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Confessions Of A Wii - PS3 - iPhone Scalper

consumerist.com — "I saw your article on the Wii shortage and in the spirit of the holiday I want to come clean and confess my consumer sins..."

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  • internetcoward, on 12/11/2007, -3/+41that kid in the article has some douchey friends.... I would do the same if I had the time to get them. I got my wii at the midnight launch a year ago. NO ONE was in line to pre order, everyone said the wii is lame and to wait for the PS3...
    • mywhitenoise, on 12/11/2007, -2/+10Your friends told you to wait for the PS3 instead? Didn't the PS3 come out 3 days before the Wii?

      ...oh nevermind, you said 'pre-order line'.
    • hassanchop13, on 12/11/2007, -2/+7wait, there is a such thing as a pre order line?
      • coheedcollapse, on 12/11/2007, -0/+11Yup, you can pretty much beat any two-day campouts on launch day by going a few hours before open a month or two before release to wait for a preorder.

        I picked up a PS3 on launch day by walking into a Gamestop at 2:00 Pm and showing them a receipt. It was very satisfying.
    • ShrimpCrackers, on 12/11/2007, -2/+2I don't understand all this. I never waited in line. There are a lot of lists that are made available for a very small fee (like $2) (check Fatwallet/Slickdeals) that tell you the entire shipping list of Target, Best Buy, and so forth; information obviously put up by profiteering employees. So eventually some friends and I were able to pick up a few dozen Wii's and other hot items over the weeks and sell them on Craigslist. I never waited in line or pre-ordered or had to recheck stores, or any of those shenanigans.

      It really helped me with some outstanding college loans that without, I was about to default on. I was poor. But in the end its really all about information asymmetry. I was always thanked and people liked it. Frankly it beats waiting overnight for them and again, it really saved my life in terms of those college loans.
  • AdamTReineke, on 12/11/2007, -3/+66I sold a PS3 ($599 at the time) for $1,350 to a lady from California. Her response: "Thank you so much, it was the only thing my son wanted for Christmas." I'm a college kid and that PS3 paid for my books the next semester.
    • stalefries, on 12/11/2007, -24/+2A little offtopic, but I find that the best way to get good prices on textbooks is to use Book Burro (http://bookburro.org )
      It auto-detects when you are shopping for books, and will offer to show you the best prices at several online stores. I've consistently payed less than half what some of my classmates are paying.
    • Konrad9, on 12/11/2007, -0/+25All advertising ***** aside ( ^^^ ) you should buy your books online, and then sell them online. I got my calc book for $5. School store had it for $100.
      Awesomeness.
    • jjed824, on 12/11/2007, -0/+18Not to perpetuate this off-topic-ness, but I discovered this semester that you can find a lot of your textbooks in the University library. I checked out all my books, extended the due date every month, and then returned them at the end of the semester.

      My wii got stolen from my dorm room though....i guess that's like the opposite of reselling :(
      • opnickc, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1"My wii got stolen from my dorm room though....i guess that's like the opposite of reselling :("
        I too, have discovered the risk in keeping your game system at school. I bought an Xbox 360, which, while I had the money (I'm not dumb enough to buy something like that without the money), it could've been well put elsewhere. I was so busy with classes, I hardly even got to use the thing before it was stolen :(. Didn't touch my gamecube though.
        Moral of the story, never keep new game systems in a dorm.
        • Mrstupid7, on 12/11/2007, -1/+5It's called locking your doors. Very easy to do.
          • opnickc, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2I'm sorry, but you're a jackass.
            Maybe I'm just still angry about the event, but ***** you. I DID lock my doors - my dumbass suitemates didn't. See, the brilliant people who designed this building decided it was a good idea to have two rooms connected by a bathroom which can't be locked. So when they didn't lock their doors (even though I ALWAYS do) someone could get into BOTH rooms.
            And don't go and tell me I should've chosen better suite mates either - while you can choose a roommate, suitmates are assigned.

            Of course, if you can think of any other way to jump to conclusions about a situation you know nothing about, feel free
    • KyjL, on 12/11/2007, -7/+1You pay almost $1.5K for books!? Where the Hell do you go to school??
      • SD70MACMAN, on 12/11/2007, -0/+7$1350-$600=$750. Do the math.

        Thats enough for my books for 1.5 semesters. Damn engineering books are expensive and can be hard to find, even from those cheap sites or the international version. My hydraulics book costs nearly $200 and even after a month of hard looking, I had to get it.
        • Jorge777, on 12/11/2007, -0/+5And of course you have your $100+ books that get new editions every year from somebody who just happens to be a member of the faculty. Go figure.
          • rupprupp29, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4There's that, and then the fact that publishers come out with a "new edition" every 1-2 years (i.e. a new picture on the cover and revised wording on a few of the problems), send the teacher's edition out for free, and then the teachers decide to use the newest edition because A) it doesn't cost them anything to switch, and B) it's newer, so it must be better.
            I work for the receiving department at my school. Delivering all those free teacher's editions is a bitch: not only because there's so many of them, but because I know it's going to cost me money down the road.
        • KyjL, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1...Yeah, ultimate *whoosh*. I thought it was $1.5k after everything was said and done.
    • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2Bought 2 360s on launch day.. wasn't even planning on getting one then either, just decided on that morning that maybe i could check out Walmart and see if they had any.. got there 10 minutes before it opened.. 20 people waiting inline.. store clerk gives me a "ticket" and then I end up being the first to buy it at the store.

      I had sent my girlfriend to Bestbuy while i waited at walmart and she ended up getting one too. Sold it the next week for +60$.. Someone was a happy camper...

