Who knew???!!!


A Frustrating History of the Claw Machine | MEL Magazine

In 64 years I've never gotten anything out of one.

Just for accuracy sake, in the recreational industry those are known as "Skill Cranes", not claw machines.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

What next, casinos rig slot machines?

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

There was a claw machine in the BX at Bergstrom AFB with little rubber bands wrapped around the end of each claw. You could pick up a brick with that thing. I don’t know how the vendor made any money with it, but it made me a hero to my kid.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Heck! That's nothing! In 64 years I've never even tried one!

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I'll turn 65 in a few days and me neither have never tried one.Never found out where to put the quarter in!

I did manage to get a stuffed animal out of one - once!

Here's the fix: Take a framing hammer-beat all of the glass out of the machine-remove all junk and donate. Watch to see if machine is replaced and repeat as necessary.

58 and I sure dont member doing that either . Note a few younger years a bit fuzzy lol

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Spin The Wheel

I miss the ones with the steam shovels in them. Spend many fruitless hours with those when they came to town with the carnival.

Re the "claw" machines I won a stuffed animal that was so ugly I never played again.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Rigged, unless you got a man on the inside...

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Isaiah 41:10

In 63 years I've never TRIED to get anything out of one!


EDIT: Well, I see I'm not the first to state that!

At one time I owned a food concession trailer, worked it part time for
5 years and full time for a year. I got to know a small carnival owner
and his carnival and I would set up close by. This guy had a game
called a penny fall, although it used quarters. People would line up
to play this game, six per side of the trailer. This was in the days
before there was an Indian casino on every corner and most of the
local law enforcement knew they were gambling games, for some
reason, $, they were allowed. The carnival owned several of these
games and on occasion more than one was set up at an event.
So I ask and he said he would rent me one for $1,000.00 per week-
end. He said to be sure I had $3,000.00 in quarters to salt it with
and that I couldn't just walk into a bank and ask for that many
quarters without prearranging for them. Ahh those were the days.
Also knew an older guy who hauled used slot machines from Nevada
to Hot Springs, Arkansas well into the late 60's. He worked for a
guy named Owney Madden until 1965, look him up sometime.

"I have been chosen, farewell my friends. I go to a better place"

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Still Running Against the Wind

They go by several names.


What about the ones used to get a "Free" (Maine)Lobster?? They have Claws

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Still Running Against the Wind

I used to take at least three garbage bags full of toys to the local USMC recruiters "Toys for Tots" collection around Christmas, all of which came from these games. You could tell before you dropped a coin in them if there was a chance of winning by the way the toys were stuffed in and by the size of the claw compared to the toys, most of them weren't rigged then, but you did need skill. I haven't seen one in years though that wasn't rigged and all the skill in the world won't help. These are illegal in most places but nobody bothers to check them.

I got you beat. I haven't tried to get anything out of one in 67 years.

in any form of gambling..........YOU LOSE........Remember that next time........You will lose.

You'll get more out that $$ by buying something to eat with it.

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S&W Accumulator

When my oldest son was about 6-7 years old we walked by a claw machine going into Walmart. Of course he wanted to play. the entire time in the store he was begging me for quarters to play. As we were leaving, I gave in and told him I would give him $20 if he won a toy and if he lost, he had to repay me out of his allowance. Of course he won. And there I stood getting roasted by a kid about how easy it was. Decided to teach him a lesson and told him if he could do it again I would give him another $20 but if he lost, he would give me my $20 back. You know where this is going. I walked out of Walmart with a smack talking kid who just won $40 off his dad and had maybe $1 worth of stuffed animals on top. Over 15 years later, I still catch grief from him on doubting his "skill"

The wife and I went on a cruise about two years ago and the claw machine had stacks of cash to win.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan