NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A unique vending machine at Grand Central Terminal is capturing the hearts of New Yorkers, offering a nostalgic twist on classic city icons.
The mini print vending machine, installed in front of the station’s annual holiday market, has been drawing long lines of eager customers. For four quarters, the machine puts out a surprise art print depicting a symbol of New York City.
“Machine success at Grand Central has really just been kind of amazing,” Ana Inciardi, the Brooklyn-born artist behind the mini print vending machines, told 1010 WINS. “They’ve been selling like over 1,000 prints a day and they have like a line of sometimes 30 to 40 people—it takes like 20 minutes, and there’s like a velvet rope.”
The machines have attracted an unexpected demographic.
“When I first came up with the idea, I thought it was going to be a lot of kids using the machines, but it’s mostly like 25 to 40-year-old women,” Inciardi said. “People have been referring to them as trading cards for women or Pokémon cards for women.”
The machine’s popularity at Grand Central may be from its connection to the city’s culture. “I think that the Grand Central machine is most popular because it feels like a love letter to New York,” Inciardi said. “These days everything is so techy and tap-to-pay, and going back to collecting quarters is bringing people back to their childhoods.”
The inspiration for the mini print vending machines came from Inciardi’s everyday life.
“I needed to do laundry, and I had just become a full-time artist,” she said. “I thought the mini print vending machines would be a good way to collect quarters to do my laundry because my clothing was filthy with ink from making art. And my wife is a farmer, so her clothing was covered in dirt.”
The machine features 10 unique prints, including Grand Central’s iconic clock, its starry ceiling, street signs of the station’s cross streets, a New York City bagel, and the MetroCard design.
The machine will remain in place until at least Christmas Eve.
In addition to the Grand Central machine, there are seven mini print vending machines across New York City.