  • carpespasm, on 12/11/2007, -10/+4funny thing is that he only made money on the PS3s while they were still in rediculous demand mode. last time i went to best buy they had several dozen PS3s and a sign out front saying "we don't have any Wii systems in stock"
    • dinostabOMG, on 12/11/2007, -7/+6If they drop the PS3 down to the Wii's price, I'd consider it.
      • DarkShroud, on 12/11/2007, -1/+4Fat chance, the Blu-ray drive alone closts more than the Wii.
        • natastna2, on 12/11/2007, -1/+6And that's why I'll be buying a Wii rather than a Blu Ray player.
  • ChromaVita, on 12/11/2007, -2/+32If you think about it, all he's really doing is selling it to someone who is willing to pay more for not worrying about availibility. They'd rather pay that much over cost to be the first person to get one, and not have to worry about camping out, or checking stores.
    • DeadElephant, on 12/11/2007, -4/+3My friends dad forked out $400 on e-bay for his Wii, and the kid continues to be a stuck up snob with rich parents, completely ungrateful.
      My dad went every weekend for 2 months talking to the managers at the big stores trying to get a Wii, it was the only thing on my Christmas list. I got it in early February and have loved it since.
      Buying online is for people who don't care enough to go through a hassle to make a good holiday for those around them.
      • inspecality, on 12/11/2007, -3/+4how old are you? 12?
        • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -2/+4I'm thinking more like 11..... and has not learned and important part of life nor the spirit of Christmas.

          No buying on line is the easiest and safest thing to do... you avoid the hassles of crowds and possible being mugged in the parking lot from a person or persons who did get the product because you were the cut off point.
    • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2Ok but to be the first one to get it ? The Wii's been out for over a year.. from what i could read, he bought and sold more than one and not just on launch...

      Some people are just naïve or lazy and figure they will never get one if they check stores.. but they never end up checking stores.. just get a list of your local Zellers, Walmart, BB, FS, CC and then call .. That's how I found my Wii..
  • coheedcollapse, on 12/11/2007, -2/+21This comment thread is weird. A week ago I was talking about my friend who bought a few Wiis and sold them on ebay for holiday funds and people hated me for tolerating him. I predict that either this thread will go massively downhill when it hits the front page. That, or somehow in the past week Digg opinions on selling Wii consoles have reversed completely.
    • ISIfunded911, on 12/11/2007, -7/+2My opinion was reversed by the comments of some cynical analysts of how capitalism works. I am not capitalist so I can look at it cynically too.
      And I think that books > video games, so parents who treat their kids as if they were living gods should become wiser and buy them books instead of chasing a Wii at any price. Parents should not do anything to get the love of their children; children are the ones who must behave to get all the love of their parents...well, that is what psychoanalysts who look at the current situation think.
  • OttawaMarcin, on 12/11/2007, -29/+2Wii shortage is fake. In the other Wii thread, someone said there are GROCERY STORES in Europe selling Nintendo Wii, and they are stocked with 10 available. It is a marketing campaign.
    • postal21, on 12/11/2007, -0/+18uh. I work at circuit city we have like 10 every 2 weeks or so and they sell the morning they arrive.

      I work customer service and receive ATLEAST 25 calls a day asking about wii. the demand is huge.
    • TotalHalibut, on 12/11/2007, -0/+16THIS IS A CONSPIRACY AND ONLY A DIGG USER CAN REVEAL IT. I wonder why nobody ever pays attention to you?
      • chaosium, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1All we need now is Alex Jones fans protesting Nintendo, it would be glorious.
    • Edrick, on 12/11/2007, -0/+16Yeah totally man. If there was REALLY such a high demand for them then Nintendo would be producing like 1.8 million a month just to meet---oh.
    • benvd, on 12/11/2007, -11/+0hmmm lets c.... European gamers want REAL consoles... NOT WIITARDED CRAP!!!
    • Grimdotdotdot, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1He's not wrong about the stock in Europe, though. Here in the UK it's constantly sold out, but just across the water the French hypermakets have bucketloads of them.
    • Jeffler, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2The Wii shortage is about as fake as McGrattan being a superstar.
    • aethelberga, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I live just north of Toronto, and a drugstore near me had four or five the other day. People just don't think to look in places that aren't Best Buy or Furure Shop.
  • ch28kid, on 12/11/2007, -2/+7I got my iPhone off Criaglist. The only reason why I got it off there is because I live in Canada. With gas prices rising like mad, economically doesn't make sense to drive to the states for one iPhone.
    • benvd, on 12/11/2007, -23/+0why the ***** would you get an iphone when you live in Canada..... shoulda saved on the shiping and handling and got a touch u retard
      • Jeffler, on 12/11/2007, -0/+19He wants to call people?
        • bumblefoot, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4i dont think benvd knows you can jailbreak the iphone yet
          • chaosium, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I dont think he really knows much of anything.
  • rwscold, on 12/11/2007, -16/+9I bought my Wii the day it came out.... Waited in line for 13 hours haha. I played it for maybe a good month, then here and there since but it's not even plugged in anymore haha.
    • DeadElephant, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4Less "haha" more game buying.
    • inspecality, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1im selling mine on ebay right now. i will probably make $100 profit on a system i haven't played in 4 months. you should do the same.
    • flair1, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2If its not plugged in anymore, why not sell it on Ebay or Craigslist for more than your cost? Good luck doing that with a 360 or a PS3. haha
    • chaosium, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1"haha"

      Hey, the joke's on the guy with a paperweight.
  • dustinmacdonald, on 12/11/2007, -25/+3What a douchebag. What ever happened to earning money respectably?
    • DerekD1215, on 12/11/2007, -2/+10Frigging Communist! He's providing a service for people that can't or won't use their time to get what they want.
    • Trax91, on 12/11/2007, -3/+6Did he point a gun to a person and ask him to buy the Wiis?
    • dontaskagain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Yea totally, like used car sales men, or whole sellers or anyone who buys something cheaper than the price they sell it for, outrageous!
  • TotalHalibut, on 12/11/2007, -5/+43I worked at GAME in the UK on PS3 launch day. Before-hand we'd had the usual small number of pre-orders for the console (it was a small store, not a lot of footfall, enough to keep it open, barely), but a couple of people had stood out as unusual, having either pre-ordered multiple machines themselves, or had their spouses/housemates place preorders under the same address.

    So on comes launch day and the first guy to come in, has pre-ordered 3 of the things. He buys 3 solus units with no games or extras (thereby ***** up our attachment target for the rest of the day) and walks off with a grin and shouts back 'Off to Ebay!'. I smirk, knowing that, even as a small store with very low allocation priority, we've still got 10 more than were pre-ordered, unprecedented for a console launch. We knew before launch that there would be no shortages, and as such, no high-demand and marking-up on Ebay. Needless to say, Ebay was full of PS3's that day, all going for way lower than their normal asking price. Two days later he comes back and tries to refund them, needless to say, we smirked as we refused, since the silly bastard had decided to break the seals on the boxes.

