Ron Schenone

People Still Can't Wii Enough

Posted by on Jul 2, 2007 | 16 Comments

I have written several previous articles about the Nintendo Wii [pronounced we], which even after seven months on the market, continues to gain in popularity. It is so popular that demand still exceeds production and many in larger cities still are unable to get their hands on the Wii. In fact, after checking on the Internet, it seems they are hard for anyone, anywhere to get. So is the Wii really that hard to find?

I took a look at Amazons site for the Wii and they have featured resellers that are selling the $250 retail until for about $400. So if you really want a Wii that bad, you would have to pay a premium from these vendors. Over at Ebay on todays date at 08:25 CDT, bids were ranging from about $310 to $430 depending on the unit, how many games and controllers it came with. Over at Toys-R-Us the Wii is not available though they do have the $250 price tag on the item.

At Wal-Mart the standard Wii is out of stock, but the Wii bundle is available for $538! I’m not sure if this is a deal or not. :-) But if you really want one, it is an option. Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA no Wii either.

So it looks like there really is a shortage of the gaming consoles.

Does anyone know where you can by the Wii for retail pricing of $249.99 ? Let us know.

PS Interesting. Some in the industry say that supply may not catch up with demand until next year. :-(
Comments welcome.

[tags]nintendo, wii, shortage, supply, [/tags]

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  • http://www.Hogans-Systems.com Rick

    My daughter wanted a Wii last Christmas. She is still waiting. I go around to the local Best Buy, Game Stop, etc., pretty regularly, but still no Wii for my daughter. It seems hard to believe that they could be selling very many of them, since no one ever seems to have them in stock. I just don’t know why they can’t make more of them by this time.

    Rick

  • jerry

    I got lucky the other day at Sears in Shreveport, LA and was able to buy one. My son saved his money and wanted a Wii but he too could not find one at retail. He was determined to wait and keep trying and it paid off. I happened to have some time to kill so I decided to take a walk at the local mall which happened to have a Sears. I wandered in just looking around and was drawn to the electronics department and there it was in the locked glass case. I asked the sales person if it was really a Wii or was it an empty box. i was assured it was the real deal and that a customer had returned it as her son received two as presents and returned the one not wanted. It had never been opened and works perfectly.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Rick,
    It seems that the Wii has become so popular that in Japan is out sells the PS3 6 to 1. Hopefully the Wii epidemic will taper off soon. :-)
    Thanks for your comments, Ron

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Jerry,
    Congrats! You were at the right place at the right time.
    Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
    Ron

  • Joe Abernathy

    I had a similar experience to Jerry’s. I liked the idea of the Wii to get me off my butt and move around every now and again. Held off on buying until the frenzy died down.

    I went out and started looking a couple weeks ago and was surprised to find exactly what you did, Ron, either gouged pricing or “bundles” that, when you added up the pieces, were charging more than the retail price for the sum of the parts.

    I wandered into the Fry’s near me and looked around….went over to a clerk and said, “What’s up with the Wii consoles? Do you guys ever actually have any of these to sell?”….He said, “We have one right now. We got a few in yesterday and someone just brought this one back.”

    It was still in the shrink wrap, unopened. Their only catch was that I had to buy any two additional games. That’s the kind of “catch” I like…an excuse to pick up games I’d buy anyway.

    So my casual question turned out to be a lucky break. They sold it (and the games) for the retail price.

    Joe

  • Michael

    I got mine not too long ago – this after waiting in line for 4 hours, zipping across town to snag one.

    I live in Canada and I went to a FutureShop store (similar to Best Buy) and asked but they do not have one. One salesman spoke to me in private and told me to come first thing on a Friday – at the time when they open. He reasoned out that they have the Wii in the back but they are not putting them on the shelves until then. I was surprised – and I kept that information for myself to be able to get a Wii (talk about being selfish).

    Why would they hide it in the back when people are there ready to pick them up – and especially when they are not even jacking the price up (supply and demand scenario).

    Beats me.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Joe,
    Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Sounds like you got a fair deal from Fry’s. :-) Enjoy your new toy.

    Hello Michael,
    That is strange.
    Thanks for your comments.

    Ron .

  • Ryan

    I know a lot of people that have had good luck at Target stores. They usually get new shipments in on Sundays, so checking every Sunday morning has been very successful for my friends.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Ryan,
    Thanks for the tip!
    Ron

  • Mark

    Although most shops here in the UK seem to be “waiting for some to come in” I went into a small local games shop at the weekend and they had a large number behind the counter at £179 (at current exchange rates that is $359). Another case of rip-off Britain :(

  • http://pubserver.co.nr fresno

    over here in fresno…there are many…many wiis being still here. I bought the wii at a gamestop ($250) and there were 3 other wiis still there.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Mark.
    Thanks for the information.Is there some type of added tax that is applied to electronics sold in the UK? Just curious.
    Thanks Ron

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Fresno,
    Thanks for sharing this.
    Ron

  • Timothy

    Hi, I just wanted to say that I have a Wii and I got mine from Wal-mart, I just happen to go with my wife shopping and walked over to the Electronics section to check (for about the 5th month) and there they was, 5 boxes! So, if you want one just keep checking around, Wal-Mart and what not… Last I checked Wal-mart was sold out again but I went to the mall and at “Software Ect.” in the mall they had about 15-20 Wii’s…. So I recomend The Mall! :)

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Timothy,
    Thanks for the advice.
    Ron