# Are 'open the box' newspaper vending machines really common in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264 "2006-09-26T20:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/41 "2006-09-27T15:25:28Z")
I’ve posted this before, but what the heck. On occassion it is possible to see an honest person taking several papers: The route driver is supposed to deliver N papers to a newspaper carrier. (are any of them actually paper **boys** anymore?) and the carrier is charged for these. Not infrequently a bundle will be one or occassionally 2 papers short, and the driver can also miscount the papers required to fill the order beyond J bundles. Since the carrier is charged for each paper, it is a bad idea to order extra papers to compensate for this. So it is not at all uncommon for a carrier to be shorted 2-3 papers. He can call the driver, and have the shortage filled, or he can go to the corner honor-box, put in $0.50 and take what he needs. The driver can then pay him back the 50p the next day. Since the driver also services the honor box, this is great for the driver who doesn’t have to make a trip to correct the shortage, and good for the carrier who doesn’t have to wait to finish the deliveries. As for one-at-a-time machines: I can see this being a huge design problem, when you consider the difference between a vacation flyer sized Monday & Tuesday editions, and the urban phone book sized Sunday edition. maybe if you bagged them and used a corkscrew mechanism, but that would involve a lot of extra labor, both to fold them, and to load the machines. Finally, note that left-over papers have to be collected and recycled, so they try to load the machines so that the papers will sell out. Also note that the driver knows the amount paid, and the amount of papers left. The number of papers stolen gives an indication of when it happens each day, so it is not to hard to “stake out” a machine that is being routinely abused. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/42 "2006-09-27T15:36:23Z")
At my old college (Texas A&M University) they had some machines set up for a while where all you had to do was swipe your ID card through a card reader on the machine to get at the newspapers inside. Basically, the papers were being provided for free via some service or another, and the card swipe was just to see how many people were reading which papers. At the end of the semester, there was evidentally not enough interest, so they got rid of them. The next semester, someone kept leaving stacks of the New York Times on the steps of Baby Harrington (my nickname for the shorter of the two Harrington buildings located next to eachother, the other being Momma Harrington), so I’d pick one up if I happened to be passing by so I could browse it. Mostly I just read the Battalion, a student-run AP-affiliated newspaper that was free on campus. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/43 "2006-09-27T20:43:41Z")
[QUOTE=Labdad] They’re everywhere here. In fact, there was an article about our yard, with nice photos, in the paper last week. We wanted several copies to send to family and friends. I went to the vending machine, put in .50 and opened it up. While open, I put eight more quarters in the slot, and the machine took them. Then I removed five papers. [/QUOTE] That’s being a solid citizen. Thanks. /IMHO hijack ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/44 "2006-09-27T21:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Jayrot] Definitely the exception. Every one I’ve seen or used was honor system. It’s true that not many people would be dickish enough to empty the thing out. However, fairly often I’ve seen people doing 2 (or more) for the price of one at some of the busier ones. When someone asks me if they can grab one after I’ve put my $.50 in, I ususally just let the door slip out of my hand (and it’s usually pretty heavily spring loaded) before I turn around and say “What’s that?” (as if I didn’t hear them the first time. [/QUOTE] Heh. Hubby and I were wanting a paper while vacationing in D.C. a few years back and the guy in front of us got his paper and then held the box open so we could get a free one. I’m sure he thought he was being nice. We stood there cluelessly for a minute, then said ‘that’s okay, we’ll pay for it’. Here in Atlanta we have at least some boxes with the one only mechanism, or used to. I seldom buy the paper out of a box, or at all, since it is online. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/45 "2006-09-27T21:26:08Z")
Huh. I can’t believe these boxes are North America only. You’d think in law-abiding orderly places like Japan and Northern Europe the expense and hassle of machines that ensure you only get one paper wouldn’t make it worthwhile. As has been pointed out, the newspapers make very little from selling newspapers compared to selling advertising. They often give away newspapers. If they had to choose between you reading the newspaper for free vs you not reading the newspaper, I’m sure they’d pick giving you the newspaper for free in a second. This is such a common thing in the US that I’m flabbergasted it doesn’t exist elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![homeskillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ba0ec/32.png) [@homeskillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/homeskillet)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/46 "2006-09-27T21:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] I have actually seen more enterprising homeless folks here in downtown LA empty out the entire machine with 50 cents and then proceed to resell them to business people in a hurry for a quarter. So long as they don’t get caught, it’s pretty easy to make a few bucks that way. [/QUOTE] When I was working in the Loop back in Chicago, I used to lunch around DePaul Center. For a while there we were constantly barraged by homeless guys trying to sell us free newspapers for a dollar! As if anyone would shell out a buck for a copy of _the Onion_! There’s a newspaper called _Streetwise_ in Chicago, that homeless people sell on the streets for $1. I guess these guys thought they’d copy that idea, sadly I’m sure they duped plenty of people too. