How to locate Wii Fit?

May 25, 2008 2:04 PM

OK, OK, nobody else has asked, so I will: How do I get my hands on the popular and way-sold-out Wii Fit in the U.S. -- without paying more than retail?

Yeah, I know. If I wanted it so bad I should have pre-ordered. Strangely, its total unavailability only makes me want it more...

posted by Andrhia to shopping (22 answers total)

... way sold out? I was at the mall yesterday and the Gamestop had a stack ...
posted by Comrade_robot at 2:30 PM on May 25, 2008

Comrade_robot: are you sure those weren't just empty boxes?
posted by gerryblog at 2:33 PM on May 25, 2008

Talk to the managers of the electronics sections at major retailers. They know when their shipments are coming in, and how many units will arrive. Then go to the store very early on the appointed date.

That's how I got my son's Wii console. The electronics manager at KMart told us the date the next shipment was coming in, and that there would be 18 consoles. When the date arrived, we got there 30 minutes before the store opened, and we were 5th in line. We walked straight to the electronics department and got our Wii.

Good luck!
posted by amyms at 2:34 PM on May 25, 2008

Our local Best Buy has them stacked on the floor Friday. Sold-out is not national, just where you are. Try buying from Bestbuy.com for delivery to your local store. according to the cheapassgamer.com forums, Target has the Fit in the Sunday ad for $89.99. Be there early.
posted by Talia Devane at 2:34 PM on May 25, 2008

Comrade_robot: Yep, sold out at Amazon.com, both our local Best Buys plus their web site, Circuit City plus their website, Toys R Us, Target, FYE.

Some of the (several) local Gamestops said they were releasing the pre-orders that hadn't been picked up today, and only one of them had any left when I called. Two, to be precise. When I got there, they had one left, and the family one ahead of me in line bought it. (DOH!)

I live in Metro New York, don't know if that makes a difference or not...
posted by Andrhia at 2:38 PM on May 25, 2008

Ouch, there were a ton in NYC on launch day.

If you're itching to kill some calories while you wait, I would pick up a gamepad for your console of choice and a used copy of DDR. My mom's weight watchers' group swears by it, and I'm a fan.
posted by ®@ at 2:47 PM on May 25, 2008

Looks like I've got some stalking ahead of me, unless somebody unexpectedly busts out with "You'd be surprised, but they're totally selling them at Carvel!" or something.

In the meanwhile we finally opened up Wii Play. And yeah, I should dust off DDR. It's just hard.. can't play in the day without the kiddies climbing up your legs, can't play at night without the nouse and house-shakery waking them up. Wii Fit at least promises to be quieter and non-jumpy. ^_^
posted by Andrhia at 3:06 PM on May 25, 2008

Sorry, forgot what day it is. Sign up at Cheap Ass Gamer to read the forums and then you can check the ads ahead of publication so you know where to camp.
posted by Talia Devane at 3:25 PM on May 25, 2008

Well, I didn't go and shake the boxes, so it's possible they were all empty ...

Have you tried Costco? They're out online, but sometimes they have things in stock in their warehouses because most people don't think 'Costco' when they're looking for certain things. Harry Potter, for example, was sold out everywhere we went a few years ago ... we went into Costco, giant stacks.
posted by Comrade_robot at 3:53 PM on May 25, 2008

I found out when the local Worst (Best, ha! ;-) ) Buy received their shipments. The Wiis were showing up via UPS. I found out when the UPS shipments showed up and called them every day to ask if they had any. Eventually I called on a day they said yes. I immediately drove over to pick it up. All in all, it took me less then two weeks.
posted by Silvertree at 4:43 PM on May 25, 2008

If you're in NYC, try the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center. Even when Wii consoles were at their most scarce, they released 100 of them for sale each day.
posted by Prospero at 5:34 PM on May 25, 2008

Meet someone who works for Nintendo and have them pick one up for you at the company store in Seattle.
posted by jeffamaphone at 6:21 PM on May 25, 2008

I second heading to the Nintendo Store in Rockefeller Center (it's at the south end on 48th St.) I've gotten a lot of Wii stuff there (including the system itself) and they've always been plentiful in stock. I recommend heading there early on a weekday, when it's typically slow, just to maximize your chances.
posted by greenland at 7:32 PM on May 25, 2008

Got mine yesterday at GameStop without any effort or pre-order.
posted by blue_wardrobe at 9:17 PM on May 25, 2008

You'd be surprised, but they're totally selling them at Blockbuster Video!

