Just thought you should know that stalking this thread late last night gave me this dream that I found a claw machine full of Ponies- and mostly G1s. And I kept winning.

Good luck getting your penguin! I know how it feels to want those little guys in those machines. They just look so desperate.

Wardah wrote:

Is there any way to get crane game plushies without having to play a crane game?

Ebay or Amazon. I got an entire 5 piece UFO (crane) game set of Di Gi Charat (an anime) plushies from Amazon. So, not only were they from a crane game, but also from Japan.

Thats the sucky thing about those games, they aren't made for you to win, theyre made so you just keep putting change into them lol. I have won a few plushies from time to time, I do generally just do it for the win however, not for whatever I am attemtping to pull out of it, that generally goes to either the nearest child, or put away for a friends kid (I know the sorts of toys most of them would like, so if I do see something I know one is into, I will give it a go)

I won a huge spongebob from one for my brother, that was probably one of my best scores, and when I was dating one of my ex's, I managed to do a "2 for 1" pull, there was a unicorn that I wanted, and a little clown fish that he wanted, and the claw was too small to fit around the fish, somehow, I managed to lodge the both of them into the claw and pulled them both out. He was more cut about the fact HE didn't get the clownfish hahaha - even though he had it in his hands. That was a total fluke however <.<

i went back today (didn't have any money to play, but i had to look) and someone had won a stuffed animal that was next to the penguin, but the penguin is still there. hmm... think if i camp out there by the crane game, and wait for the person who fills the machine to come by, he'll let me have it if i pay him? XD

i found a picture of him!!!

www.gumballs.com/small...h-mix.html

he's the green one in the bottom right hand corner

Oh gosh just don't be like Squidward from Spongebob and convert your whole paycheck into coins so you can try to win this penguin. XP I have no luck with crane games either. I won an adorable blue and white raccoon/red panda plush with no tail from one when I was 14. That was the only thing I've ever won out of one of those darn crane machines.

somebody won him!!

i took this up to the next level, i emailed the company asking them if they could sell me a single green penguin XD

FINGERS CROSSED!!!

Maybe you could find one on ebay?

The only ones I ever won were those "guaranteed win" types - so small silly plushies, but some were what I wanted.

One year we dumped a ridiculous amount into a crane game filled with a certain care bear (don't remember name right now, has a paint palate). One time got SO CLOSE! We had the bear, lifting and carrying fine.... moving over the drop chute.... it's foot knocked against the side of the chute and bumped it back out of the claw! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally we just bought it on ebay (this it may be a tad smaller, but same bear essentially).

i love them and this year at the bowling alley i won a pink Christmas mouse/rat ? that has no tail but it has green ears and a cute hat and scarf. I love the real skill cranes. alot of them now are pre programed to let someone win only once per so many programed games.

Kiwi wrote:

Maybe you could find one on ebay? The only ones I ever won were those "guaranteed win" types - so small silly plushies, but some were what I wanted. One year we dumped a ridiculous amount into a crane game filled with a certain care bear (don't remember name right now, has a paint palate). One time got SO CLOSE! We had the bear, lifting and carrying fine.... moving over the drop chute.... it's foot knocked against the side of the chute and bumped it back out of the claw! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally we just bought it on ebay (this it may be a tad smaller, but same bear essentially).

lol i looked on ebay under green penguin, chrismas penguin, winter penguin, santa penguin, and penguin plush, and i haven't found a signle one like it.

oooo i would of been so sad if that happened!! at a mall once they had a machine filled with small care bears and i won a luck bear once on my first try, i was so excited!!!

Years ago Crane Games because very popular in town, and there was 4 different ones. Mom and I *mastered* them, and I quickly had hundreds of plushies from them. They were a dollar a play, and I could almost guarantee a win in $5 or under, but usually withing 2-3. I don't remember the exact number, we had well over 300-400 toys, at least. I eventually bagged them all up (filled 7 garbage bags) and donated them to the RCMP Christmas Daddies one year. As such, I've learned a lot of tips and tricks. When I'm in the city near one, I always gotta play, and I tend to just give the toys away to any little kid nearby. For me, it's not the toy, it's the challenge!

It's all a matter of getting to know your crane game, how it works, how the claw grips, how it moves.... They are rigged so the claw is weak, but given enough time of watching and playing, you can learn roughly when it plans to grab, how far down it moves, how much it swings or turns, or how to use the claw to your advantage.

But the claw is only a part of it. What people tend to ignore are the toys themselves, which is a big mistake! Here's some examples on how the TOY can help you win:

Look at the toy, does it appear heavy (like bean filled)? If so, the odds of the claw being strong enough to lift it is slim.

Is there places you could snag it? Toys with hoops, clothing, strings, odd shapes, are all ones to go after, as even if the claw is weak, you can hook a loop or string and pull it into the hole. More often then not, I'll focus on snagging & dragging, then actually lifting a toy. The claws upward pull may not be strong, but the mechanism that steers it is plenty powerful. Don't be afraid to use the claw as a pusher in a machine that's stacked tall! Once, I played a machine that was overfull, and got SEVEN toys in 1 play because I was able to maneuver the claw and actually drag toys to the hole.

How big is the toy? Smaller is better- in most cases. You want is small enough the claws can FIT around the toy, but not so small it will fall OUT of the claws once it closes. Be very mindful of the toys size and shape!

Do NOT waste your time on boxes, cards, or anything with a smooth surface. They'll slip clean out of the claw. spherical things like balls are ok, as they fit nicely in the claw, but again, be wary of size.

And most important of all, look at ALL the toys in the crane game and watch for PACKING. If the dolls are all neatly lined up in pretty little rows, then you KNOW they've been packed, where they're stuffed in very tightly and hard to get out. If the top of the pile looks very flush and straight, another example of being packed. You want to avoid cranes like this, and you'll probably have no chance. The best ones are the machines that look well used, with lots of holes and gaps in the pile. Also, if you happen to see a worker refill & fluff the toys, that's usually a good time to play. I've asked before when's the last time the toys have been fluffed, to know how long they've sat and settled.

Tilas that is awesome advice.

I love crane games. I, too, love the challenge.

I mostly avoid them because 90% of the toys are cheaply made and not worth 5 bucks anyways. But every once in a while...I see a stuffed bulldog with some kind of adorable outfit or hat on and I must play!!

Some games are set at a higher grip, some at a lower grip. Watch other people play and decide if its a good setting. I really think the owners who set their claws up to a higher setting so people can actually win sometimes get more profit since people want to play that one more. I just prefer to go to the party store if I want some stuffie from oriental trading co. but I'll play a machine that has a high claw setting and win.