Finding a Wii to buy despite lines and at the regular retail price

IIf your mom told you never to pay retail, buying a Nintendo Wii even at the manufactured suggested retail price may seem like a violation of mom’s warning. You just can’t find one on-line or in stores without superhuman efforts (tipping the manager, waiting outside the store before opening hours on days when shipments are expected, or paying a $60+ premium on eBay or Amazon). Here’s another option that worked for me though it took a while. Warning: this idea is not for those in need of a quick Wii fix for a birthday or upcoming holiday. It is purely for those who can’t spend the extra cash, or who want to brag to their friends that for once, they “paid retail” and that was the best deal you could get.

Do this: Sign up for the “now in stock” Google group at NowInStockWiis | Google Groups . This Google group only exists to alert members that some online retailer has an inventory of Wii consoles at “regular” prices and if you hurry, you might be able to get one. When you sign up, make sure to go to “edit my membership” and make sure to set your email delivery option to: Send each message as it arrives. You do this so you get an email as soon as there is a new Wii sighting. You need to click and try to buy as soon as you get the email. The inventory flies fast, perhaps much to the 3000 NowinstockWiis members.

Alerts come at all times of the day, though I found that there are more postings in the early morning hours East Coast time, much to the disadvantage of Westerners. I clicked and clicked for about a month and half, but finally scored a Wii console from BestBuy.com for $249, not a penny over retail.

One added note: along with the $249 single console offer, there are a lot of offers for package deals, costing upwards of $600. These are around all over anyway, so usually you can just skip over them when you see the elevated price in the description.

Happy hunting. I am no longer a member of the NowinstockWiis Google group, but I remember my days there fondly.