How to Make Money with Plush Claw Crane Machines

How to Make Money with Plush Claw Crane Machines

Crane vending machines for plush toys are among the most popular of all arcade claw machines.

Some call them skill cranes while others call them claw machines. I've even seen them called teddy grabbers or robot claws.

Is Owning a Claw Machine Profitable?

You bet it is! Just how much a plush claw crane machine can make depends on location, location, location.

The more traffic and visibility the machine gets, the more money it can make. Here are some examples.

The Claw Machine King says his thirty machines earn six figures a year. He placed them in just seven locations and only works 1-2 days a week.

GalaxyGames843 videoed their earnings from two machines in May 2024:

  • New location in an ice cream candy shop - just two weeks: $379
  • Full month at a hot dog shop: $256.50

You can watch them restock and collect and count the money in this video:
Start with one and use the profits it generates to expand your business. Before long, you could be a claw machine king in your area.

How Much Do Claw Machines Actually Make?

There are many variables that determine the exact profit a crane machine can make. They include:

  • How many plush toy prizes you buy at once
  • Number of potential players
  • How you set your payout probabilities*
  • Adding the ability to accept credit cards

*IMPORTANT: Making sure your machines pay out decently will increase your income because it will keep people wanting to play it! So balance profitability and generosity. 

In the video below, quikplay shares both the amount of money their crane machines collected as well as their profits on each machine.

Where Can I Purchase a Claw Machine?

It is a good idea to buy a crane machine from a business fairly close to you or operating in your area. That keeps the cost of shipping or transport down.

Consider mini claw machines for kids. These compact claw vending machines weigh less and make finding locations more flexible.

Many businesses especially restaurants have limited space. So a good way to overcome that objection is to offer smaller claw machines.

Be sure to calculate the total cost as a great deal might end up costing more if shipping or delivery is much higher due to distance.

If you're in Oregon or Washington state, you can buy a crane claw machine through us.

How to Get a Free Claw Machine for Your Business

If you have a business, the cheapest way to get a crane machine is on revenue sharing. It is also the headache-free method because the machine owner handles everything for you!

They provide the machine, the plush prizes, maintain the machine including repairs, handle the money and send you a check once a month for your share.

If you're in Oregon or Washington state, read the above link or contact us for details. Ask about custom claw machine designs.

Coin-Operated vs Credit Card Readers on Claw Machines

Coin-operated plush toy machines are the norm. For maximum plays, it is best for your crane machines to accept quarters, folding money, and credit cards.

If you plan to place a claw machine where there is little human oversight or there may be a higher likelihood of theft, you could limit it to accepting cards.

Factor in Cost of Goods When Negotiating Revenue Splits

Brendio offered this advice in a forum discussion about what a fair revenue split is between a crane machine owner and a location.

"You are right that you need to take into account your cost of goods when factoring in revenue split. So, it depends on your win rate on the claw. 

I pay 20 % and explain to the venue that it is better to be more generous with prizes, so people play it more when they see people winning, rather than offering a bigger split and then being stingy on the win rate.

Aim for 30 % cost of prizes. Where I am there is a franchise that offers venues more revenue share, but has the win rates lower.

So, you need to explain that winning customers are happy and repeat customers (and will attract others to play who may not have otherwise)."

Full transparency on how you make the decision is the best way to go.

Adjusting Claw Machine Profitability Factors

Cost Control: Purchase prizes in bulk to lower costs. For example, plush toys can be acquired for as little as $3 each, while they may retail for $10-$15.

Payout Probability: Adjust the claw's winning rate (typically between 15%-35%) to balance player satisfaction and profitability. A lower payout rate can increase revenue but may deter players if set too low.

Location: Positioning machines in high-traffic areas (like malls or entertainment centers) can significantly boost earnings, with potential weekly revenues ranging from $200 to over $1,000 depending on foot traffic.

By strategically selecting high-value prizes and managing operational costs effectively, claw machine operators can enhance their profitability while providing an engaging experience for players.

How to Make THOUSANDS From Claw Machines!

Follow the tips in this video from Quik Play to maximize how much your crane machines make.

They have 40+ claw machines, 609K subscribers, and 372 videos.

How to Adjust Payout Settings

Redittor omkrims shared some excellent advice on how to choose settings for your payout probabilities:

"There are a few different things that go into deciding the probabilities (as far as the machines I use). The first is “Game Mode”.

This can be set to a few different modes, most notably Probability Fixed & Probability Random.

Probability Fixed (what I prefer) basically increases the claws strength based on the last time a win was recorded.

Probability Random has a random chance no matter the last time a win was achieved.

For example, if you set a claw to Probability Fixed at 8, the claw will get stronger and stronger until a win occurs, or until the 8th play.

You pick the number of games you’d like. This does not guarantee it takes 8 plays to win, but it does average out over time.

The other big variable is voltage. This refers to the weakest and strongest range the claws power will get.

These have to be tuned based on the shape, size, and weight of the prizes. This is the trickiest to get right.

Most machines have an Auto Voltage setting that holds a prize and slowly gets weaker until it drops to guess what the range needed is, but to call it inaccurate is doing it justice.

Generally, I personally test each prize with 50-ish plays to assure it takes a minimum of 4 wins, and a maximum of 8 wins.

Minimum is to just assure it is not costing me money. Maximum is to not rob people of chances to win and so they don’t feel cheated.

I openly tell all customers my odds if they ask.

My favorite aspect of the arcade is probably lame for others, but I love when I feel like someone got the perfect experience.

Generally, this involves having an early win to “break the ice”, and still having a few challenges during their experience that makes them feel like they really earned their prizes.

I’ve been blessed with some awesome reviews so far, so positive feedback is awesome too!"

