View Full Version : I want to buy a Wii
suzumebachi
03-13-2008, 10:01 PM
And I don't want to get raped by Wal-Mart or GameStop or any of the other unscrupulous money grubbing vendors selling those ridiculously overpriced "bundles". Any suggestions?
In before "SOL"
Nekofrog
03-13-2008, 10:04 PM
I regularly bought and scalped Wiis on ebay over the Christmas period, it allowed me to shovel myself out of some college debt.
Anyhow, while doing this, I would occasionally take one Wii and sell it from just barely above retail price to people I know online who wanted them. We're talking like $251 + shipping and shit.
Because I'm such a fucking nice guy.
I guess what I'm saying is, eBay. Or craigslist.
Pay a friend who works at Best Buy to get one for you from the next shipment.
If you don't know anyone who works at Best Buy...you don't have enough friends.
suzumebachi
03-13-2008, 10:08 PM
"unscrupulous money grubbing vendors" includes eBay and craigslist scalpers.
Pay a friend who works at Best Buy to get one for you from the next shipment.
If you don't know anyone who works at Best Buy...you don't have enough friends.
the nearest Best Buy is 50 miles away and no I don't know anyone who works there.
megadave
03-13-2008, 10:23 PM
I have a friend who works at Circuit City. He wanted to get a Wii for his Dad. They got a few in, and it had to be packaged in a cardboard box. Demand is so bad over there that he brought me along as a bodyguard.
It took me around 15 or so tries and four or five months to get a Wii.
Thanks scalpers, thanks walmart, and thanks Nintendo.
The golden award for biggest perpetrators go to the people who list the Wii as "Wii with 5 games!!" when those five games are subgames in Wii sports. Pathetic I say.
Happy hunting Suzemabachi.
Neo Samus
03-13-2008, 10:30 PM
What are the closest stores near you? Or are you looking "online" only?
My sister had to go to Canada to get one.
Bahamut
03-13-2008, 11:10 PM
I regularly bought and scalped Wiis on ebay over the Christmas period, it allowed me to shovel myself out of some college debt. Anyhow, while doing this, I would occasionally take one Wii and sell it from just barely above retail price to people I know online who wanted them. We're talking like $251 + shipping and shit. Because I'm such a fucking nice guy. I guess what I'm saying is, eBay. Or craigslist. I scalped 3 myself - I wish I tried harder to get a few more to put up on ebay, but oh well. Do you live near a Circuit City or Target suzu? Keep track of the Sunday ads, and camp out the night before the Sunday the ad is for (assuming that the ad lists the Wii as in stock for that day) in front of the store if you want to be safe (this applies more for Circuit City than Target).
Nekofrog
03-13-2008, 11:20 PM
I scalped 3 myself - I wish I tried harder to get a few more to put up on ebay, but oh well. Do you live near a Circuit City or Target suzu? Keep track of the Sunday ads, and camp out the night before the Sunday the ad is for (assuming that the ad lists the Wii as in stock for that day) in front of the store if you want to be safe (this applies more for Circuit City than Target).
How much did you usually make?
I did 4 total. Two eBay, one craigslist, one to a friend for the cheapo price because I'm nice. The first Wii I sold was in November on eBay, and it netted $430+$30 shipping. The next on eBay was $350+$30 shipping. Craigslist was $350+$30 (and she was EXTREMELY happy to have it, no complaints at all, plus when I met her she was hoooot).
Money grubbing? Hardly. We provide a service that people require. Some people actually find it WORTHWHILE to spend that extra $50 or $100 so that THEY don't have to stand in line at 2 in the morning to get the Wii. Some consider their time as money, and this money well spent.
I stood out in the snow for 10 hours total for all my Wii's I think, and it was time well goddamn spent.
Bahamut
03-13-2008, 11:28 PM
My Wiis all sold for ~$500, with 2 going for a little higher. Minus fees, I made ~$200 per Wii.
