Se Vende Poesía crowdsources poems from around the world and sells them in a mechanical vending machine in Mexico City. Submissions are collected through a basic website and poems sell for 5 pesos (25¢). You can find the machine on Calle Venecia, in Colonia Juarez.

My partner Javier Castaños and I started Se Vende Poesía as a passion project in 2017, the same year we launched Colab Cold Brew. I took the lead on branding and illustration, inspired by the traditional “se vende” (“for sale”) signs you see around the city. I also set up the (very basic) website and did what little copywriting is on there. Despite zero marketing or ad spend, and very minimal efforts on social media, we have received hundreds of poems from people scattered across North America, Central America, South America, and Europe.

We maintained the project ourselves for three years before moving to the US. Today, friends keep the project going – reviewing submissions, printing poems, and restocking the machine.