    An upper-middle class woman bought 4 of the things, claiming they were all 'gifts for family'. Same scenario, she came back with them two days later. Sadly, she was not as foolish as our fellow above, and she ruined what was otherwise a record-breaking day for us. I hope she falls down a well.
    • Grimdotdotdot, on 12/11/2007, -3/+8You worked for GAME, and you thought eBay touts were bad?
      Did your store not have the second-hand section?
      • TotalHalibut, on 12/14/2007, -0/+1Yes, and as per a normal store, they were all cheaper than new. Is there something amiss about that?
  • bc85, on 12/11/2007, -7/+18Can't stand flippers personally. It was annoying to have to do the early Sunday morning thing for a while to get my Wii for MSRP. Flippers aren't "helping" people find a product. They're making it impossible to locate, driving up the price, and selling it back to only those with enough cash. Sure it's legal (or would be if they paid taxes on income). But I'd rather pay Nintendo than pay a flipper.
    • voisine, on 12/11/2007, -13/+6The flippers are providing a valuable market service. They track down the shipments and stand in line to obtain a product that's artificially priced below market value given the supply, then they sell it to people willing to pay market value. This way anyone can purchase a wii directly on ebay at the market rate without having to wait in line. Otherwise there would be shortage and many people wouldn't be able to get one at any price.
      • DarkShroud, on 12/11/2007, -2/+6No, they buy them out so other people can't get tme. Or wait all night in line so that the mother who shows up at 5am because she can't get there earlier still doesn't get one. I've watched mothers try. I didn't flip any Wiis but did pick some up fro friends in between works contracts when I could sit out all night. And it does happen here in Chicago land.
        • bjornski, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2It's one of the reasons I don't go to concerts anymore, either. I can't afford the scalpers.
    • vhold, on 12/11/2007, -1/+3Really it's Gamestop making the biggest mistake. Scalpers are not valued customers.

      They aren't buying games themselves, and the profit they pocket is that much less money that the final consumer has to spend on games somewhere else. That said, your typical gamestop employee probably isn't being paid enough to really care.

      Although, Gamestop is unique in that selling new product is mostly just a catalyst for them to create used product which they sell for way higher profit margins, so perhaps they just simply don't care if scalping cuts into their new game sales. The new games they don't sell they probably don't pay for, just return to the manufacturer. They'd rather resell the same used copy of a game 5 times then sell 5 new games.
  • Felix57, on 12/11/2007, -15/+2i worked at best buy and someone returned a ps2 xbox 360 was already out but every console was sold out a co worker held the object obove his head and screamed used ps2 full price before he finished a customer took it from his hand and went to the register
    • DeadElephant, on 12/11/2007, -0/+7I like punctuation. I don't think you do.
  • ncraig, on 12/11/2007, -1/+12I waited to get a Wii last year out in the cold (I'm in WI) and now I never play it, so what am I going to do?

    Sell it on eBay. Used Wii's go for +$300!
  • rey1867, on 12/11/2007, -6/+52Capitalism..... Deal with it
    • tektalk, on 12/11/2007, -4/+3Yeah *****....
      /Hot Fuzz quote
    • joegibes, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1NEIN!
    • rjam710, on 12/11/2007, -2/+1Capitalism should be run by supply and demand. Scalpers create a false demand by limiting the supply available to consumers. This is not capitalism.
      • barc0001, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3So you're saying in a capitalist system people are not allowed to buy low and sell high?

        Or that in your version of capitalism people should only be allowed to sell items that are not scarce? Wow. That's really interesting.
  • voisine, on 12/11/2007, -3/+6So what's with the change of heart? I was arguing in favor of scalpers when the wii came out and got dugg down. Now people making the same arguments are getting dugg up. Why the shift in favor of free markets, supply/demand curves, and no artificial price controls? Did it take Ron Paul explaining things to change your mind?
    • prophetpimp, on 12/11/2007, -2/+3Now there is human touch to the story behind. That wins over mob mentality. Besides deep down we all wished we would have done that too. Come on he was able to pay off his car debts and enjoy a better life just because people are idiotic enough to pay the premium.
    • InitialDMP5, on 12/11/2007, -1/+10with the holidays here, people will do anything to make some extra money. This is most obvious, if not risky way to do it. I still don't agree with it though. If someone didn't buy 3 systems and try to make money off of them, then three people who walked into the store could have had a system for the price it was supposed to sell at. And unlike other tech gadgets (iPhone, iPod) The Wii is not overpriced for huge profit. They are selling it at a small profit. These guys that buy up systems are just making it harder to find a system, not easier.
      • TheBigSquid, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2"If someone didn't buy 3 systems and try to make money off of them, then three people who walked into the store could have had a system for the price it was supposed to sell at."
        No, another scalper would buy those three systems and sell them on eBay.
        • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1If only the media didn't get ahold of this, maybe not so many freaking people would do it.. it happened with the 360 but no one was expecting it at first.. then when the Ps3 and Wii came out, everyone was set.. waiting for the release ONLY to flip them..

          Caus once the media showcased it for days, then even the retards that knew nothing about games or even any interest in them were lining up for screw actual gamers.
        • voisine, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I still think this is the market being efficient, but I think I understand why it pisses people off. Nintendo is giving away free money. Even if you plan to keep your wii, Nintendo is selling them below market value so you are still getting free money by not having to pay the real price on ebay. People get pissed when someone hoards more than their fair share of the free money, but at the same time many stores, at least when I got mine, limited it to one per customer, so these people have to spend a lot of time getting up early and standing in line to get so many. Would you be upset if a rich parent payed their butler to stand in line for them? Basically the same thing except the butler keeps going back and working for many rich parents.
    • shauncorleone, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3The difference is that now, most of these people already have their Wii systems, so they can freely poke fun at those people who are willing to pay an exorbitant amount on eBay. These scalpers are working the free market to their advantage in the case of the Wii and taking a financial risk in doing so, as evidenced by people who failed at scalping PS3s at a profit.
  • shadydentist, on 12/11/2007, -5/+9There are two things that Nintendo can do to maximize their profits: Either create more wiis to increase the supply, or raise prices to reduce the demand. The first one is very risky, as they could be stuck with more capacity than they need, while the second one would anger consumers. Therefore, they are selling at below equilibrium price, creating a shortage, and allowing scalpers to sell at closer to their actual equilibrium worth.