Seriously, that's where I got mine, at 3:30 on launch day. There was another one left, too, and I think they may not have even had more than those two.

So add that to your list of places to check for it (and to ask about incoming shipments), because very few people realize they sell new video games too.
posted by DoctorFedora at 9:56 PM on May 25, 2008

Early in the day is good at most of the big box retailers. They tend to get a bunch of crap in during the day and in the evenings and wait until the next day to put it out on the floor. Also ask, even if you don't see anything. During the Wii shortage, my local Best Buy would sometimes have them in back, but they hadn't gotten around to putting them out yet. If you asked, they would be pleased as punch to go get you one.

Last time I was there they had a stack late in the evening. Maybe folks around here are just lazy fatasses, but I saw a bunch of them (and people buying them) when I was out a couple of days ago looking for a different game. (I preordered mine from Amazon and had it Tuesday)
posted by wierdo at 10:11 PM on May 25, 2008

We picked one up at Walmart yesterday. In situations like this we usually cruise some of the local big-boxes and electronics stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, Shopko, FYE, Toys R Us, etc.) every day, and it usually doesn't take long to stumble across one.

Don't mess with Gamestop. They get a few and sell them insanely fast, then tell you "You'll never find one" while people are tripping over huge stacks of them at Best Buy.
posted by mmoncur at 1:05 AM on May 26, 2008

Huh. Thanks for that, DoctorFedora. The three local Blcokbusters are sold out, but I suspect they won't keep selling out as fast as e.g. Best Buy and GameStop. Thanks!
posted by Andrhia at 7:49 AM on May 26, 2008

As an update to this thread and any future readers, I waited in line at Nintendo World in NYC twice. It seems they have less than 30 each day right now and you should arrive on or before 7:30 a.m. I heard the first people arrive around 6:00. As a data point, I arrived at 7:45 today and there were about 40 or 50 people ahead of me (not everyone was waiting for the Fit, but most were) and did not get one - I was off by about 10-15 people. The store opens at 9:00 and I heard they only have one checkout, so you'll be there a while. The good news is that they usually let you know by about 8:30 how many they have for the day.
posted by ml98tu at 6:13 AM on May 29, 2008

Adding to this -- is there anywhere online where I can just get on a waiting list and have one sent to me when they arrive? Without paying ridiculous prices? I don't have the time or desire to drive around town looking for one.

I've looked at all the obvious websites, and none of them have waiting lists -- just "SOLD OUT" signs.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:33 AM on June 4, 2008

Huzzah! We camped at our local Best Buy on the advice of the staff there and scored one this morning. Thanks for all of your help, and good luck to any of you still looking.

I've also found an email alert system at http://www.zoolert.com/wiifit.php -- but good luck hitting an online retailer in time unless you have a mad fast connection. I've only seen one or two alerts go up since I signed up and they were all gone by the time I noticed the email and clicked through. Still, it can't hurt to try!
posted by Andrhia at 5:33 PM on June 8, 2008

For future readers, I followed DoctorFedora's advice and found a WiiFit at the Blockbusters in my neighborhood in Queens. It was the last one, but they had no problem putting my name on a contact list to let me know when they get more. (My co-worker and I have been tag-team shopping for this, but found that Toys R Us and the Nintendo store only allow one per customer.)
posted by zerbinetta at 1:04 PM on July 7, 2008