I have never, ever, been able to get a plushie from those insipid machines. How do you do it???
My Ma hates plushies as well, She made me get rid of a lot, so now I only have 4. See ya Beanie Baby collection!
It just takes time, skill, years of video game experience, and a dad who will give you money whenever you need/want it.
I love those claw machines, no matter how frustrating they are!
I remember once when I was on holiday that I got 3 plushies in one grab 
And my grandma got a fairly big Stuart Little toy by its tail! I don’t know how she did it.
Some other places though, they never pick up any. It’s a real ripoff. This is why I love the “Play til You Win” machines- doesn’t waste money and you’re guranteed a prize! 
Yeah, I tried winning a Squirtle (type of Pokemon) out of one at Dollywood last year, but to no avail, then these two teenagers came along, won Pikachu, and then gave him to me saying, “Happy birthday”. Although, it wasn’t my birthday…
I guess they were just trying to say “here ya go, we don’t want it” to be friendly. Weird, but some teenagers are like that. At least they were kind and generous!
And I used to have a Squirtle plushie too (he was my favourite Pokemon character) and also a Pikachu, though he was my sister’s.
Here are the very few plushes I own that I keep on the shelves and are always right behind me while typing here:
Right above my new Toy Story collection is a giant plush Mickey Mouse that I got from Walt Disney World in 1997 (unfortunately he has a small rip in his neck), along with Pluto, Pikachu, and Yakko from Animaniacs. At the bottom are Marvin the Martian and Taz, but you can’t see him cause he’s behind the dresser. The middle shelf is also crooked due to the weight of the books, but still very sturdy.
This Cat in the Hat is pretty much the oldest toy that I still own, so I guess you could say he’s my very own “Woody”.
A closer look at my Looney Tunes ones.
Flik-e You have no idea how jealous I am of your Yakko plushies! And your Marvin the Martian is super awesome as well!
Flik-E, when I first saw that Yakko plushie, I was like, “OMG! It’s Wakko!” ROFL
Wakko’s the one with the red cap though.