    Sorry, econ final on thursday.
  • chubbybubba, on 12/11/2007, -6/+10This guy is very arrogant. This is not so much a confession as just a way to brag how he gets people to overpay for merchandise. I really hope it's not his day job because in my opinion he's not really making that much money. If he's really good at selling he wouldn't waste his skills on items that get him only 30 - 40 percent profit. He's really small time.
    • keraneuology, on 12/11/2007, -3/+7W. T. F.
      "Overpay"? How is he getting anybody to "overpay" for merchandise? People, the price for ANY good or service is fixed at that which somebody else is willing to pay. It really is that simple. Nintendo is the cause of the shortage - their stockholders should be ticked up one wall and down the other because they could have charged an extra $50 and probably wouldn't have reduced demand to any significant degree (as evidenced by the fact that people are willing to pay that extra $50). (And just so you know, 30-40% profit is a huge return.)
      • zeebo, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1The demand for the Wii is as high as it is because of its low price. The number of people who are willing to pay $300 for one is much lower than the number willing to pay $250 for one. While there may be several thousand scalpers selling the system for higher on ebay, keep in mind that there are 1.8 million more systems arriving on the market every month. Nintendo is already selling the system for a profit, they're meeting their goals. Price gouging would ultimately hurt their brand image, and would damage the favorable perception most people have of them. 30% extra profit now is not worth lower sales and profits in the future. The sad result of all this is a lot of people who want Wiis aren't going to be able to find them before christmas, but are likely going to go into those same stores soon afterwards and find systems that have been returned unopened because no one would pay what the scalper wanted.
      • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1And you'd be the first one to complain about a store marking up their prices (over MSRP) because of demand..
    • Sabin, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Apple operates at about 15% profit, are the small time?
      • chubbybubba, on 12/12/2007, -0/+1lol... think about what you're saying. You're comparing apple to a single guy who sells stuff on ebay. lol.
    • toefer, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2I agree. If you get excited over an extra $1,000 in income, you probably don't have a great job, or a great life. It might be nice little bonus money, but I'm sure this guy drives around town, to this day, searching for Wiis, when he could be doing something else.

      Where was he selling these PS3's to make $500 in profit? I randomly bought a PS3 a couple days after launch, and there was a 2nd one in the store, so I bought both, and figured I'd sell the second on eBay. I ended up returning it to the store, because they were only going for $50-60 over list, which barely covered the tax I paid.
  • leadv0cal, on 12/11/2007, -7/+26In terms of the wii in specific, this frustrates me to no end. The shortages in my area are a direct result of the resellers - many people are not 'waiting around til the last minute' out of laziness or convenience to buy one; they count on x-mas bonuses or money saved over a period of time which 'matures' in time for the season, for their shopping.

    Buyers aren't paying a premium to 'avoid doing the walking themselves' as many comments in the blog imply - they do so because they are left with two choices - pay more or don't get your children something you want them to have for Christmas. My wife and I check with every local retailer DAILY for these machines for our son (who has not ASKED for one, he knows we get by as best as we can -rather we want to give him a good surprise), meanwhile the least expensive to be found is 450 on craigslist for a 250 item. So, my boy will likely end up without one because the budget doesn't allow for artificially generated 'demand' pricing, but for retail. So yes, they are having their own merry Xmas at the expense of some kids. My son will never know the difference, as it was not asked for anyhow, but neither will we get the pleasure of seeing his reaction to opening something truly unexpected on Christmas day.

    'first on the block' logic does not apply to the wii at this point-the 'demand' being so high is the fault of the resellers and the people willing to shell out that kind of cash TO them, look on eBay for wii and see what you find.
    • keraneuology, on 12/11/2007, -7/+13No, the shortages in your area are a direct result of more people wanting to buy the product than the supplier can (or is willing to provide). Listen to yourself for a moment: "there aren't enough wiis to go around BECAUSE somebody is buying them and selling them at a higher price". ???????? Higher prices REDUCE demand, not increase it - if people can make a profit reselling then it means (without any question, argument or debate - this is just how the economy works, deal with it) that supply > demand.

      Think long and hard about your argument that -fewer- people would be buying wiis if the price was lower (ie: still on the retailer's shelf).
      • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Maybe if the prices were higher IN STORES it would reduce demand.. but the fact that people know the machine is 250$ in store, it is not very appealing to see a 450$ Wii selling on craigslist or ebay.. you KNOW you are getting screwed.. not everyone uses the internet to buy stuff either..
      • gcauthon, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1When resellers make a profit that means supply < demand. The alligator eats the bigger number, remember?
    • Cerebral, on 12/11/2007, -5/+6I agree with Keraneuology on this. If Nintendo were to vamp up production then there would not be as much a demand by resellers because everyone could just get one for retail. I'm sorry for the fact that you cannot get one. I was able to get mine back in July by daily calls to all the stores in town and going to wait at a Circuit City at 6:00am on a Sunday morning to get my voucher.
      Good Luck.
    • rot13ubercrypto, on 12/11/2007, -1/+14Nobody needs a wii. Nobody needs an iPhone. Or concert tickets. Or a Tickle me Elmo.

      If you absolutely can't wait, either do some shopping, invest the time, or be prepared to possibly pay a premium. If your kid absolutely has to have a Tickle me Elmo and you can't get one for under $100, maybe it's time to sit down with him and have a talk about some basic concepts.

      Is this kind of scarcity annoying? Hell yes. Is it a result of immoral or criminal means? No. These guys put in the time and effort to get something at a "normal" price, and then find what they believe is a market segment willing to pay a premium on it -- at their own risk, as multiple posts mentioning below-retail ebay Xbox sasles have pointed out.

