You Can Buy an Engagement Ring from a Vending Machine in NYC

Luxury vending machines are all the rage now, popping up with pristine lighting in the places you least expect them, like the New York City subway. The newest addition is at Rockefeller Center, dubbed The Vend and you can actually buy an engagement ring from it. The yellow rose cut diamond ring comes from Fitzgerald Jewelry from Williamsburg and has 10 grey diamonds on the side, set on a 14K yellow gold matte finish band. It retails for $800 plus sales tax, so quite on the opposite spectrum from the $10,000 martini with engagement ring you can get at The Algonquin Hotel.

Photo courtesy Tishman Speyer

The Vend, located on the concourse level of 30 Rock, has perhaps the largest range of products we’ve seen. The six machines contain a total of 170 items, highlights which include a button-down shirt from Brooks Brothers, a Ruth Bader Ginsberg action figure, a Polaroid camera, socks, stain wipes, CBD truffles, even a Vitamin-C shot. Tishman Speyer, which developed The Vend, calls it “Rockefeller Center’s answer to life’s emergencies.” Almost 70% of the items cost $10 or less, but the price of the engagement ring, along with items by Duncan Quinn from London like cufflinks, wallet, and tie, lend a luxury factor to The Vend.

Photo courtesy Tishman Speyer

On the practical end, you can get dry shampoo, root concealer spray, nail polish remover pads, wireless earbuds, sunscreen, notepads, eye drops, and a variety of food, drink, and snacks, including freshly prepared sandwiches starting at $7.95.

Photo courtesy Tishman Speyer