Abstract: A ball can vending machine comprises a cylindrical storage drum including a housing section sized to hold a plurality of ball cans with the longitudinal axes of the cans disposed parallel to the cylindrical axis of the housing section. The housing section includes a forward-facing discharge opening and a rear can-guiding surface, and the storage drum is supported with its disposed horizontally. A retaining plate mounted within the housing section and disposed above the discharge opening slopes downwardly toward the rear can-guiding surface. The vending machine also includes a currency validator that produces an output signal upon receiving a preselected amount of currency. A can dispenser is disposed adjacent the discharge opening such that cans within the housing section are urged by gravity toward the can dispenser along the rear-can-guiding surface.