Blind Box & Arcade Claw Machine Collector Glossary
Decode every term used by vinyl toy collectors and Japanese UFO Catcher players, from Case Ratios and Secret Chasers to Solenoid Voltage and 180ms Double-Drop Timing.
Secret Chaser (Hidden Variant)
An ultra-rare unlisted or silhouetted figure packed at 1/72 or 1/144 odds. Each secret figure in a sealed display case replaces one of the standard regular figures.
Case Ratio / Master Carton
A factory shipping carton containing 6 or 12 sealed display cases (typically 72 or 144 individual boxes). Exactly 1 Secret Chaser is seeded per master carton.
Whole Set / End Box (η«―η)
Purchasing an entire factory-sealed display box (6 or 12 units) to guarantee zero duplicate regular figures.
180ms Double-Drop Timing
Tapping the drop button a second time within 180 milliseconds of the prongs contacting a prize, locking the solenoid plunger at 1.35x force before cable rebound.
Solenoid Dual-Stage Voltage (VR1 / VR2)
The electromagnetic coil system inside an arcade claw head. VR1 controls initial pickup voltage (36Vβ48V), while VR2 controls carry voltage (12Vβ22V) during ascent.
Peak Near-Miss Slip (29% Threshold)
When a claw lifts a prize to the top of the cable and drops it right as the gantry begins horizontal travel. Calibrated around 28%β30% per Kassinove & Schare (2001).
Kururinpa / Edge Roll-In
A 2-prong Japanese UFO Catcher technique where one silicone blade hooks the off-center edge of a box to flip it over the chute bar.
Hippers (Decorative Mini Figures)
Adhesive-belly figures designed to cling onto smartphone edges, laptop screens, and picture frames.
Phosphorescent 520nm Glow
Non-toxic light-absorbing PVC compound used in Smiski figures that absorbs UV/daylight and emits green or blue luminescence in darkness.
Acoustic Foil Dampening
Listening to the pitch (180Hz muffled thud vs 520Hz crisp click) when shaking a sealed blind box to infer internal blister clearance and accessory count.