Comments on: Chinese Vending Machines: Peanuts and Condoms and Sex Toys…Oh My!

By: Yu

Yu — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:35:42 +0000

There are many vending machines in some of the subway/elevated train stations in Shanghai.

You forgot to mention getting the toy for the kids, so the wife won’t suspect anything.
Or was that not the price of the pregnancy test?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:29:59 +0000

Nice. I’ve never seen 神油, those characters together before in Japanese. I’m sure the meanings are the same in Chinese, though, right? “god-oil”. or maybe “spirit-fat”.

By: Gabrielle

Gabrielle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:57:41 +0000

I didn’t see a whole lot of vending machines in China either. I did see one however at Er Wai(Beijing Second Foreign Language University) in Beijing. It sold candy, cigarettes and a few other odds and ends, but no sexy underwear or anything. Things were pretty fairly priced, too, unlike some of the vending machines I saw at the airport – but that was to be expected.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:11:23 +0000

@thug

You have an interesting screen name. Is there a goon as well?

By: Tora

Tora — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:03:02 +0000

Thug, I lived in Shanghai for nearly two years and cannot say I’ve ever seen a vending machine there. Maybe things have changed since 2006 or maybe it’s because the regular 阿姨’s just doesn’t tend to sell their stuff in office buildings so they put in machines. So where do you live that has so many of them?

By: James

James — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:32:43 +0000

神油 is the same thing as“long lasting oil”。What’s“The Magic Finger.”? A sexual toy?

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:33:28 +0000

Haha, I am certainly happy that you are back to the Middle Kingdom and this blog is an interesting read again :)

By: thug

thug — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:54:55 +0000

dont know what you guys are talking about, but there are plenty of vending machines in china, in office buildings, in subway stations. everywhere. maybe in the rural back waters not many, but you guys obivusoly havent been a round china a lot to make such a trivial, over generalizing observation.

By: Tora

Tora — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:03:40 +0000

I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a vending machine during my time in Shanghai, in fact I even completely missed the ones in Pudong airport but that’s probably because I don’t usually pay much attention to them. And 20 rmb for a Snickers? Are you frickin’ kidding me? That’s like a 500% markup from the regular street price.

That is a pretty strange collection of stuff to put in a machine, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pregnancy test in one before. The oddest thing I have seen in a vending machine was a seemingly space-aged dildo at a Japanese love hotel. It was around 8500 yen (80 dollars) and I was amazed that such an expensive item could be sold in a vending machine, even if it was indoors.

By: Matthew Stinson

Matthew Stinson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:09:06 +0000

Yeah, these vending machines literally litter Hexi District, but I haven’t seen similar machines in, say, Heping or Nankai.