Nintendo Shortage of Wiis

You can blame this year's Nintendo Wii shortage on, well, Nintendo. But consumer frustration over the shortage of Wii consoles is compounded by resellers and retailers who are using the Wii drought as a marketing tool and way to make money.

Don't Just Blame Nintendo
There had been a shortage of Nintendo Wiis this year, and don't just blame Nintendo. A large number of resellers and retailers who are using the Wii drought as a marketing tool are guilty, too.

Some resellers, and even consumers, buy Nintendo Wii and resell the unit for a profitable amount. There are also some gamers who bought the Wii but decided to resell it for a quick buck instead of keeping it. Others bought the Wii just to resell it for a substantial profit.

But in 2007 the reseller market has matured in ways that Tony Soprano might be envious of.

I've heard of people who have made a fulltime job out of reselling Nintendo Wiis. Just search for "Wii resellers" on Google or check eBay to see what I mean. There are loads of Web sites and Wii dealers on eBay selling the Nintendo console for at least twice the MSRP of $250 the unit sells for at retail stores such as Best Buy.

I've heard of some resellers stalking UPS drivers that deliver Wii shipments to retailers. Why? so they can get a jump on the stores that have fresh Wii inventory. Other Wii resellers make friends with the inventory managers at stores just to get first dibs on a Wii.

Reselling may sound like an easy job on paper, but it isn't. One reseller told the Web site Consumerist he received death threats from frustrated buyers wanting to buy a Wii at a reasonable price.