Absolutely!! My wife and I "flipped" Tickle Me Elmo TMX last Christmas. I found out when the local got stock in (every tues) and purchased them all as soon as the store opened. We made well over 3K. We got lots of looks and comments.. but you know what.. Thats how a capitalist market works! So good for you Garrett.

Good for you Garrett, more power to you! I had considered the very same idea as you with the PS3s but unfortunately I did not have the cashflow to attempt it.

I've sold certain video games for more than their purchase price. I just did it because I could. Particularly games on the bargain bin (Panzer Dragoon Saga was in the TRU bargain bin for $19.99... I bought 3, kept one, and sold the other two on eBay for $170 a couple years later).

At the same time, when I was managing a Gamestop, I'd consistently refuse to sell multiple systems to the same person. If they came in the week before and bought a Wii, then the next week came for another one, still not buying any games, we'd be mysteriously sold out. -shrug-

The only thing that Garrett would be "guilty" of-- since he doesn't seem to mention it-- would be tax evasion on the tidy profits he's making.

Other than that, good for him for reaping rewards for his knack of finding things for other people.

No. Why should I pay more when I don't get anything more for the money? I'm not interested in consoles, but I am interested in smartphones. But because the iphone is still missing some features I want, I have a Tilt. But when the iphone v2 is out, and IF it does what I need it to do, I'll buy one ... by placing an order directly with Apple and waiting for it to come in.

Call me red, but there aren't enough expletives to describe people like Garrett. They're leeches on the industry that they are scalping, and doing damage to it. If a person has to pay MSRP + Scalper Fee for a console, that scalper fee doesn't come from thin air, and most of the time it's games and accessories for the console that are taking the hit. This means less sales of titles, less titles being made, and the subsequent downfall of the industry. If Garrett got some horrible disease and was to die next Thursday, I for one wouldn't feel bad at all.

I guess I'm just suprised that people actually get upset that someone is willing to do the work for them of physically walking to the store to pick an item up so they can leisure their way to being broke.

As someone on Psych said last night, 'Just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean that you SHOULD.' I really don't have much problem with him reselling stuff right after launches, etc. Nobody expects highly-anticipated stuff to be available after then, and it's a war zone.

However, if, a year on, a console is still in demand and still hard to get, it's not the 'mugs' who are after it, or the ones who want 'FIRSTIES', these are just people who want to buy a system they've probably wanted for well over a year.

After the first couple months of a release, come on, give the rest of the world who doesn't have the time or the resources that you do a chance. You've made your money, move over.

I think anyone who REALLY wants a Wii can use a little determination and get one. That said, I have been toying with the idea of buying a few to resell on Ebay or Craigslist but it's never gone beyond that.

@bigdirty: That's the most asinine thinking I've ever seen. You think someone who pays 1000 for a PS3 is then going to sit on their couch and say "man, I sure wish I could buy some games to play with this PS3"? No. They're people with disposable income or idiots who put shit on credit cards. Either way, they'll have money to buy games.

The prices wouldn't be that high if people weren't willing to pay it. Welcome to how supply and demand works. There's a markup on everything that's sold, because people want to make profits. If a third party can get a bigger markup than retailers, then more power to them.

...and cue the pitchfork-wielding mob right about... now.

(Says the guy who trolls thrift stores for classic video games to sell on eBay.)

@firefoxx66: Where would you like your +1? I could suggest a few places...

I am too cheap to be caught by the hype. Selling Wii, Tickle Me Elmos and what not at a profit does not bother me if the people are going through the proper channels. Hanna Montana tickets are another story.

@bigdirty "if a person has to pay"

You don't "Have to pay". You don't have to have it the first day. If people let the scalpers sit on their inventory till their credit cards came due, then there wouldn't be a problem. Scalpers exist and profit because people are stupid enough to pay them the arm & leg they ask for. $2000 for a PS3? $5000 for "Hannah Montana" tickets? Please.
These are not necessities.

And the industry loves scarcity. They don't give a rat's posterior that accessories aren't selling yet. If they sell every console they make at full mark-up as soon as it gets to the store- perfect.

The same people that paid a $200 markup will be back to buy the contollers later.

Want Garrett to die like a leech covered in salt? Don't buy stuff at huge markups. Let him sit on 5 $300 consoles for six months.

It's flippers like that that keep prices artificially high in everything they do.