      I really want a 1962 300SL Gullwing coupe and I can't stand the bastards hogging them and selling them at a premium.
    • clnydk, on 12/11/2007, -2/+6I agree - there is no elasticity (is that the right word?) in the market place - the prices only go up because of a limited supply and availability, artificially induced by scalpers. If they were on the shelves, prices would be lower and likely be enough for everyone to have one. I will be very interested to see how many are returned on the days after christmas. And, it is the price being paid that drives the scalpers - if people were not so slovenly rich, incessantly needy, overwhelmingly greedy and impatient (which is nothing to be proud of), they would not pay double for anything - they would just wait until the prices realign. Weren't we just having this discussion about over-priced homes and the people willing to pay it?
    • rupprupp29, on 12/11/2007, -1/+3When something is in this high of demand, its price extends far beyond the MSRP. If you really want a Wii, you have to somehow pay that price; whether it's waitiing in line when it's not convenient for you, waiting a few months until they're more available, or paying extra for one.
      The world doesn't owe you a Wii; if someone is willing to pay more for it than you are, they're going to get one before you do.
      Personally, if I was looking to buy a Wii, I'd wait a few weeks until right around Christmas and the few weeks afterwards. All the scalpers that bought up Wii's and couldn't move them will be returning them to stores, selling them on ebay for lower prices, etc.
    • rix0r, on 12/11/2007, -0/+0If you find one for him make sure you record him opening it. He'll be the new Nintendo 64 kid.
    • mrbad101, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1Oh come on. QQ more please. I'm tired of these sob stories. If you really put as much effort into it, as you are leading on, you could EASILY of had one. There are too many websites online showing you how to acquire one, if you are willing to stand in a line for a few hours. It's your own fault that you cannot acquire one, and giving everyone a massive sob story isn't going to cause anyone to give you the handout you are expecting.

      People are lazy and feel that "making a few phone calls everyday" will eventually work. Get off your lazy duff, set your alarm clock for bright and early, and go stand in line. Is that too much work, or would you prefer to write up another bio about your real lack of effort?

      Lazy bum.
    • jimchou, on 12/11/2007, -0/+0I followed the instructions on http://www.xpbargains.com/wii_locator.php to set up an alert when Wiis came in stock.

      Amazon seems to get them every Friday, middle of the day, but they sell out in a couple of minutes. I was able to get 3 last week, and now I'm very tempted to resell the extras with a large markup, even though I had also posted on a neighborhood group lambasting the scalpers last week also...

    • repick3, on 12/11/2007, -0/+0Sour grapes. If you had found a Wii the first time you had went to the store then you wouldn't be complaining about scalpers.
  • bjxrn, on 12/11/2007, -8/+8I really can not see anything wrong with what this man does, not even a little. Why do people get upset about this?
    • vhold, on 12/11/2007, -1/+6It's a "service" that is only necessary because it exists in the first place. Normal consumers would just buy it from a retailer normally, if there weren't scalpers just constantly scooping it up.

      The retailers and manufacturers lose out because the scalper profit is that much less money the consumer has to spend on games/accessories. That's why the retailers themselves don't price gouge, it would ruin their relationship with the manufacturer. Scalpers don't have to nurture a mutually beneficial business relationship, the Gamestop employees that are hooking him up are being naive or just don't care.
    • zeebo, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Because he's operating a business without paying the proper fees and taxes of course. Not to mention that he's taking a limited supply of a product that is normally made available to all through a retail outlet at the manufacturers suggested retail price, and redirecting that to a more elite, wealthier, ebay savvy segment of the market.
    • fognozzle, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Well, basically, he buys it off the shelf so one less person gets to buy the system for $250, and then he sells it so one more person gets to buy it for $400. In the end, the same number of people end up with the system, he just pockets $150 for doing nothing. That's why people don't like it.
      • barc0001, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1He does nothing? He's selling it on Ebay and shipping it from one location to another after the purchase transaction. How is that ANY different from Amazon.com? By your logic, Nintendo should be the only retailer of Wiis and all of those bastards at the game stores and Walmart are just middlemen inflating the price.
  • leaknoil, on 12/11/2007, -3/+13It's only the taxes issue that's a problem. If you read the thread people keep saying, "its supply and demand" and "its just economics." Well it would be if the guy paid taxes or had a business license.

    He doesn't and even mentions being worried about the IRS. Those things aren't really 'optional' in our economy. Obviously someone that's never made any real money as once you get a real job and investments how serious the IRS is becomes pretty clear to you

    Bragging about cheating the IRS never works out all that well usually.
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 12/11/2007, -2/+6Sure would be funny if the IRS probed consumerist for his e-mail and got him for tax evasion.
    • voisine, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1No, the problem is that *anyone* has to ask the government for permission to do business or report their income. WTF business is it of theirs what I do with my time? If I whittle an ash tray out of block of wood from a tree on my property, I did work and produced something that has value. Should I report the fair market value of the ash tray as income? Of course not. What if I trade the ash tray with my neighbor for a few apples from his tree? Do I report that? What if I trade for a piece of silver that I intend to use to trade with my other neighbor who doesn't want an ash tray? What if I decide to use a green piece of paper that's hard to print up myself? Then I'm supposed to report it all of a sudden? Why?
      • leaknoil, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1"Then I'm supposed to report it all of a sudden? Why?"

        Because its the law. You can agree with them or not but, you ignore them at your peril.
      • sbgunn, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Actually, you're supposed to report all those as earnings. It doesn't change "all of a sudden" when you use cash.
  • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -12/+3I'd rather garrett buy the last Wii then some kid who's "Christmas was sold away" Give your son some more Ritalin, mom. He'll be fine.... Jesus hates you.

    After spending a month looking for a Wii, I considered paying $100 over the ticket just to take the legwork out of the hunt... Dick Cheney pays to shoot farm raised birds, why can't I pay someone to seek out a wii for me - I don't even have to shoot anybody!
    • leaknoil, on 12/11/2007, -3/+4Because, of course, any mom out their looking for a Wii is spoon feeding their kid Ritalin and a Jesus freak. Are you saying on there is some connection between the Wii, Jesus and Ritalin ? Hmm you have me wondering now.
      • randomerratum, on 06/10/2008, -3/+2You don't think that Jesus would be pissed about some mom claiming their kid's christmas was ruined because he didn't get a video game system?
        I'm all for blowing your kids mind on christmas (see leadv0cal's post just above) - It just frustrates me that a parent can buy into such childish rhetoric.
    • clnydk, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1Too funny - you said "Cheney"
      Are you placing yourself in the same philosophical boat as Darth Vader? WWJD?
      Sometimes you can't get what you want(Wii)... my apologies to the songwriters.
  • doctordbx, on 12/11/2007, -1/+7Scalpers profit == tax on the stupid.
    Simple. This article just confirms it.
    • bjornski, on 12/11/2007, -2/+1Yes, it's partly a stupid tax. But it's also partly "pay extra, or you don't get it!, sucker!"