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/47 "2006-09-27T22:06:44Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Although there’s a claim in the above posts about people reselling papers, I have to admit I’ve never seen evidence of it – the newspaper boxes are usually partially full and the only newspaper hawkers I see are those at major intersections on the commute into Boston, who I’;m willing to bet get their papers legitimately in bulk. [/QUOTE] Whether it happens or not, the fact that it _can_ happen invalidates its use as an example of “limited marginal utility”. Marginal utility is limited _for that one use_, but not for all possible uses. In fact, the reason the boxes are the way they are is not that there’s no benefit to grabbing more than one copy, but that the newspaper loses so little money from that practice that it would be more expensive to invest in new boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/48 "2006-09-27T23:07:15Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Huh. I can’t believe these boxes are North America only. You’d think in law-abiding orderly places like Japan and Northern Europe the expense and hassle of machines that ensure you only get one paper wouldn’t make it worthwhile. [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen newspapers sold anywhere other than stores in Japan, despite how ubiquitous vending machines are. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/49 "2006-09-27T23:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=The Dumbest Guy in the Room] In a lot of US movies/TV shows you see a scene where a character puts money into a machine which sells newspapers, which enables him to fully open it up. He then takes one newspaper, closes it and leaves. Is that really how those machines work or am I misinterpreting? If that is an accurate picture how come you don’t get idiots taking them all? [/QUOTE] Well, as you can see, that’s really how they work. Amazing, isn’t it. The USA is always getting bad press about _something_, and yet we’ve got these things and the honor system for coffee (in many places), etc. Once upon a time, we had newsies/newspaper “boys” (they were often grown men) who sold newspapers from a kiosk/shack/stand. You don’t see those any more; probably not economical. I’m talking about the boys and men who you see in old movies shouting “Extra! Extra!” But of course, newspapers don’t publish extras or bulldogs anymore, either. I haven’t bought a newspaper in months. I get all my news from the Web, including the comics. It’s cheaper and doesn’t waste paper. If I am really hungry for a newspaper, I just walk into a coffee shop and pick up someone else’s discard. I do notice that the comics section tends to disappear first. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/50 "2006-09-28T00:18:22Z")
They call them “honor boxes” out this way. And, yeah, we have Philadelphia Weekly and the local version of City Paper with free honor boxes. The only risk, especially for the free papers, is that homeless guys will help themselves to a bunch of papers to use as bedding. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/51 "2006-09-28T05:55:38Z")
As someone who works at a small daily newspaper, I can tell you that the honor boxes are exactly what we use, and have no more than minor problems with theft. What really grinds us is when someone tries to steal the whole box in order to break into the coin vault. That’s still fairly rare, but it usually means buying a new (expensive) box. They’re custom-painted at the factory, and not cheap, plus we lose whatever coins are in the box at the time of the theft. That’s why you’ll see the box chained to something a lot bigger and immovable. In the interests of full disclosure, I work in the editorial department, not in circulation. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/52 "2006-09-28T06:53:05Z")
I’m old, male, big, ugly and mean. When I see a ‘honor box steal’, I start talking loud or yelling about the theft and pointing and waving my arms and just waiting to see if they want to ‘make my day’. In a big city, I’ll even follow then a ways down the sidewalk. I don’t care about the ‘built-in costs’ or how many do it, it is stealing and it is a thing I can work against. My kids never had to ask about what they should do when they see someone stealing. YMMV and obviously does… ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/53 "2006-09-28T19:00:10Z")
**633squadron** says _I haven’t bought a newspaper in months. I get all my news from the Web, including the comics. It’s cheaper and doesn’t waste paper. If I am really hungry for a newspaper, I just walk into a coffee shop and pick up someone else’s discard. I do notice that the comics section tends to disappear first._ I have to agree. I get all my news from [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) and comics from [Comics.com](http://Comics.com). Plus I get (almost) instant updates on my computer from CNN. And seemingly less ads. The only paper I would consider buying is the _Daily Reader_ to support this board. But I don’t live in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/54 "2006-09-28T19:11:40Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] When my Uncle visited from England, he was really amazed to see those here in the States. He also was amazed that we have several coffee shops where you pay and make your own change for coffee with no one really watching. [/QUOTE] I’d presume this was either some time ago, or he never travels by train. WH Smith, a ubiquitous presence at railway stations, sells newspapers entirely by the honour system, with what looks like an oversize charity collection box to put the cash in. If they were being ripped off, I’d presume they’d have stopped doing it! ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264/55 "2006-09-28T23:21:46Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] The only paper I would consider buying is the _Daily Reader_ to support this board. But I don’t live in Chicago. [/QUOTE] Good reminder. (The Reader comes out on Thursday.) I’ll have to buy one on the way home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-open-the-box-newspaper-vending-machines-really-common-in-the-us/374264.md?page=2)