MechaFone
03-13-2008, 11:28 PM
Wow. Wii's are still hard to come by after all this time? I guess it's no surprise. When my wife and I went to Gamestop (we left 450 bucks less in our pockets) it took all of 25 minutes for the 6 units they'd gotten in just 25 minutes prior to our visit. The things are still selling like hotcakes. I'm so glad I already got mine, and all I can say is........HAH HAH.
suzumebachi
03-13-2008, 11:40 PM
What are the closest stores near you? Or are you looking "online" only?
within 15 miles or so there's two wal-marts, a gamestop, and a hastings. and that's about it, really. but if i'm really desperate i can drive all the way to albuquerque where there's like target and circuit city and best buy and comp USA and software etc and babbages and EB and whatever else. but that's a long drive to make to come back empty handed.
Penfold
03-13-2008, 11:45 PM
Money grubbing? Hardly. We provide a service that people require. Some people actually find it WORTHWHILE to spend that extra $50 or $100 so that THEY don't have to stand in line at 2 in the morning to get the Wii. Some consider their time as money, and this money well spent.
No offense, but I still call bullshit regarding the "service" part of that. It may only be a service for those who wanted to get it AT LAUNCH without wanting to wait in line and didn't care about spending the extra cash. The scenario I envision is that you, as a scalper, are taking a spot in the queue from someone else who wants to get the system, and circumstances may then force the person to buy from a scalper on eBay (let's say their child's b-day, and the system is THE thing they'd really want). Effectively, you forced the person in this case to pay an extra $50-100 despite that they waited in line. Had the scalper not been there, the transaction would have happened that much quicker, more smoothly, and for less.
At any rate, you can try to justify scalping anything (systems, tickets, whatever) any way you want, but in the end it is what it is. I personally don't see it as right, regardless. Not trying to start a debate/condemn you for scalping/whatever, just expressing my personal thoughts on the subject.
Anyway, I had gotten a Wii for a Friend's b-day in...March last year I think. While I was working on getting that, I found that least the Toys R Us stores around here tended to put new shipments of Wiis for sale every Sunday. At the time, the store workers were relatively willing to let in on when they got shipments, but things may be different now. I guess more than anything it just takes vigilance, if you can't find out when stores nearby get shipments in.
Airwalker
03-13-2008, 11:46 PM
I blame Nintendo first and foremost for not keeping up with production. But part of the problem is people seeing Wiis and thinking "Goldmine" and buying them.
Then some people go and mark it up on eBay so honest gamers don't get it but rather, some parents who spoil little Jimmy or some dude that has to have everything and puts it in a box after playing Wii Sports for a few days.
:smile: But we still love you.
The Pezman
03-14-2008, 12:40 AM
I'm hoping that demand will die down by the summer. That's about the first time I'd have to seriously play it anyways.
Sinewav
03-14-2008, 01:40 AM
I was under the impression that Nintendo made a whole crapload of Wiis, and it still wasn't enough.
zircon
03-14-2008, 01:52 AM
www.wiitracker.com
Refresh a lot. That's how Jill and I got ours.
Dark_T_Zeratul
03-14-2008, 01:52 AM
I got mine from Amazon.
Darklink42
03-14-2008, 02:24 AM
Amazingly, I lucked out when I went to the midnight release of Brawl at the local Gamestop. A guy there that I was talking to told me about the Target near it that had four of them in stock that very night. So I went to a friend's house, played brawl all night, and then got to Target at 8 in the morning and bought one.
On the subject of scalping though, it's a load of crap. Justify it how you like, you're still ripping off the average Joe (like me) who wants to get one hassle free. Instead I go on amazon to see what they might have and my eyeballs nearly popped out of my head. 350+ for a system that will cost you that once you've at least gotten a game and an extra controller. That's not a deal folks, it's a scam. If anything, I'd expect at this point people would be taking pity on us poor folk that waited a year to buy the system. (And I do not believe the crap about Nintendo not matching production demands. It's been a year and a half, ample time to figure out the demand levels. Unavailability makes the item more desirable, and clearly the strategy is still working.) It's not just stupid people you're making money off of anymore, it's the desperate and the hard lucked and that's just wrong.
