Forget potato chips and cans of pop, Good Things Vending machines are capturing Chicago’s curiosity with their untraditional offerings.

The vending machines, which feature creations by local artists, have seen a spike in interest since a social media video went viral over the holidays.

Through her company, Good Things Vending, Krim has placed five vending machines throughout the city to distribute goodies from more than a hundred local creators. Three of the machines were installed this summer, she said. 

The vending machines are located at the Chicago Cultural Center Downtown, 78 E. Washington St.; Roscoe Village’s Metropolitan Brewing, 3057 N. Rockwell Ave.; Logan Square’s Way Out, 3213 W. Armitage Ave.; Kaiser Tiger in West Loop, 1415 W. Randolph St.; and Kimball Arts Center in Wicker Park, 1757 N. Kimball Ave. 

The machines can be stocked with anything that’s smaller than a bag of chips and costs less than $20 dollars, Krim said. From decks of cards to mini prints to tiny coloring books, the machines contain countless treasures designed to ignite the kind of “joy and playfulness” that leads to connection. 

Anyone is welcome to share their work within the vending machines, Krim said. She enjoys helping artists who’ve never distributed their work before and often collaborates with them on packaging, pricing and other details that can be “intimidating” to navigate, she said. 

Business owners who are interested in getting a vending machine and artists who want to contribute their creations can contact Krim through this form on her website.