It appears that when the PlayStation 3 is released in the U.S. Friday, there will be plenty of people waiting to buy the limited supply. And secondhand sales may be hard to come by on eBay, as well.In Fargo, N.D., temperatures Thursday morning were around 25 degrees, which wasn’t cold enough to keep about 50 people from waiting for a chance at the game console.They were lined up outside Fargo’s Best Buy store, which is only expected to have about 24 systems.
But several buyers in front of the lines don’t appear to be gamers. They were people hoping to sell it.
One man in Oregon paid four people $100 each to stand in line at a Best Buy that’s only selling one system per person.Once they have the console, sellers are hoping to get between $2,000 and $3,000.eBay Changes PoliciesBut it may not be easy to sell those units at online auction site eBay.The online marketplace is imposing restrictions on the PS3. Only established eBay vendors with high positive ratings can list the units before Friday. Each vendor can only list only one PS3 per eBay account.The listing must include a photo of the pre-order receipt, and the seller must guarantee shipment within 30 days from the date of purchase.Potential buyers, trying to avoid long lines, rain checks and empty-handed sales clerks on Friday, have already bid up prices to $2,300.
Man Wants 15
A west Georgia man was so determined to buy 15 pieces of the latest video game hardware as Christmas gifts that he hired people to stand in line for him. But the plan fell apart when other customers got wind of it and complained.Murray Newlin, a Columbus, Ga., dentist, was seeking 15 PlayStation 3 consoles as Christmas gifts for grandchildren, nieces and nephews.He was prepared to buy available units from Wal-Mart stores in Columbus and several Alabama cities, using a crew of 60 workers he cycled through in eight-hour shifts, according to one of the temps he hired.He abandoned his plan after other potential customers got wind of it and began complaining to him, to the store managers and to the employment agency he used.Gamers have been standing outside the Airport Thruway Wal-Mart in Columbus since Wednesday.Newlin said he checked with store managers to make sure he wasn’t violating their policy before sending his work force to the stores. But he said, “It’s not worth the brouhaha it’s causing.”
Injuries Reported
In West Bend, Ind., a 19-year-old man had to be taken to the hospital after he was injured racing other customers for a chance to buy the game console.The man was waiting with about 50 others outside Wal-Mart when an assistant manager announced the store would only have 10 units for sale.The assistant manager then placed 10 chairs outside the store. At a signal, the customers could race to the chairs. Whoever got a spot could buy one of the systems.The 19-year-old ran into a pole and struck his head while sprinting for a chair.
It’s amazing what some people will do for the Playstation3. I think I can wait awhile to get my hands on it. Can you wait? Whats your thoughts?