Whine all you want, but the people willing to pay $350 deserve to have one more than you. And the people willing to pay $450 deserve one more than them, and so on. The fact is if you're not willing to pay someone else like Bahamut or Nekofrog to camp a Wii for you, you're gonna have to go out and do it yourself. Either way, it's time for people to either suck it up or shut it up.
The Author
03-14-2008, 03:21 AM
I dunno why it's so hard to get a Wii, I mean, nintendo practically gave me one a week before release...
Oh wait, you didn't get one for free in a contest?
Bahamut
03-14-2008, 04:05 AM
Whine all you want, but the people willing to pay $350 deserve to have one more than you. And the people willing to pay $450 deserve one more than them, and so on. The fact is if you're not willing to pay someone else like Bahamut or Nekofrog to camp a Wii for you, you're gonna have to go out and do it yourself. Either way, it's time for people to either suck it up or shut it up.
Funny thing is, I didn't camp for these 3 - I waited on Amazon.com on Black Friday since I knew they would have Wiis in stock as soon as it turned midnight on PST, and I bought 3 up as soon as they were available.
Well, I guess online camping counts too. The point is if someone can't be bothered to do something even as simple as staying up until midnight and clicking some buttons, then they should be prepared to pay extra.
Ninja-san
03-14-2008, 06:10 AM
My cousin ended up getting one at K-mart. He told me they had several in stock for a few days. Guess no one in my area cared to look there. Good luck tho.
Random note but my roommate says I've degraded my Wii by putting Gundam and Evangelion stickers on it... Did I?
Majin GeoDooD
03-14-2008, 06:19 AM
I wanted so bad to get one when they came out and was unable to.. finally by June I decided to get one on eBay and just looked around carefully for the right price. Managed to get one for $290 + shipping, not too bad.
Random note but my roommate says I've degraded my Wii by putting Gundam and Evangelion stickers on it... Did I?
Yeah, pretty much.
Equinox
03-14-2008, 07:18 AM
Well, unfortunately the Wii is pretty lacking in everything for me to consider paying anything over it's original price for it. However, they're easy to snag, watch threads on CheapAssGamer/Slickdeals and other sites like that and you can easily grab one without paying out the ass for one. Amazon usually has them in stock daily with free shipping and no tax.
Good luck.
I-n-j-i-n
03-14-2008, 07:21 AM
^
Exactly. $500 a Wii? Are they crazy?
Bahamut
03-14-2008, 07:31 AM
^
Exactly. $500 a Wii? Are they crazy?
I sold all of mine during the two or three weeks after Thanksgiving, on carefully chosen days & times after observations of when Wiis tended to go for the most on ebay (I also used those pricier visibility options, which paid off). It was desperation time for getting one of the hottest Christmas items, and I knew how to cash out :smile: .
Equinox
03-14-2008, 07:33 AM
I sold all of mine during the two or three weeks after Thanksgiving, on carefully chosen days & times after observations of when Wiis tended to go for the most on ebay (I also used those pricier visibility options, which paid off). It was desperation time for getting one of the hottest Christmas items, and I knew how to cash out :smile: .
Right, it was hot then, and has been out for quite a while now and paying anything over it's original price at this point in time is pretty goddamn dumb. My 2c really.
The Coop
03-14-2008, 07:37 AM
$350 -> $500+ for a $250 system? A lot of very impatient people with too much money it seems.
Bahamut
03-14-2008, 08:02 AM
Yep, and I've even seen a few Wiis go for ~$600 for just the console on ebay, but those were pretty rare when compared to the number of Wiis that ebay went through during that time. My guess is that the mindset of these people is that they're working most of the time, and can't really be bothered to camp out for the consoles, so they pay the higher premium almost out of necessity. No doubt that some of these people make more money in the amount of time they would lose from camping (at work and being well-rested) that the choice is pretty clear for them.
