Where to find a Wii?
December 21, 2007 2:55 PM Subscribe
Whats the best way to find a Wii in the Washington, DC area? Is there any chance at all of finding one?
AFAIK, there will be no more shipments to chain/retail stores before Christmas, so your best bet is Ebay (using search <25 miles) or Craigslist. You'll probably get gouged. Meet in person, be careful of scams, check the box before you pay.
posted by sharkfu at 3:08 PM on December 21, 2007
posted by sharkfu at 3:08 PM on December 21, 2007
I think you'd be well advised to give up. Wait until after New Years, when new shipments start coming in, and there's a bit less competition to buy them.
If you wanted one for Christmas, the time to start looking for it was October 15. By now you've pretty much missed your chance.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:15 PM on December 21, 2007
If you wanted one for Christmas, the time to start looking for it was October 15. By now you've pretty much missed your chance.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:15 PM on December 21, 2007
I bought one online a week ago with the help of WiiAlerts.com. You can set up a search for Wiis online and at up to ten stores in your area. When any vendor gets some in, they send a text message to your cell phone.
However, it may be too late for even that.
posted by LarryC at 4:04 PM on December 21, 2007
However, it may be too late for even that.
posted by LarryC at 4:04 PM on December 21, 2007
Wii Tracker has a Wii forum where people have been helping others find Wiis and some people have even sold extra Wiis at cost to help others out on the forum. I'd ask/check there.
posted by harrumph at 4:11 PM on December 21, 2007
posted by harrumph at 4:11 PM on December 21, 2007
AFAIK, there will be no more shipments to chain/retail stores before Christmas, so your best bet is Ebay (using search <2>
In light of things like this, please don't pay more than retail on eBay. It just helps promote this crap.
posted by secret about box at 4:15 PM on December 21, 2007
In light of things like this, please don't pay more than retail on eBay. It just helps promote this crap.
posted by secret about box at 4:15 PM on December 21, 2007
ack, italics accident. can a mod fix? i'll be your best friend.
posted by secret about box at 4:17 PM on December 21, 2007
posted by secret about box at 4:17 PM on December 21, 2007
I got one a few weeks ago from the Best Buy at Potomac Yards in Alexandria, but I suspect they're sold out like everyone else now. You might try going to a few stores and asking them when they get their re-stock shipments, then show up a little while before and try to nab one.
To be honest I don't think it's worth spending a lot of time or money on, but that's just me. If BB hadn't had one sitting there on the shelf the day I walked in, I would have just waited until they're common as aspirin tablets.
I'd think it'd be more fun to have the Wii and a whole mess of games later, than nothing but the Wii (and the knowledge you got screwed) today or on Christmas morning.
posted by Kadin2048 at 5:20 PM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]
To be honest I don't think it's worth spending a lot of time or money on, but that's just me. If BB hadn't had one sitting there on the shelf the day I walked in, I would have just waited until they're common as aspirin tablets.
I'd think it'd be more fun to have the Wii and a whole mess of games later, than nothing but the Wii (and the knowledge you got screwed) today or on Christmas morning.
posted by Kadin2048 at 5:20 PM on December 21, 2007 [1 favorite]
The best of the wii trackers is wiialerts.com, which does emails and (more useful) SMS messages when Amazon and some other sites get them in stock. (They go pretty quickly — minutes usually.) I've been getting them most days recently; if Amazon gets them in stock tomorrow or Sunday, overnighting it would get it there Monday.
posted by raf at 5:20 PM on December 21, 2007
posted by raf at 5:20 PM on December 21, 2007
I assume you've already tried calling every GameStop and EB Games and Toys R Us and Best Buy ... in your area? That's how I found one for my sister last spring.
posted by knave at 8:55 PM on December 21, 2007
posted by knave at 8:55 PM on December 21, 2007
I've been able to purchase two Wii's (one for myself, another for sister-in-law's kids) via Gamestop's geographic inventory locator. If you can find the system on their website, there's a little button that says, "Check Store Availability." It is possible, however, that they're out of Wii's completely and the systems won't show up at all on their site.
I was told earlier today by one of their (Gamestop's) salespersons that they were taking preorders on large shipments Nintendo plans on sending out in mid to late January. So if you can wait, and your area has the same thing going on, you might be in luck.
Otherwise, maybe try Craigslist. Might have to pay a little more, but they'll most definitely be out there.
posted by thewalrusispaul at 9:17 PM on December 21, 2007
I was told earlier today by one of their (Gamestop's) salespersons that they were taking preorders on large shipments Nintendo plans on sending out in mid to late January. So if you can wait, and your area has the same thing going on, you might be in luck.
Otherwise, maybe try Craigslist. Might have to pay a little more, but they'll most definitely be out there.
posted by thewalrusispaul at 9:17 PM on December 21, 2007
Might be too late but I followed WiiMe on twitter to get alerted when Amazon had some in stock. I was able to get one that way. You have to act fast to the alert.
posted by chocolate_butch at 4:42 AM on December 22, 2007
posted by chocolate_butch at 4:42 AM on December 22, 2007
I was told earlier today by one of their (Gamestop's) salespersons that they were taking preorders on large shipments Nintendo plans on sending out in mid to late January. So if you can wait, and your area has the same thing going on, you might be in luck.
This was a publicly announced program, in conjunction with Nintendo; it was only available yesterday, though. And it was expected there would be lines for them.
posted by Remy at 8:17 PM on December 22, 2007
This was a publicly announced program, in conjunction with Nintendo; it was only available yesterday, though. And it was expected there would be lines for them.
posted by Remy at 8:17 PM on December 22, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by spec80 at 2:57 PM on December 21, 2007