It took getting up at 1AM to get in line by 2AM but I was able to buy a Wii console at Wal-Mart this morning. Even arriving at 2AM I was 25th in line. Early on I thought my chances were bad to get one. When I called around to other Wal-Marts they only had 17 or so each. But the store I went to wouldn't say. At 5AM a manager came out to say they had 31 and people started haggling to buy line position. The 22nd position went for $100.
The line experience was a little better and worse than the last line I was in. But that was thirteen years ago in Miami when I was waiting for tickets for The Stones on their "Steel Wheels" tour. It was a lot warmer back then. But the line etiquette was a little harsher. On the Wii line an early guy passed out numbers so that everyone knew where they stood. So I didn't worry about heading off at one point to take a bio-break. One downside though was an obnoxious guy who had two spots and sold one. When the crowd complained he boasted that he 'was packing'. What an idiot.
My friend Joe who was in line for the initial release said that most of the folks in his line were going to sell theirs online to make a quick buck. In my line though everyone I talked to was going to keep theirs. It's interesting to note how the mindset has changed and now people really want them, as opposed to thinking of them as commodities.
Rumor has it that Best Buy and Circuit City are going to sell stuff on Sunday. I doubt I will wait in that line again. But I would like another Wii-mote, and they are as hard to come by as the console.
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