If that sounds too overwhelming, remember that you could let us handle that for you. Machine owners will want to get this right, and it does get easier with experience.

Wholesale Plush Toys for Claw Machines

Crane machine owners maximize profits by buying plush toy prizes wholesale. The more you buy, the less they cost.

One of the benefits of using our revenue sharing program is that we buy them in bulk. So we minimize the cost of prizes to increase your share of the profits!

If you buy a claw crane machine from us, you'll want to test various plush prizes to see which do best at your location.

First, determine what size you need for your machine:

  • Small (4"-7")
  • Medium (7"-12")
  • Jumbo (12"-18")

Next, do you want generic or branded plushies? Some suppliers sell packages with a mix of a certain percentage of branded from 10%, 25%, 50% or 100%.

Remember to adjust your payout settings based on the cost of the prizes you've loaded in your machine.

What Are the Stuffed Animal Machines Called?

Most crane machine owners refer to the stuffed animal machines as plush claw machines or plushie crane machines.

Because the most common stuffed animal used to be a teddy bear, some call them teddy pickers or teddy grabbers.

But this type of crane claw machine isn't limited to teddy bears. There are countless plush stuffed animals you can purchase to stock your crane machines.

When you restock you can rotate what type you use to maximize profits. So don't be boring! Be creative with which plush prizes you buy to attract more plays.

Best Plush Prizes for Claw Machines

The best plush prizes for claw machines are those that are appealing, safe, and versatile. Here are some great options:
  • Mini Plush Keychains: Compact and easy to grab, with various designs and no duplicates within a set.
  • Licensed Plush Toys: Popular characters like Pokémon, Hello Kitty, or Minions attract more players.
  • Kawaii Plushies: These popular plushies have oversized heads with small noses and large round eyes. Look for adorable designs like bunnies, bears, and stars in vibrant colors.
  • Seasonal Plush Mixes: Themed toys for holidays like Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween or Christmas add variety and excitement.

Your supplier's website probably has collections for you to choose from so you don't have to figure out every detail yourself.

Claw Machine Prize Ideas

Besides plush toys, claw machines often contain candy, bouncy balls, seasonal prizes, and many licensed franchise toys. (See more details below.)

There are also surprise capsule kits and electronics. Money and gift cards are very popular. Some crane machines only contain those.

But having one cash or gift card along with other prizes in a machine is probably more commonly done.

Another option is to have one high dollar electronic item in among all the other prizes.

Seasonal Plush Toy Refills

Think about the seasons and holidays. Then stock your machines with appropriate prizes to maximize your income.

But don't overdo it unless you can afford to store excess prizes until the next year! Or you could leave them as the bottom layer rather than run out between refills.

Also, if you use branded plushies, especially if you have any machines in movie theaters, watch for movie launches. Licensed plush prizes are popular any time.

Popular Movie Franchise Plush Toys for Crane Machines

The most popular movie franchise plush toys for crane machines include a variety of beloved characters from well-known films.

Want confirmation that claw machines are wildly popular? There are entire YouTube channels dedicated to playing them and what people have won.

For example, this is from the clawmachinehead YouTube channel. They only do videos about claw machines - 254 of them!

They have 23.3K subscribers with 17,428,939 views! The list of popular movie franchise crane prizes below is small compared to this collection he shared:

Here are some of the top franchises and their associated plush toys commonly found in claw machines:

Toy Story: Characters like Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the Aliens are frequently featured due to their popularity among both children and adults.

Despicable Me: Minions are a favorite, often seen in various sizes and styles, appealing to fans of all ages.

Disney Classics: Plush toys from classic Disney movies, including characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and characters from The Little Mermaid, are popular choices.

SpongeBob SquarePants: This franchise offers a range of plush toys including SpongeBob himself, Patrick, and other characters from the show.

Pokémon: Iconic characters such as Pikachu are highly sought after and often difficult to win due to their popularity.

Harry Potter: Plush toys featuring characters like Harry, Hermione, and Ron are also commonly available in claw machines.

Ice Age: Characters like Sid, Manny, and Diego from the Ice Age series are popular among fans of animated films.

The Simpsons: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie or the entire family are common plush prizes featuring The Simpsons.

These plush toys not only attract players due to their familiarity but also enhance the overall appeal of crane machines by offering licensed merchandise beloved by fans of these franchises.

High Profit Claw Machine Prizes

These are generally considered crane claw high-profit machine prizes: 

High-Profit Prize Categories:

  • Plush Toys: Classic and popular, plush toys remain a favorite. Opt for branded or licensed characters (e.g., Disney, Pokémon) to increase their desirability. Bulk purchasing can significantly reduce costs, allowing for higher profit margins.
  • Collectible Figurines: Items from popular franchises, especially limited editions, can appeal to collectors. These figurines often have a higher perceived value, encouraging players to try multiple times to win them.
  • Cash and Gift Cards: Machines that offer cash or gift cards as prizes can create a strong incentive for players. The allure of winning money can lead to increased play frequency.
  • Electronics and Gadgets: Smaller electronics like headphones or smart devices can attract tech-savvy players. These items typically have a higher retail value compared to their cost when bought in bulk.

  • Seasonal and Themed Prizes: Rotating prizes based on holidays or current trends (e.g., Halloween-themed items or summer toys) can keep the machine fresh and appealing to repeat customers.

Interactive Arcade Games with Plush Prizes

All of our arcades feature plush crane claw machines because they're so popular and profitable. You can see ours in action at:

Ready to Make Money with Crane Machines?

Whether you want to start your own business similar to Got Arcades or you have a business location you feel could be popular with plush claw machine players, we'd love to hear from you.