I am not sure if this will help, but I managed to record on video all the Tinker Toss levels from 15 to 30. Hopefully it could be used as a learning tool.
There's only one problem... My computer lags
really badly while I am recording -- the built-in fan buzzes like crazy and the lost things begin moving at random speeds. I had to try clicking several times to get Leaf to hold them.
So, just remember that I do not normally miss that many items, and the very last score shown was only for Royal levels, as the game disconnected at one point.
Here's the link:
My Photobucket Album. I forgot that PB only allows 10 minutes maximum, so the video is split into two parts. First one is called "Tinker Toss 15-26".
You can mute the music if you wish, I was just bored and felt like tinkering around with the video game music tracks.
Also, here's a list of what items automatically fall off the conveyor belts into the correct baskets, starting from Level 15 (the other levels should be pretty straightforward):
Lvl 15-24: Buttons and Gems fall into their baskets from both directions.
Lvl 25: Gems from both sides, Buttons from the right, and (correct me if I'm wrong) Cogs from the left.
Lvl 26: Cogs and Nails.
Lvl 27: Buttons and Gems from both sides, but NOT at the same time! (otherwise they will hit each other and skew sideways)
Lvl 28: Only Cogs.
Lvl 29: Cogs from the left, Coins and Thimbles from the right.
Lvl 30: Cogs and Nails from the left, Buttons and Gems from the right.
A couple of extra tips to help you out:
- Don't panic if your items begin falling off the conveyor belts, you will still have plenty of time to catch them!
- There is normally a "rhythm" for every level, as the lost things appear one after the other at a constant rate. Once you practice enough times, you will know how much time you have for each item.
You can earn 80,000 points by completing the first 28 levels
(or was it 27?) perfectly.
Good luck!
If you need any other help I will try my best to help you out, but to tell you the truth, most of it will come through practice.