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And now for something completely different…
While waiting for my wife to finish an errand today, I found myself staring at a claw machine. You know the ones: brightly-lit cabinets filled with stuffed animals and a dangling claw to grab them. Though I’ve never used one, I began to wonder how you’d go about beating it.
The internet has an answer for everything.
Here’s an actual guide to winning something from a claw machine. Apparently there are two types of claws:
[A four-pronged] claw usually handles large stuffed animals. It is great for grabbing around the chest area of a stuffed animal. When you use this type of claw on a stuffed animal, try and maneuver the claw so that the four prongs are positioned above and below both arms and the central port of the claw close to the neck, or high chest area.
On the other hand:
[A three-pronged claw] usually handles small stuffed animals and small collectable basketballs. [...] Have the claw at an angle so that it covers the whole chest area of a stuffed animal; this is the best way to get things out of three pronged machines. To get a small collectible basketball, try and make sure a ball is not being surrounded by any other basketballs. [...] For best results, aim the center of the prongs in the radius center of the basketball. This technique draws a 60 to 70 percent chance of grabbing a basketball…
Did you know that there’s “no such thing as grease on a claw to make a toy slide off”? Now you do. And I love this warning:
CAUTION: Many of the managers who operate a claw machine usually pack the animals tightly such as tucking in a bear’s leg under other toys thus weighing it down so that if a perfect claw drop achieves a good grip point on the bear, it will easily slide off. DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY EASY LOOKING BEARS IN A CORNER ON A MOUNTAIN OF OTHER TOYS.
The author notes that it’s best to pick out your target toy before putting your money in the machine so that you don’t waste time deciding while the clock is running. But best of all, the entire guide wraps up with a sensible personal finance tip:
Do not overspend. Budget your money. It sometimes may be tempting to spend more than you want to play.
See? Sound money habits come in handy everywhere, even with claw machines. Just don’t get too carried away by all the neat toys you could win.
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June 2nd, 2006 at 10:38 am
[...] Get Rich Slowly looks at instructions for winning something from a claw machine. The prizes never look worth the effort and the quarter to me. [...]
June 3rd, 2006 at 6:00 am
How to win a prize at the claw machine…
Many a claw machine has broken my will, but back then I didn’t have this eBay guide to nabbing that bright shiny toy beckoning you from beyond the glass wall. Tip one: make sure you don’t go for the……
June 3rd, 2006 at 10:15 am
One of these was installed in a restaurant near us, and the manager was talking with the guy who installed it. The installer explained that the claw does not grab with the same strength each grab. Something like one out of four or five grabs will the claw actually grip with any strength to pick something up. So, while you can have a perfect grab, it has to be when the claw is set to give you a fair chance.
November 12th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
this is not true!! you need to go for 2 softtoys that are side by side…. go for both of them @ the same time and you have a 95% chance of getting one…..
December 4th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
I am a pro at it when i go to a store or restaraunt i always win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 8th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
In my experience, I sometimes find myself losing when trying to aim to grab all three claws on an item (centering the claw). When I move over to the side however, two claws will lift the item while the third one misses.
It’s usually unlikely that all three claws grab, so it is sometimes bets to aim off center so that two claws will pinch.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
I am always trying to find ways to make some easy money. When I saw the claw machine in a deserted back alley of a Wall-Mart I was determined. I lost some sleep over this thing thinking about how I will master and take all the products in one go with the claw and Re-sell them / wear them. It was Jewelry like watches and such. But I couldn’t do it and lost like all my money to it. I became addicted like crazy trying to grab the shiny gold watch. It was like crack. People were staring at me because I went there everyday. I felt that I was going to go homeless if i didn’t stop obsessing over it. I browsed the internet like crazy and found this guide. It really did clear a few things up for me. I haven,t hit the machine ever since But at least I will do it with some knowledge of the physiology of the machine. Thnkx !
March 5th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
ya i was at a bowling alley and the machine was calling me to play it and i had to. me and my friend played it well i did i won 5 stuffed toys including 2 beanie babies oh an i spent 2 dollars
July 7th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
After working for 8 hours doing volunteer work at the Great American Ball park, I saw the claw machine. I went over and put in a dollar. I got two chances to win something and on my first try I won a cute pink elephant, but I failed miserably on my second try. I wanted a bear, but it had other toys at the bottom of it so I guess that’s why I didn’t get it. In the end, I spent all my tip money
January 29th, 2008 at 8:34 am
[...] walking inside the store I couldn’t help but notice the large group of people standing around the Claw machine. It was like a mother and about 4 or 5 kids. A teenage girl was in position of Claw [...]