      Greed is not a virtue.
  • FSBO, on 12/11/2007, -3/+5Hell, if I wasn't so damn lazy, I'd do the same thing.
  • sariel2413, on 12/11/2007, -1/+8If brits have such problems getting a WII, why don't they just cross the channel and buy them elsewhere? It's only about 2 hours driving to get from London to Belgium and France where they are in stock. 5 hours gets you to Netherlands where there are usually dozens in store everywhere. The only problem you'll have it finding a second Wiimote, as those tend to be very rare in the more populated areas. If you go to the smaller places, you'll find Wiimotes too. Just don't go buying them in the bigger cities.
    I live in the Netherlands and if I try to shop for Wii's in Rotterdam, there's no problem. If I shop for Wiimotes in Rotterdam, there are none. If I drive about half an hour to the "countryside", there are several shops each town where you can find them.

    As far as I can see, this Wii-scarcity is mostly hype.....
    • Cerebral, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Right now there is a ***** of wiimotes in the states. No consoles though.
    • clnydk, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1And the online buying thing - isn't that a great equalizer? at least in theory?
  • spartan093, on 12/11/2007, -7/+2I don't see why people have so much problem with scalpers. Supply and demand...low supply and high demand = higher prices. Of course if Nintendo or Sony was to suddenly announce a price hike because of a shortage, people would freak (prices are supposed to go down, not up). This is how scalpers are able to make their money: simple economics.
    • clnydk, on 12/11/2007, -1/+5Poor comment - "artificial" demand, causing higher prices and shortages and very bad feelings. Why do you think business works against scalpers?
  • magnusdopus, on 12/11/2007, -5/+9Although I generally condemn scalping, I have to support these Wii scalpers. For one thing I don't think they are the problem. It's Nintendo's fault mostly. At best, scalpers represent 10% of the Wii volume. Even if they did not exist most people would still not find the Wii. Most of these Wii scalpers are gamers who could use the extra cash. Also, as someone who was screaming to get the Wii last year, I have to say my Xbox360 gets used about 5X more than my Wii. And I'm mostly playing games with my 5 year old.
    • Cerebral, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2I too have a Wii60 and the majority of gaming takes place on the 360. The Wii is amazing for party atmosphere type gaming. It's brining back the old "Family Game Night" but to a new medium and I love it.
      • slicecom, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Yep, same here. PS3 for playing alone, 360 for playing online, Wii for playing with friends.
      • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Wii60 + Ebay = Hope you like your Wii Box with Rocks inside

        When you shop on ebay, you are better off researching and reviewing ALL print of the item. Too many
        scammers on Ebay. For instance you may have people betting thousands of dollars for a picture of a Wii system. YES a PICTURE not the system itself.

        "Congratulations you have one the picture of the Wii system for $2000... your picture is attached to this email..."
  • keraneuology, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2It is frustrating to no end that people think that if the only place to buy them was on the shelf at the local B&M at retail (which is demonstrated to be significantly lower than actual market value) there would be piles of the boxes sitting on the shelf.
  • uselessexpert, on 12/11/2007, -4/+3The wonderful thing about capitalism is that we can go out and make an honest buck when the market demands it!
    I commend the guy from the article for actually going out and making a living off all those morons that want to be the "first" with the new toy and paying such insane prices.

    He saw an opportunity, and he took advantage of it.
    Good for him! I know I would have done the same thing. I may start doing it too when then next 'it" item comes around.
    • fognozzle, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1That's not an honest buck. He didn't do anything.
  • DarkShroud, on 12/11/2007, -3/+1I can understand scalping. The problem is that people are asking too much for Wiis. As a college student in between work contracts at convenient times I was able to get launch Wiis for me and my brother and a friend by camping out all night at a Best Buy. I also got a launch PS3 (pre-order no line waiting). I got an extra $20 from my brothers friend just a thank you.

    I've also watched mothers show up and then leave. Their husbands have to go to work and they have to take care of the kids. They can't camp out and the stores don't let them pre-order.
    • keraneuology, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2Define "too much". I make an ashtray out of flour and elmer's glue and somebody is willing to pay me a million dollars for it are you going to whine that I didn't sell it to you for fifty-eight cents? Do you send nasty letters to sellers on ebay along the lines of "but Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii wanted it! That other guy paid more than I was willing to pay for it and that's not faiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir!"? If you had a Wii and found somebody who was willing to pay you $10,000,000 for it there isn't a thing in the world you could say to make me suspect for even a femtosecond that you wouldn't jump on the deal. There isn't a whiner on this thread who would say "no, that isn't fair for all of the people who valued other activities above Wii-hunting" instead of taking the money and having a party. Not one. (For that matter, if I had a Wii I most certainly would offer it up for $10,000,000 - would you deny me my right to do so?)

  • dylangaine, on 12/11/2007, -3/+1he shouldn't feel guilty, supply and demand is a basic law of our economy. if someone is willing to $1000 over retail, then he should sell it for as much. phone makers (Nokia, specifically) have launched phones for $800-$900 for the first 2-3 months only to lower it later. they plan for the early adopters and expect them to pay a premium.
  • Mockylock, on 12/11/2007, -1/+8Last year my kid wanted the "tickle me elmo" doll. I went everywhere and checked at places to see when they would get a delivery. Weeks of searching for the $35 piece of junk that he wanted so bad, all in haste.
    I went to e-bay to see what was on there. Over 25,000 people were selling these things for at least $100 a piece. I had X amount of dollars budgeted for Christmas and decided to bid on one of them for $60 bucks. I won one, but found out later it was a scam and lost everything. Ebay charges $30 for any dispute, and it takes months for it to go through.

    I can understand gaming consoles and such, but kids toys are *****. People who clear the channel of product so only the rich have the Christmas their kids wanted, need to eat *****. They're the scum of the earth.
    • ChaosProfessor, on 12/11/2007, -2/+1i sold TMX's also I figure if i take the time to go on a release day. and buy it and i pay retail for it that people will pay what it is worth to them. I do have a full time job that i work about 45-50 hours per week so dont go telling me to get a job
      • Mockylock, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Nice punctuation. I never told anyone to get a job, and obviously yours is important enough that you've got to turn over kid's toys for extra cash. Your post backs up the whole reason I wrote mine, so much that it's comical.
        You say "people will pay what it's worth to them", and obviously you don't have children. You went in to a store and took "the time to go on release day", obviously to make money. So, you wait in line, buy a few $40 TMX toys when you don't have kids, then sell them on ebay for more.