The Coop
03-14-2008, 08:26 AM
Yep, and I've even seen a few Wiis go for ~$600 for just the console on ebay, but those were pretty rare when compared to the number of Wiis that ebay went through during that time. My guess is that the mindset of these people is that they're working most of the time, and can't really be bothered to camp out for the consoles, so they pay the higher premium almost out of necessity. No doubt that some of these people make more money in the amount of time they would lose from camping (at work and being well-rested) that the choice is pretty clear for them.
I guess. Or they just don't know how to wait for something and be patient. How hard is it to put the money aside, and get it when it's available? $200+ is quite a chunk of change to blow because you "GOTTA HAVZ IT NOW!", especially since that cash could get you several games.
Shit, I waited well over a year to get to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein on the PC I had at the time, and 13 years to finally play Curse for the MegaDrive. It's really not that tough to do.
I-n-j-i-n
03-14-2008, 09:11 AM
I think it's usually the parents who have the cash to burn and want to indulge their kids. Not the relatively money smart gamer crowd.
I've seen many parents blow entire cars and expensive jewelery before, and going through it on the post office. $500 is nothing for indulgent grandmas.
Schwaltzvald
03-14-2008, 12:44 PM
I got my Wii by chance as I just walked into my local best buy, which happens to be across the street from my job site, and picked it up as I saw it. :)!!
I guess. Or they just don't know how to wait for something and be patient. How hard is it to put the money aside, and get it when it's available? $200+ is quite a chunk of change to blow because you "GOTTA HAVZ IT NOW!", especially since that cash could get you several games.
This goes beyond "GOTTA HAVZ IT NOW"...it's been sold out since its launch more than a year ago.
Airwalker
03-14-2008, 02:57 PM
I bet Nintendo has been kicking itself in the pants ever since it realized it could have easily put the price point at $300 or $350.
megadave
03-14-2008, 03:01 PM
This goes beyond "GOTTA HAVZ IT NOW"...it's been sold out since its launch more than a year ago.
Also, when you've been a Nintendo loyalist for two decades, it's kinda difficult to sit back and watch the lemmings horde what you would appreciate ten times more.
It's too bad appreciation isn't legal tender.
I think the fact that the "lemmings" have gone through the trouble of getting Wiis and you haven't shows pretty clearly who actually "appreciates" it more.
megadave
03-14-2008, 04:08 PM
It took me around 15 or so tries and four or five months to get a Wii.
Oh really Dhsu? Oh, I do appreciate it. I appreciate it every day for at least an hour, and I'm going to appreciate it to death when I get home, pretty blue light and all.
Er, well then how is that sitting back and watching? How are other people hoarding something you already have and appreciate?
Your post makes no sense now...
megadave
03-14-2008, 04:53 PM
Let's just say that if the scalpers and trend followers (the ones who buy Wii sports and Zelda then put the thing in the closet) weren't around it would have been much easier to get a Wii. Also, I still think Nintendo is limiting the supply. At this rate, they will have a new console ready by the time Wiis are conveniently available.
Penfold
03-14-2008, 05:27 PM
Whine all you want, but the people willing to pay $350 deserve to have one more than you. And the people willing to pay $450 deserve one more than them, and so on. The fact is if you're not willing to pay someone else like Bahamut or Nekofrog to camp a Wii for you, you're gonna have to go out and do it yourself. Either way, it's time for people to either suck it up or shut it up.
I'm not against scalping because it blocked me from getting a Wii, since I got one Wii for myself and one for my parents both on launch day (Gamestop preorder + standing in line at the Best Buy across the street). It's just a practice I personally don't see as right, and don't respect. Again, you can try to justify it any way you want, but I'm not sure why you're defending it so strongly.
