In June 1947, Popular Science featured an early book vending machine called the Book-O-Mat, which featured a selection of 50 books any one of which could be purchased for a quarter.
Two years later the Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation introduced an upgraded version also named the Book-O-Mat. Rock-Ola, which is known for making slot machines and jukeboxes, decided at some point that books might also make a buck as demonstrated by their advertising for the device:
“Here for the first time is a coin operated automatic merchandiser which permits the operator to share in the profits of the multi-million dollar paperback book business.”
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