Alright, let me tell you about this thing they called the “golden vending machine”. I saw it tucked away in the corner of that new shopping center that opened up last month. Shiny, really gold-looking, caught my eye straight away.
First thoughts? Honestly, I figured it was just another gimmick. You know, flashy paint job to sell you overpriced junk. But, curiosity got the better of me. Had a few quid burning a hole in my pocket after grabbing a coffee, so I thought, “What the heck, let’s see what this is all about.”
Giving it a Shot
Walked up to it. It wasn’t selling your usual snacks or drinks. Looked like it had small boxes inside, all wrapped up fancy like. No clue what was in them. That was part of the ‘fun’, I guess. There was a slot for contactless payment, pretty standard these days. Price was a bit steep, mind you, more than I’d usually spend on a random guess.
So, I tapped my card. Heard the beep. Then the machine started making these whirring and clicking noises. Took its sweet time, actually. Made a bigger show of it than necessary, if you ask me.
- Card tapped.
- Machine whirred.
- A bit of internal clunking.
- Waited… waited some more.
The ‘Golden’ Prize
Finally, this little gold-coloured box dropped down into the collection slot with a soft thud. Picked it up. Felt light. Too light, maybe. Got it open right there.
And what was inside? A cheap plastic keyring. Shaped like a gold bar, ironically. Looked like something you’d get out of a Christmas cracker. Seriously. All that fuss, the shiny machine, the price… for this.
Was it worth it? Absolutely not. Felt a bit cheated, really. It’s like those claw machines, designed to look promising but mostly just take your money. This was just a fancier version. It reminded me of that time I tried one of those ‘mystery tech boxes’ online – paid fifty quid and got a pair of twenty-quid earphones and a phone stand worth about a fiver. Same energy.
So yeah, the golden vending machine. Tried it. Got a plastic keyring. Won’t be doing that again. It’s just a flashy box designed to part you from your cash. Stick to the ones selling crisps, at least you know what you’re getting.
