Comments on: Bibliomat: a vending machine for random rare and antiquarian books (with satisfying clunk)

By: class_enemy

class_enemy — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:19:00 +0000

I put in my money hoping for a copy of “The King In Yellow”, too.

Much to my disappointment I got some morbid old Brit thing called “The Courier’s Tragedy” – which I dropped off in the Goodwill pickup box on my way home. Two bucks down the drain…..

By: legotech

legotech — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:04:00 +0000

Ummm…not sure I want a surprise from anyplace called Monkey’s Paw. Historically, that hasn’t been a great deal.

By: Carni Klirs

Carni Klirs — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:17:00 +0000

I just used this when I visited Toronto last weekend! Really cool idea. The owner of the store said that it needs to be calibrated, as earlier that week someone put in a coin and it spit out several books. So it is sort like a slot machine.

By: mattfed

mattfed — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:11:00 +0000

I’m happy to report that the biblio-mat is as wonderful as described. I was in Toronto last weekend and had the pleasure of hearing it whirr and thunk. The owner and I were both surprised that I already had a copy of the resulting book. I am equally (and pleasantly) surprised to see the biblio-mat in my morning boingboing perusal. Lovely bookshop by the way…

By: Psychsoftpc

Psychsoftpc — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:16:00 +0000

wasn’t this in a fallout new vegas dlc?

By: MelSkunk

MelSkunk — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:57:00 +0000

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

By: AnonymousViewer

AnonymousViewer — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:21:00 +0000

I am seeking a rare manuscript entitled “The King in Yellow.” I am most keen in acquiring it and studying it for the purposes of producing a play.

By: MelSkunk

MelSkunk — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 03:06:00 +0000

I read the title and went ‘damn that’s cool wish it was local’ then lowered my eyes ever so slightly and discovered IT WAS!
I love collecting old books, this is PERFECT!!

By: Alvaro Gonzalez

Alvaro Gonzalez — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 03:02:00 +0000

A sensor on the way out of the slide. Once something begins to fall… stop movin the book pile up!

By: Ian Osmond

Ian Osmond — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:33:00 +0000

I wonder how it can tell to drop just one book, given that the books are all different thicknesses, weights, sizes, and so forth.

I could blow through a couple hundred bucks on that thing way, way too fast. . .

By: Romeo Vitelli

Romeo Vitelli — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Damn! I thought I knew all the really cool independent bookstores in Toronto.

By: Ceronomus

Ceronomus — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:51:00 +0000

I think it *IS* a gamble feature. I wish there was one near me, I’d use the daylights out of it.

By: allium

allium — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:47:00 +0000

One first edition Virginia Woolf…two first edition Virginia Woolves…awww, airport Jackie Collins! XD

By: Dave Horton

Dave Horton — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Excellent idear.

By: wreckrob8

wreckrob8 — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:26:00 +0000

This should come with a gamble feature.

By: CH

CH — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Wonderful!!! And a truly ingenious system, although I would have liked it to remain a mystery (but curious me couldn’t look away).

… and now I want book vending machines, too!