        Now, all over the country, you have children that wanted one of these and their parents want to buy them one, though even $40 is quite a bit for a talking doll. They have trouble finding one because some people are buying 2 and 3 of them... and 60% of those in the stores are college students who were camped out.

        $40-50 may be "worth" it to the average person, but $100-200 begins to filter out unfortunate families that would have had a chance to have one (either financially or luckily), given 30 college students didn't walk out with 3 a piece to sell them on ebay.

        Trackin?

        Granted, my child still had a Christmas, but when you really want to see a 2 year old's face light up over something he asked santa for, it's horrible to see that someone out there is taking their chance away just to make a few bucks.
        • ChaosProfessor, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1i make a pretty healthy salary; i work in IT i figure if i can make money by doing nothing and just sitting there while people pay what they feel something is worth than so be it. Market Society people!
          • Mockylock, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1If you made a "healthy salary", you wouldn't need to spend time raping a toy store.

            There's a name for you, and it's probably along the lines of "*****".
      • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2@ChaosProfessor

        Why don't you just get a clue Scrooge... your hurting a lot of families who can not afford your 5x retail price. You should be ashamed of yourself, not only at Christmas, but all year round. And I hope you are judged on your actions when your time comes around... and it will not be for the good things, it will be for your greed and selfishnesses.

        Purgatory may not be hell... but close too it.
    • keraneuology, on 12/11/2007, -3/+3If you have raised your kids to define "good christmas/bad christmas" based solely upon whatever toy (usually produced with slave or child labor) they get or don't get then you are somewhat less than a good parent. It would have been much better if the toy had simply been priced at the fair market value to begin with: of course that would have meant that it was priced out of your range to begin with... would you have whined as loudly if the excess money went to some rich CEO instead of a resourceful college student?
      • Mockylock, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4Blow a goat, kid.

        I never said at any point that their Christmas was "good/bad" or based on "whatever toy" they wanted. But, some douchebag with the likes of yourself who would rather think on a financial collegiate standpoint, using a child's toy to play a toys r' us wall street via ebay... then, you prove my point.
        I whine because people are taking 3-4 children's toys ( not playstations or wii's, mind you), and taking away from people that would have normally been able to afford them.
        You, as well, obviously don't have children and don't understand the concept of possibly making a child extremely excited and how happy it makes you. Granted, it all boils down to what someone wants to pay... but something as simple as a child's toy shouldn't require playing the market because everyone raped the toy stores to profit.
        • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Damn.... I couldn't have said it any better.... Kodos Mockylock!
        • barc0001, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1This is the very definition of capitalism, my friend. Demand dictates price. It sucks to be on the losing end, but that's the way the system works. If you don't like it, I hear there are still a few countries in the world that practice "from each according to their abilities to each according to their needs". Although that has other glaring problems as well.
          • Mockylock, on 12/12/2007, -0/+1Whether I agree with it or not, doesn't mean that anyone that feels that turning over kids toys, isn't a douchebag.

            I'm sure it gives a warm fuzzy feeling, when one sees a little kid at the end of a line in Toys R' us who's denied a toy because the "capitalist" in front of him bought 4 to sell on ebay. I didn't say it should be illegal, and everyone has to cope with "life" at one point or another, but it's horrible when someone loses all morals to make money off of children's toys.

            I know, you're right and it's sad but true... but in order to possibly change someone's idea on it, even if by a post, it could benefit someone down the line. The presidency may be decided on who comes up with the most funding, but word of mouth, whining and small posts like those on digg, may eventually turn the table when it comes to doing what's right, rather than what the media wants.
    • BearinG, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3And that is for a 40$ tickle me elmo.. imagine people that have to give out a grand to an online "seller" on ebay.. I sure wouldn't buy a 1000$ console on ebay.. and I buy a bunch of stuff online.
  • ChaosProfessor, on 12/11/2007, -7/+1I too am a Wii Scalper i have sold 5
  • SteelChicken, on 12/11/2007, -4/+3Capitalism at its finest. Props. Buy low, sell high, get out there and find the deals.
  • petejonesrn, on 12/11/2007, -3/+2That's capitalism, folks. And I fully support it. I've done it before & I'll do it again. It's what drives the economy. The only thing I'd be worried about if I were this guy is having the IRS find out and nabbing him for unpaid income tax. It's one thing to tell your friends/family. It's another to post on a site like the consumerist.
    • bjornski, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4God, are you people all Ferengi or something?
  • smackafiyah, on 12/11/2007, -2/+1You gotta do what you gotta do to make a living, or make an extra buck. I commend this kid in making money off people willing to pay $300+ more for a system.
  • kshakir, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2To offer a different alternative than pure monetary gain- I've use the same techniques as Garrett, but each of the Wii's I resold AT COST to a friend or family member.