Flippers fucked up the mortgage industry by buying and selling homes for profit instead of as places to live. It's easy money, all you have to do is buy a shit hole, hire a few contractors and then wait till some "lucky" buyer comes along and pops a boner over your marble countertops and vintage brass fixtures. Meanwhile, most flips aren't done that well. Corners get cut all over the place to maximize profit and speed up the flip so what you're really getting is a polished turd, or a gilded shit-cage. Then, when all these artificially-inflated homes don't sell, the industry collapses because people can't pay their mortgage AND the flip, so they default. All the defaults and foreclosures make lenders wary and so they tighten up, making it harder and harder for joe average to afford a decent place to live.

Console flippers make it even harder to find already rare items at christmas because they snap them up en masse and then sell them back, feeding off of high demand. It's obvious that these people are sociopaths, no sense of fairness or equity. The only reason that they make money is because they have it and the store doesn't. That's not capitalism. That's piracy. Best Buy doesn't send cronys out to Circuit City to buy up all of the Rock Band boxes on sale so they can sell them at a regular price. That's not allowed. So should the same be true for consumers.

It should go without saying that if you're not buying it to use it, you shouldn't buy it, but trying to tell these soulless zombies that is like talking to a wall. Way to ruin Christmas. Assholes.

@Shadowfire:
Now that seems kind of hypocritical to me. It's ok for you to buy something and resell but if someone else wants to do the same you lie and stop them from doing it? That's kind of f'ed up in my book. You're not making any more or less profit from selling 3 systems to 1 person vs. 3 systems to 3 people. So why stop them?

I stumbled onto a few Wiis at a local Gamestop this past summer. I asked if I could buy more than one, the manager told me I could only buy 1 at a time, if I wanted more than 1 I'd have leave and comeback. So I bought 1 for myself, went out to the car and put it away and then walked back and got another. A few months ago I purchased a bundle from CC for about $500, extra controllers games, etc. I ended up reselling both of those for $300 apiece...I'm kinda jealous that Garrett was selling them for $400. Oh well, enough profit to cover a few beers is enough for me.

@bigdirty: The eople who are buying are essentially paying for all the trouble the "scalper" went to toget it. They don't have to wait in line, find the itme, develop relationships with employees to learn any secrets, etc.
If you have ever used information you got from an employee, you are just as "guilty" as this guy is. The only difference is he is selling his service to make money and you aren't. I see no problem with him.

Flipping toys for little kids seems pretty scummy.

But for the "grown-up" tech stuff, people are old enough to know what they're getting into by wanting to have a gadget right at first release, and if the market bears the price, then whatever.

I can't imagine a situation where I'd camp out overnight or show up at a store at 4am for something -- I hate going to the mall even during its normal operating hours. Not to mention how much early openings suck for store employees who usually have to work holidays etc. anyway.

I know someone who kinda "overpaid" for a Wii. She bought it at a store, but they were only selling it with extra insurance--so you couldn't buy it alone. It's the store linked to Hollywood Video, but she got 12 free movie rentals--so she feels the extra insurance cost cancels out the price of the rentals. The reason being is she was headed off to work at a summer camp and wanted the game there for the kids to play. She bought extra controllers and stuff.

They kids liked it. She came home from camp and has not unpacked the Wii or used it since. She considers it a business purchase (tax deductible) and plans to bring the Wii back to camp next year. She has also bought for the kids at camp in previous years an Xbox, PS2, and extra equipment, etc . . .

You shouldn't feel guilty at all. This is capitalism at it's finest. Supply and Demand. The people who are getting ticked off have no reason to get mad at you. They certainly aren't compelled to purchase from you. It's a simple fair-market valuation of a product. Congratulations. Now, pay your taxes!

If I could get my hands on Wii, I'd sell it over cost too. if you're determined to get that "hot" item but not determined to go and find it then shut up. Someone who says "you are taking my Christmas away from my child" is just mad because you didn't get there earlier, if he hadn't bought it then someone else would've. Wait until it's not that hot anymore and they will pop up.

I have 2 boys and I refuse to buy them something that I would have to pay extra for just because they want it and it's what everyone wants. They know that I only buy things that are on sale or extras come with it. I just bought them a ps2 on Craigslist year for $50. So yeah I wait.

It's not against the law to resell things and quit trying to play the "moral game".

You really want something then find out when the stores get their shipments in and be there first thing in the morning or line up like everyone else. I find it wrong when companies let one person buy multiples of a "hot item", it should be one per person.

how legit is this guy? i thought iphones had a one per customer limit and activation was necessary? Also - they had such a high number available... it squashed the profit from resale.

as for the ps3... that thing was out of stock for like 2 weeks, how are you continually making profit on something thats readily available?

interesting.

