none of these. According to one report, after spending five dollars in change on the mystery button, the machine produced six different brand of soda, none of which had their own button on the machine.
Given the air of the unknown that surrounds the vending relic, many locals have tried to divine the origins of the machine and its endless wellspring of name-brand soda, but so far no answers have been forthcoming, no matter how many times the “Mystery” button is pressed. (Source)
copperbadge I don’t know why, but I saw this and thought of you
Because this is the kind of thing that FILLS ME WITH DELIGHT!
Oh man that’s so cool. I love it when you find super old-school vending machines and they still work. And I especially love that whoever owns and stocks it put a MYSTERY BUTTON on it.
Those are actually old photos. I live near it, and I can report that now EVERY BUTTON IS MYSTERY. All it produces is random non-standard soda now. Last time I used it I got a strawberry Fanta.
IT GOT BETTER
tirlaeyn: I actually have! I passed by it just the other week, but I was on the bus so I didn’t get the chance to look closely. Made me really happy to finally spot it, though!
