TODAY WE STUMBLED upon the startling revelation that there is a vending machine in the shopping centre in Dun Laoghaire that makes a pizza right before your eyes.

We were quickly informed that it’s not necessarily a brand new idea, but it got us thinking… what else can you buy from a vending machine, or what would you, dear reader, like to see in one?

• Lobster? More of a game than a vending machine, The Maine Lobster Game allows customers in bars and restaurants to ‘catch’ their own lobster dinner for a few dollars.

• Clothes? You can buy socks from a vending machine, or clothes and even shoes. Me Undies even offer you a chance to pick up some smalls on the go.
• Cupcakes? Sprinkles, the USA’s cupcake giant found that queues at its bakeries were so long that it was a clever idea to offer customers an option to buy directly from a ‘cupcake ATM’.
• Fruit? Usually it’s chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and bags of crisps. But how about an apple, an orange or a banana?

A passenger buys fruit from a vending machine at a subway stationin Shanghai, China. Image: ChinaFotoPress/Photocome/Press Association Images

• Flowers? What better way to tell someone you love them than… flowers from a vending machine?

Image: Hans Dinkelberg via Flickr/Creative Commons

• Tommy Lee Jones? Ok, so this machine in Japan may not selling actual Tommy Lee Joneses, but we love it anyway:

Image: Sean in Japan via Flickr/Creative Commons

Now we’re asking – what else would you like to see in a vending machine? And where would you draw the line? Let us know below…

Vending machine in Dublin creates pizza from scratch… in 2.5 minutes>