Wait, where are the egg-salad sandwiches?
This is not your father’s Automat. There are 100 cool, non-edible items, from $85 Sigerson Morrison flip-flops to rubber-band bowls ($50) to a $500 Thorn gold necklace. (Cash only!) It’ll be at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center (May 20 is general-admission day). Perfect if you crave instant gratification after seeing all the stuff you can’t take home.

Obviously inspired by the Whitney’s Vend Art machine.
Uh, no. Lindsey Adelman and David Weeks of design-firm Butter have spent years bored at trade shows. They’re over the fluorescent lights and superficial chatter. This way they can attend without showing up.

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham”
• Articles by Rima Suqi
• Table of Contents: May 12, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!