Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Random note but my roommate says I've degraded my Wii by putting Gundam and Evangelion stickers on it... Did I? Yeah, pretty much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equinox Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-n-j-i-n Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 ^ Exactly. $500 a Wii? Are they crazy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 ^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 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equinox Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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 . 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 $350 -> $500+ for a $250 system? A lot of very impatient people with too much money it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-n-j-i-n Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airwalker Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devyn Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devyn Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devyn Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfold Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Damned Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devyn Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devyn Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.