Pretty sure the PS3 was never the hot holiday item, was it? I think the cost pushed it off of most non-hardcore folks' radar.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Wii U eBay resale / sellout / availability discussion
- Thread starter SquiddyCracker
- Start date
Pretty sure the PS3 was never the hot holiday item, was it? I think the cost pushed it off of most non-hardcore folks' radar.
Tragicomedy
Member
Precisely, I was hedging my bets. I wanted to lock in the easy $100 profit. The other system is going to go up around Christmas, and I'm hoping to pull in $200+ on that one. My plan right now is to use the profits to cover a chunk of my Christmas gift shopping this year, but if the Wii U ends up being brilliant (highly unlikely, IMO) I'll pick one up for "free" sometime next year.
I did pay the Ebay + Paypal fees of $14.22. No sales tax since I ended up picking them up at the base exchange on a military installation, hence tax free. The total cost to me was $364.22, all included.
The auction went for $465 + an additional $15 for shipping fees, so $480 total.
$115.78 in profit for the time it took me to pick up the system, list it on Ebay, and FedEx it out tomorrow. It's not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but worth it for the amount of effort. I have that second system I'm hoping to flip for significantly more around Christmas, but we'll see. Worst case, I keep it for my family or return it to the store for a full refund.
Gamer @ Heart
Member
Yeah. It was readily available about a month later.
I agree. It's pretty much a flat 10% (give or take), and then you get hit with PayPal. If you can deal with craigslist it's a much better route to go.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Correct, PS3 was never the hot holiday item.
Exactly. This isn't exactly news to celebrate that there's soft demand on launch day. Nintendo lovers should be wishing for huge ebay markups. It could be signalling something unpleasant.
And if you look at the 36O BF bundle of a 250GB system with Skyrim and Forza 4 for 249.99, this is what WiiU is going to be competing with. So nothing is guaranteed.
The best part is that ebay owns paypal, lol.
Got the Shakes
Member
What reputable store like Best Buy, Target, or GameStop is going to screw someone on their return? The return policy is the return policy, as long as it's unopened and within the return period, you'd get your money back.
How are you paying a combined 4 percent for ebay/paypal fees. What categories are you using?
Well I ended up 1 daying my white on eBay and it went for 430 shipped. I went out this morning around 11am and picked up 4 more to flip. I live in a rural retirement area, no one cares about games/tech here. It's like turning down free money. Bought one for myself and one for my sister too.
Oh discover card is giving 5% cash back for any department store purchase so 7 wiiUs 2200x5% is $110 for nothing too.
Not gonna happen. Demand is way too high, while the supply is nearly nonexistent.
Wii U isn't guaranteed to be a hot holiday item either. I think an iPad Mini will be hotter this holiday. And the price isn't exactly low for the Wii U and there certainly isn't a lot of buzz.
The demand is only high in certain areas, but we'll see how it'll play out. I'm actually hoping it's pretty popular.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Just got back from EB with my WiiU. Said I had until Jan 15th 2013 to return it.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Doesn't make for an exciting OP that way if it is based in reality.
graywolf323
Member
robertlebrone
Member
LOL, Wii U is not going to sell for that much. The hype is just not there, these people reselling the systems might be lucky to get $100 profit counting what they paid for the systems w/ tax and the online listing/selling fees plus shipping. Not even worth it.
Brings me great pleasure to see these people barely break even.
Brings me great pleasure to see these people barely break even.
bringingthethunder
Neo Member
Haha wow thats a lot.
vikingvessel
Member
What am I missing here? Shouldn't the PayPal fees alone come to $13.78 before their 2.9% of the shipping?
$465 x 2.9% + .30 per transaction fee. And then PayPal takes that same 2.9% from the $15 for shipping and eBay takes their cut from the Sell Price+Shipping.
Is there a really sweet promotion going on?
EDIT FOR CLARITY:
I see what you did. You only saw the hit that you took from PayPal and didn't consider that eBay has not charged you yet, as the $14.22 is the exact PayPal fee when you factor $480 x 2.9% + .30 = $14.22.
Most people I work with/talked to only just found out about the WiiU like last week. I would give it a little time. Come early December, I'm pretty sure this thing will be supply constrained and the prices will go up. I hate it when people do this though..
SeanNoonan
Member
So here in my little corner of the east coast (S. Pennsylvania), I can walk into one of three Targets in reasonable driving distance and pick up a WiiU, with the Deluxe available at all three. Not sure how long that will last, but it does suggest less of a day one shortage than many were predicting.
He never answered me. But you're right. When I did the quick math in my head, I foolishly only worked out a percentage based on 350.
Looking at ebay's fee chart, I'm assuming he did a fixed auction (cheaper) and it's in the 25.00ish range (maybe slightly higher depending on whether it qualifies as electronics or video games).
vikingvessel
Member
Was just looking into it for the hell of it and came to your same $25, assuming the electronics section for the $3.50 for the first $50 and $21.50 for the remaining $430.
As totally expected, prices have been dropping on even the deluxe. When you exclude all the reds (lots of them), 450 seems to be about the average price on completed auctions right now.
