I kind of love old vending machines. I also kind of love fake wood paneling on electronic devices. I also love finding things that most people might be unaware of or forgotten to have even existed. So naturally an intersection of those things would really grab my attention. This machine was found while poking around that abandoned putt-putt golf course I posted about earlier. I also found this gorgeous thing right next to it:
I honestly have no idea what it is about wood paneling, ridiculously ornate fonts and inappropriate art deco but whatever it is, you got it baby.
Anyway, so this other machine was apparently some sort of VHS vending/rental machine, manufactured in the early 1980s by Essex Engineering out of Connecticut. All Google could find me about the thing was this 20 year old New York Times article. Apparently it would take credit card information and time stamp rented tapes, then charge the amount for rental time when the cartridge was returned. Kinda fancy for 1984.
The window was yellowed out with age, but it looked empty. Really curious about what titles it would have held the day it was shut down.
Rani Baker Digs You. 
Just saw one of these recently at a garage band show in Commerce, CA – just outside of LA. I love encountering remnants of the not so distant past.