FOUR QUARTERS, ONE TINY MASTERPIECE

With two of New Jersey’s five Inciardi mini-print vending machines,

Maplewood has become an unlikely capital of pocket-sized art

By Adrianna Donat

This couple was visiting from Princeton and stopped at Words Bookstore specifically to buy some art from the Inciardi vending machine.

There is something wonderfully suspenseful about putting a dollar into a vending machine when you have absolutely no idea what will come out.

It might be a tomato. A sardine tin. A bagel. A tiny tribute to a beloved book or local landmark. Whatever appears, it will be small enough to fit in your wallet – and charming enough that you probably won’t want to leave with only one.

Inciardi mini prints have arrived in Maplewood, bringing affordable art, old-fashioned vending-machine fun and a serious temptation to start collecting. Even more remarkably, Maplewood is home to two of just five Inciardi vending machines in New Jersey.

Yes, two.

That means our little town possesses 40 percent of the state’s Inciardi machine population. At this rate, “Mini-print Capital of New Jersey” may need to be added to Maplewood’s welcome signs.

The Maplewood machines can be found at Words Bookstore and Shopkeeper. The other three are at The Newark Museum, The Bookstore in Princeton and Good Deeds in Cape May.

In other words, you could plan an entire New Jersey Inciardi road trip. The transportation might cost considerably more than the artwork.

The Inciardi vending machine is next to the check-out counter at Words Bookstore.

Created by artist and printmaker Anastasia Inciardi, the miniature works measure roughly two by three inches, with designs inspired by food, places, everyday objects, pop culture and the small things that make people happy.

The experience is simple: Insert a dollar – often four quarters, although some locations use tokens – turn the knob and receive a surprise print.

You put in a dollar. Art comes out. Delight ensues.

The idea began during the great quarter shortage of 2020. Inciardi originally imagined installing a machine in her Portland, Maine, apartment building to collect quarters for laundry, inspired by temporary-tattoo vending machines she remembered from New York City sidewalks.

This couple spent $4 to get four prints and were pleased that none were duplicates.

The laundry strategy became something much bigger. Inciardi launched her first mini print vending machine in 2022. Today, more than 200 can be found around the country.

It may be the most successful laundromat-adjacent art movement in recent history.

The prints may be playful, but the artistic process is real. Slight variations in alignment give the prints texture and individuality. They’re produced using soy-based inks and solar power.

Of course, the surprise is a large part of the fun.

Every pull is random. You may get the design you hoped for, discover a new favorite or receive a duplicate that becomes excellent trading material.

And yes, people absolutely collect and trade these.

There are more than 700 known designs, catalogued by collectors into rarity levels. Some are “common,” others “limited,” and especially rare prints are called “unicorns.” Retired designs are “out of circulation.”

Once terms like “unicorn” enter the conversation, what began as an innocent $1 purchase can quickly turn into a mission.

Collectors can use the independent mini print Vault to browse designs, track collections and investigate rarity. It’s a convenient way to discover that the print you almost gave your niece may, in fact, be a unicorn.

That two of New Jersey’s five machines are in Maplewood feels surprising, but also exactly right.

At Words, the machine arrived thanks to a couple of collectors very close to store manager Lisa Matalon: her daughters.

“My daughters have been following Ana for years and collecting her prints,” Matalon says. “They suggested I get a machine, and I thought it would be a great addition to our store.”

Her customers apparently agree.

“Customers are surprised to see a vending machine and are excited to get a print,” Matalon says. “Kids love putting the tokens in the slots. We also have people who make special trips to our store to get a certain print that they need for their collection.”

Even one initially skeptical staff member has been won over.

“A senior staff member wasn’t sure why I wanted to have the machine,” Matalon says, “but he recently told me that he loves seeing the pure joy on customers’ faces.”

So the next time you visit Words or Shopkeeper, bring four quarters. Turn the knob, embrace the mystery and see which miniature masterpiece Maplewood has waiting for you.

Just remember: one pull is art appreciation.

Five pulls may be the beginning of a lifestyle.

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Adrianna Ahern Donat writes for Matters Magazine and is a Realtor with Pollock Properties Group, where unfortunately no homes have yet been found in vending machines.