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Vintage collectibles are a popular hobby and a big business as well, and many collectors specialize on quite a few different things, many of them related to soda pop. Many prefer to make collections of vintage soda bottles often sticking to one brand. Other prefer signs or clocks, wearing apparel, jewelry or in some cases vending machines.

Pepsi vending machine collectors have more work to do than those who collect machines from their nearest competitor. Pepsi was originally marketed as a "bargain" soft drink, emphasizing their much larger bottle at the same price as their competition. This appealed to customers, but it also meant that their bottles would not fit the same size machines.

Vending machine makers were forced to make entirely different machines for the different bottles and this increased the costs. Since Pepsi management was very focused on being low cost and operated on a narrow profit margin, they did not jump at the possibilities of vending machines and it is just harder to find a Pepsi vending machine because fewer were made and fewer survive.

Like all soft drinks that came bottled, the first vending machines were really just self-service bins than sometimes had a coin cup on a near honor system. Later, you could find a more automated Pepsi vending machine that dispensed the soda after the nickel was dropped in a slot. Machines that made change, usually only for dimes, were a huge breakthrough.

The next thing that could change currency or coin us was the electronic machine. These machines include a small computer that operates them. They collect sales information and other data. Some day these machines will become collector items. In the future you will be able to buy a soda by swiping a card or by the machine reading your thumbprint or retina pattern.

A big prize for a collector would be a functional model of the rare machines that dispensed a fountain style drink in a paper cup. Since some of the older models were very small enough to place on a table or counter, often only holding approximately 20 sodas, collecting these machines does not take up a lot of room. Although collectors that want the larger machines will make room for them.

There are Pepsi vending machines that dispense cans as well as the 20 ounce plastic bottles that are popular today. While some of the new machines are unique and might be considered collectibles many people buy them for fun or to spice up the entertainment area of their home. Others just like to keep a machine near a backyard pool to keep cold beverages close at hand.