money on technabob...

I read a news story the other day that whenever the economy is in the crapper, sales of safes shoot through the roof. I guess its better than putting your money under the mattress, right? Here’s a crazy safe that should keep all but the most devious of thieves away from your stash.

Artist Alex Schlegel is the creator of this complicated puzzle-inspired safe…

Looking for a place to keep all that loose change you’ve been saving up since you gave up on tipping the baristas at the Starbucks? Keep ‘em all in this whimsical piggy bank that chows down on your coinage before it heads deep into its porty, porky belly…

Now I’m sympathetic to those who have fallen on hard times, many of us still find people who beg for money to be irritating. So why someone would go through the trouble of building a robot that begs for spare change is anyone’s guess.

Alexander Gurko’s “Bettelbot” (that’s “BeggingBot” in English) has just one mission in mind - to get your money…

Looking for a place to keep all those gold coins you collected from punching at question blocks? Why not keep them in this crafty NES controller coin purse?

These zippered pouches are made from soft and fuzzy appliquéd felt. Measuring in at 2-1/4″ x 4-1/4″, they’re perfect for carrying coins, business cards, makeup or even better yet, a bunch of your Nintendo DS cartridges…

Usually when I think of Mario’s primary currency, I think of those little gold coins (and maybe some power-packed ’shrooms). So I was pleasantly surprised to see this arcade machine from Japan in which Mario pays out with real coins…

Put your cash in this bomb-shaped piggy bank and if you’re not a good saver, you’ll be punished. The electronic piggy bank waits for you to add coins too it every day. If you’re not consistent, it’ll explode, sending coins all over your desktop…

I think these goofy guys look more like space aliens than monsters, but you get the point. Put your money in the mouth of these Money Monsters and they’ll gulp it down without so much as a “thank you”.

While they might not be polite, that doesn’t mean the Money Monsters aren’t vocal…

If you have a mini-fridge in your cubicle, you might have run into the occasional thief making off with your precious pop. This new fridge seeks to change that by requiring payment before doling out your canned beverage of choice.

The Koolatron Coin-Op Mini Fridge lets you chill up to ten cans of your favorite 12-oz. canned drinks (up to five cans each of two flavors)…