The Damned
03-14-2008, 05:38 PM
Because he makes money off of it? Because that's how he got his Wii? Because he's a strong supporter of free market economics?
Third guess is the charm.
I don't buy that scalpers make it harder to get a Wii. More expensive? Sure. But if they weren't around, EVERYONE would have to stand in ridiculous lines to get their Wii.
megadave
03-14-2008, 06:02 PM
A lot of people use the 'supply and demand' argument to justify scalping, but I don't buy it. I'm all about consumer's right to be able to purchase products at the suggested retail price.
Bahamut
03-14-2008, 06:03 PM
I got my Wii by chance as I just walked into my local best buy, which happens to be across the street from my job site, and picked it up as I saw it. :)!!
I saw my first Wii in the wild back in October and at Best Buy too, but I didn't have the money to buy it up right then and hoard it for the holiday shopping season.
And what's not right about reselling Wiis? If people are willing to pay the higher price for an ensured Wii, then what's to stop people from satisfying that demand? I camped 18 hours for my launch Wii, and I only paid the normal price + tax, while there were people driving by offering $200 cash just for my place in line, which I deemed too low to get me to leave my place. These are people who actively offered money without provocation of any kind.
A lot of people use the 'supply and demand' argument to justify scalping, but I don't buy it. I'm all about consumer's right to be able to purchase products at the suggested retail price.
Who says you don't have that right? Scalpers are using the exact same right, you know. You just have to get up a little early. And again, think about it this way...without scalpers, you would STILL have to get up early anyway! At least now, people have the option to pay an extra $100 or so to save themselves the trouble. It's a simple tradeoff: if you don't want to pay with money, you have to pay with time. The people who camp get their Wiis, and the people who pay an extra $100 get their Wiis. Either way, the people who want it the most get their console...the people unwilling to do either of those things wouldn't get one in any situation, scalpers or no.
megadave
03-14-2008, 06:35 PM
But if there wasn't scalping, it would be easier for those people who really want the console to get them. But here's a little thing I'd like to add - There are much bigger problems in the world than lack of availability in consoles. And that's all.
Bahamut
03-14-2008, 06:43 PM
The one time I went to a Best Buy early to try to get a Wii for reselling, there were a ton of people there (I was a few people off from the cutoff) - and there weren't many scalpers there from what I could tell. It was mostly families out trying to get a Wii for themselves, and Best Buy was cracking down on families trying to scalp wholesale.
And there are going to be people who really want to buy the Wii and are willing to pay more for the convenience. You act like these people aren't making a conscious decision.
But here's a little thing I'd like to add - There are much bigger problems in the world than lack of availability in consoles. And that's all.
Well...I'll agree with that. :P
I myself am pretty much in the same boat as The Coop. Even if I didn't know anybody who has a Wii, I still have 4 previous generations' worth of games to go through.
Schwaltzvald
03-14-2008, 06:58 PM
So yeah let's help suzumabachi get that Wii :)!!
Penfold
03-14-2008, 07:17 PM
So yeah let's help suzumabachi get that Wii :)!!
Haha, good plan. Discussion about system scalping could continue forever :P.
To reitterate what someone said, try slickdeals. A coworker go his from a thread on there, so that might be a good way to keep informed. Good luck!
Lord.Roderick.i
03-14-2008, 07:57 PM
So far I've been very lucky w/ my brother and a friend.
I went to the mall to look for a Wii with my older brother last year 2 days after Christmas and obviously we got no Wii, but just in case I checked into a GameStop store that said "Wii's Sold Out" and asked the guy in there if they had any Wiis and he told me that he had one left, but it was a used Wii.
My older bro didn't care because he was going back to South America after that. No problems with the Wii so far.
And with my buddy, practically the same thing happened. We walked into a GameStop by my house that had the "Wii's Sold Out" sign outside and asked for one, and they told us that they just got a shipment, but forgot to remove the sign.
:)
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