Don't see it getting better, because there are almost 5000 active auctions and the really fat whales have already been harpooned.
At this point whites are pretty much off the table and unless you don't have sales tax and/or consider a profit/risk ratio of less than 50 dollars to be a good return, even the blacks aren't worthwhile for anyone but power sellers on ebay.
Don't see it getting better, because there are almost 5000 active auctions and the really fat whales have already been harpooned.
At this point whites are pretty much off the table and unless you don't have sales tax and/or consider a profit/risk ratio of less than 50 dollars to be a good return, even the blacks aren't worthwhile for anyone but power sellers on ebay.
I wish I had one to sell
I cant see this happening in the UK, pre-orders are still widely available here despite the "limited supply".
If you are willing to wait a bit extra (due to additional time necessary for shipment) but want to save quite a bit of money, you can buy a Wii U Basic for €269 or a Premium for €315 at Amazon France. I live in Austra, but even with over-night shipping, ordering in France is cheaper than local retailers (which want €350 for the Premium Pack).
I think the fact that there is already a race to the bottom with pre-order prices across Europe shows how lacklustre demand for the console is.
Twilight Princess
Member
is it against tos to wish scalpers burn in eternal hell?
With taxes and eBay fees (which are quite significant), only a very small number of scalpers will even be in the green, let alone make a significant amount of profit from this venture.
Winnie the Pimp
Member
good for them but... what a hassle really, i wouldn't even want to deal with all that crap just to save/make a few bucks. It's not like anyone REALLY makes thousands of dollars with stuff like this.
Got the Shakes
Member
From yesterday, the 18th, here is a sold listing for a Deluxe that sold for $700 and had 4 bids on it and then someone jumped on the $700 But It Now price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-Wii-U-Latest-Model-Deluxe-Set-32-GB-Black-Console-/290816462788?pt=Video_Games&hash=item43b6030fc4&nma=true&si=AYlX%2BHyv1rGNIav0KrUVgByaZ0Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Fox Mulder
Member
I imagine many of these people are also offering their flips on craigslist, hoping to fish whoever they can. You get fewer eyes, but no fees.
It's the day after release, and before Black Friday. If people can't sell their wiiu's in December for more than they are now, then they have a problem.
It's the day after release, and before Black Friday. If people can't sell their wiiu's in December for more than they are now, then they have a problem.
xxbrothawizxx63
Member
Just sold mine for $470 on craigslist. A nice $100 gross profit.
King Mystery
Member
I remember ebaying a Xbox 360 for around $750. Won it in that promotion where Microsoft was giving away like a bajillion of them. I used some of the money to buy a DELL 2405fpw which I still own and use as my main display. It's been on running virtually nonstop to this day. It's about the only monitor I know of that has a DVI, VGA/dsub, s-video, component, and av connection all rolled into one. I can jack my PSOne into it without having to use some stupid converter box.
I do feel a bit sorry for the guy who bought the 360 though. Being a launch unit, I'm almost certain it RROD'd within months.
I do feel a bit sorry for the guy who bought the 360 though. Being a launch unit, I'm almost certain it RROD'd within months.
If someone wanted a Wii U, which launched a few days ago, and did not get one, why would they immediately go to a reseller for one as opposed to testing their luck on Black Friday?
Alcoholikaust
Member
As far as binding contracts go: you sir are very foolish. Expect plenty of PM's about this.
If anyone wants to take this on that lives in New Jersey, there are currently 30 WiiUs that have been at the Brick TWP Best Buy since Saturday.
Easy money...
tiggerkiddo
Member
Yea on Craigslist they're asking 450 or more for them, especially the Deluxe set. We'll see how fast they move them though.
Shadow Hog
Member
You... you do get the reference, right?
Smiles and Cries
Member
when I pick up my Wii U deluxe from the Walmart Layaway reserve there was a young asian couple that came behind me to wait in line for Layaway to open at 9am
I was kind a shocked that they both got 2 Deluxes for a total of 4 Wii Us
we talked for a while waiting to get our stuff they asked if I was going to put mine on eBay after I told them I saw prices at $800 on eBay and that the sales guys at the electronics department told me they were already sold out of the 4 they had in from the 43 they had in the back on reserve for layaway. I answered nope going home to play this thing.
I can't say I fault anyone for this if they are about to double their money or even if they sell one for nearly $3,000 it is not their fault that someone is seriously going to pay that much.
I was kind a shocked that they both got 2 Deluxes for a total of 4 Wii Us
we talked for a while waiting to get our stuff they asked if I was going to put mine on eBay after I told them I saw prices at $800 on eBay and that the sales guys at the electronics department told me they were already sold out of the 4 they had in from the 43 they had in the back on reserve for layaway. I answered nope going home to play this thing.
I can't say I fault anyone for this if they are about to double their money or even if they sell one for nearly $3,000 it is not their fault that someone is seriously going to pay that much.
ImpassionateGods
Member
I just can't fathom why anyone would pay above the asking price just to get this thing a little bit early. You can walk into a store and buy one right now! Nintendo isn't going to stop manufacturing their brand new console. These people are just throwing away their money.