    It was a pay it forward sort of thing. My buddy and his gf camped last year- he got his Wii and she used her place in line to buy me one. Since then, when I've come across a Wii in stock I've bought it, knowing that someone around me would enjoy it as much as I have too.
  • bradjward, on 12/11/2007, -5/+1I sold a PS3 and Wii to Wayne Brady on launch day for $2700 last year. As a 23 year old recent college grad, it was totally worth the 13 hours in a tent in front of Toys R Us with my wife. People are willing to pay a premium (especially famous people like Wayne Brady), and I am willing to take their money.
    • bradjward, on 12/11/2007, -4/+2Oh, and we sold 1 more PS3 for $1900 and another Wii for $700, then kept a Wii for ourselves. Sold 2 TMX Elmo's for $100 each as well. Took the cash and bought AAPL stock, then sold it this week for a $10,000 profit to buy a house. Thanks, capitalism!
    • Arcum, on 12/11/2007, -0/+0Wayne Brady, Famous? Please. I sold a Wii to Jimmy Kimmel for $5000!
    • deaftly, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Is Wayne Brady gonna have to choke a bitch?
  • matteusx, on 12/11/2007, -3/+1People get so upset. He's doing nothing illegal to get these systems, and selling them to people willing to pay the extra $. Congrats on your successful business.
  • dualityone, on 12/11/2007, -2/+1It's totalyl reasonable. People are making good money standing in queues during the lunchtime rush and selling their places when office workers want to buy something quickly.
    Basic supply and demand, and what every company does - good luck to anyone doing this. People will only pay what they think is fair. If that's 1k for a console, then that's up to them and well done to the enterprising person that has one to sell.
  • vr1000, on 12/11/2007, -2/+6I work for a large multinational pharmaceutical company we have a whole portfolio of life saving cancer drugs. Perhaps we should sell them on Ebay for what the market will bear. That's capitalism. We have it, you need it, pay up. There is a fine line between capitalism and extortion. I realize that if people are willing to pay the price, its OK, but that doesn't mean the situation doesn't stink. This is a $250 item that comes with a game that a single mom could possibly afford for her child. If she's working does she have time to go to every Gamestop until she lucks into one? No. I suppose a lot of people in this thread are not parents. Its a hard thing to deal with a disappointed child on Christmas. Lucky for me my kids would like one but are not dieing for one. I can wait and hopefully a lot of these guys will be stuck with them after Christmas. They are taking a risk too. That's capitalism. Nintendo doesn't get enough blame here. They are making a fundamental business error here. Don't tell me that adding more supply is costly. Contract manufacturing is dirt cheap in China. Its not like they need to build a factory to increase output. The more systems they make, the more games they will sell.
    • iceman5664, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1What games...?
    • zeebo, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1While no one needs a Wii, I remember buying a SNES and a N64 with the cash from my paper routes when I was a kid. Going onto ebay and spending twice as much for a system isn't something that a lot of parents, or kids whose parents can't afford that kind of thing, aren't going to do. If Nintendo want to sell their system for an amount that practically anyone can afford in a first come first serve basis, and that's their right. It seems pretty low to me to redirect those systems to only the wealthiest people willing to pay the premium.
    • s0nicfreak, on 12/11/2007, -5/+1A single mother doesn't have time to go to gamestop? Bawwww, don't be a single mother then.
    • barc0001, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Actually, I have the distinct feeling that your cancer drugs are priced right at the limit of what hospitals and HMOs will pay. Your company most assuredly has a team that sets that price and monitors what the market will bear. Go too high and one of the competing cancer drugs becomes more attractive. That is capitalism at its finest, and the prime reason that capitalism and healthcare should never be linked.
    • keraneuology, on 12/12/2007, -0/+1But you -do- sell them for what the market will bear. Well, you sell them for what the insurance companies will pay and not a dime less.
  • orangetiki, on 12/11/2007, -0/+5No one complains in the real estate business about flippers. So why complain here.
    • zeebo, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1A lot of people who do that fix the houses up and make improvements on them before selling them. Also, a lot of people do complain about people who buy houses simply to drive the price up and who do nothing with the property.

      Also, a house is a little different from the most demanded toy people want for christmas.
  • dvandewalle, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1only went to craigslist once, for an iphone, only paid $50 over retail. can't get them in Canada yet, and it would have cost over $100 for me to drive down and get one, so i thought it was more than worth it. got a wii the month it was released, 360 2 weeks after it was released, so if you are persistent it'll pay off, would never pay that much over retail to get something like that.
  • slicecom, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3I cant believe how many people support the scalpers on here. Personally I think they're the scum of the earth, but theres nothing we can do about it in a capitalist society.
    • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I agree... they need to be outlawed in some way. They always ruin Christmas for families everywhere.
    • fognozzle, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I agree. They don't do anything and take a profit, but I wouldn't want it to be illegal or anything.
    • fbarbie, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1There IS something everyone can do: Not buy from them.
    • dagoonmaster, on 12/14/2007, -0/+0dont like capitalism >_> move
  • nunofgs, on 12/11/2007, -1/+1I find it amazing that the Wii is in so much shortage. Here in Portugal there's at least 10 consoles sitting at the shelves of every computer/videogame store.

    I guess people prefer the Xbox'es / Playstation's.
  • compgeek, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1flipping stuff is a great way to make some easy cash but at the same time I'll do it on stuff that's not super rare just when I buy it I know it's priced below market value then I can sell it for fair market value and make say a $20-50 profit. This guy is being a douche buying things at market value then selling them way overpriced I'll admit like I said I flip but making say $50 on something that was underpriced to begin with is different than making $500-600 on something that was overpriced to begin with
  • Darkneuros, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1My son got his Wii a week after launch by him and I alternately checking Zellers and EBGames on delivery day. Zellers only got 3 and we got one, 2 other people, both with kids, bought the other 2. I wouldn't have paid some scumbag extra for the "hard work" ( please! ) he put into getting a Wii. This isn't capitalism at it's finest, it's leach finds artery to suck on. Get the salt, kill the leach and things become affordable and available again. Definitely do not encourage these types of morons by showing support for their bad behavior, with sentiments like "I wish I had thought of that" It's sad to see how many people are commenting in favor of Garret, people who support this are morally bankrupt with not a care in the world for anything but their own greed. Truly disappointing, but not entirely unexpected.
  • fognozzle, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Umm, iPhones have been in good supply since day 1. I find it hard to believe he made so much on them. Anyone watch the video of the woman who walked into the store with tens of thousands of dollars to buy out the iPhones and they told her "one per customer?" That was great...
  • astrotrain, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Its a real shame to see that the Christmas season has boiled down to money, money, money and nothing else. People who hog up all the toys that kids want and then make parents pay 5x the amount should a shamed of themselves and remind me of the Grinch (without a good ending).

    Hopefully they end up with hoof prints up their forehead and sleigh marks down their back.
  • hockey, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1My moral outrage meter is having a difficult time rising because of this. . . .
    It's a video game console people not the end of the world.
    If you can't get one for your kid for Christmas then save the money and get one after Christmas when the stock increases and demand drops a bit. If your kid has a problem with that be honest and tell them that you couldn't find one and didn't feel like paying a scalper (if they complain about that remind them that they don't have a job)

    Yes I have children.
  • blaket, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1I used to really despise these type of gougers, but really in the end it's what the market is willing to pay then so be it. However, if I were acquire their names, the ones that do massive number of transactions, I'd gladly turn their info over to the IRS. Let them see how the government deals with people who don't pay their taxes. :)
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