If the Polaroid Mint had existed a dozen years ago, the formerly iconic camera company might not have suffered through a pair of bankruptcies -- this is the hybrid Polaroid film and digital camera I really wanted in 2007. But it's here now, and it's pretty awesome. The Mint is like the Polaroid Instamatic of old, an instant camera. It prints whatever you snap in less than a minute, using a Zink (zero ink) cartridge that contains as many as 50 sheets of sticky-back paper. But the Mint is also a 16-megapixel digital camera, so you can save and download the images you shoot as well. It's the best of both worlds. This two-in-one printer and camera usually sells for around $100, but right now you can get the Polaroid Mint for $50 on Amazon. That's the lowest price we've seen.
Far be it from me to tell you how to spend you money, but it seems to me that this would make a nifty little Valentine's Day gift, and there's barely enough time to get it before the holiday if you order it in the next day or so.
The Mint comes in a variety of color options, but the prices vary. The red model, for example, is currently listing for $52, which leads me to guess it's the most popular shade.
I could tell you a lot of other details -- like its size (smaller than a smartphone), the fact that you can take about 40 photos on a single battery charge and that while paper packs come in 20, 30 and 50-sheet varieties. (A 50-pack costs $25.) But all that's sort of missing the point. The Polaroid Mint is one of those fun gadgets that reminds you why you love taking and sharing photos. Just one tip if you do order one: You only get five sheets of photo paper in the first cartridge, so you should order a second Zink cartridge right away.
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