Hell, if I wasn't so damn lazy, I'd do the same thing.

I have how made a pretty phat stack of cash doing this during the PS3/Wii rush last year.

Since we're buds, he let me get one of the Wiis at cost. I've thanked him profusely for the oppotunity many times after that. I'd never imagine they'd still be such a hot item a year later.

I'm still torn over whether I should compliment the Wii with an Xbox 360 or a PS3...

@half-beast: Yeah, in english, that first line starts "I have a friend who"

Scum.

Hey, more power to ya, Garrett! I'd be right there with ya, but the shop boys treat me like their Number One Enemy: The Suburban Housewife.

Man, they see right past the rock music and nose ring. While nicer to me than others of my "caste" they still don't trust me. Must be the Betty Crocker perfume.

Stores that sell the Wii only in bundles or with required insurance are scummier than this guy.

Even if your kid may say he will "die" if he doesn't get a Wii, this ain't the basic necessities we're talking here...we're talking about "luxuries". If you aren't willing to pay "scalper" prices for something that is in demand and in short supply, then you can be the last on your block to get one. But if you're going to condemn anyone, condemn the buyers that pay scalper prices because the scalper exists SOLELY because of these buyers.

I don't think it is THAT bad, but I wouldn't feel right doing it. I'm a Marine, so I am in a pretty good position to buy things like this second hand. Just wait for the next unit to leave for Iraq (or anywhere for that matter) and all sorts of things are for sale. I bought my PS3 with 2 controllers and 4 games for $300.00.

I could easily get a Wii from work and flip it, but I don't because I also deal with sad little kids who really, really want one. I couldn't look them in the eye and tell them we're out of stock if I'm flipping them on the side.

So yeah, morals win over money. I wish people would quit buying from resellers; that's the only way to put them out of business.

@DeeJayQueue: It is not like Garett is taking not the Wii system out of circulation. Somebody else who wants a Wii gets one without the hassle of trying to locate one at a store and they are just paying a premium for the service. The impact of this is not very big as most consoles are still sold in store to the final consumer. If there were enough people who would buy a Wii for more than $250, believe me, Nintendo would be selling them for much more. "Console flippers" barely make a dent in the supply when you look at how many units are being sold.

All I know is that if you really want a Wii you can get one. In the summer they were a plenty most stores had inventory. If you waited 'til now you just have to watch the adds and get up early. I can't stand people who complain about how hard it is to get one or whatever.

As for this guy I'm not a person who will pay over MSRP for an item so I'll never do business with him, but he's a perfect example of capitalism in america today.

There is a quote from HBO's The Wire that always rings in my mind when I hear about resellers:

"You know what the trouble is, Brucey? We used to make shit in this country, build shit. Now we just put our hand in the next guy's pocket."

I can't believe folks are applauding this guy for doing the same thing y'all demonize corporations for. My, my, how consumerist has changed...

Good for you Garrett. Like you said you aren't waiting in line for products at launch, you're simply buying products when they are available and if people are willing to pay more then why not charge more. Essentially people who want to be early adopters should be prepared to pay the "firsties" tax.

Supply, demand, capitatlism at it's finest! This is how it should work. Garrett is being paid what others feel is fair to go through the time and effort to purchase these items. Plain and simple.

If you were caught in a pouring rain, and were standing next to an overpriced souvenir stand, would you pay more for that souvenir umbrella?

Would you pay more for an airplane ticket if you absolutely had to get somewhere during the holiday rush?

Would you pay more if you had to have the latest video game system but didn't feel like going to the store and waiting in line? Well, to be honest, I rarely have to have any kind of luxury... but, to each his own, and there are those out there that need a Wii. And because of them, there are capitalists and entrepreneurs like Garrett.

Same thing I'm doing with my Wii.

The law of supply and demand...

Ahh, the beauty of capitalism. I love it.

Anyone who doesn't like this idea should go live in China for awhile...they don't let this happen.

@ceejeemcbeegee: I was surprised that many agreed with me, considering that many commenters on the Consumerist seem to have a liberal bent to them.

Seems to be a lot of sniveling whine-bags around here (and in the world in general....). Survival of the fittest folks. I know that doesn't work in the Utopian world rolling around inside some heads....but here in the real world that's how it goes down. I'm not saying you have to be a scumbag in general, but if one person is willing to overpay for something....no reason not to sell it to them. Carpe diem.

I bought extra TMX's last year and thought about selling them. Decided to give them away to some needy kids and that felt better than making $20 pop....but Iphones and Xboxes?? These are toys for adults or spoiled kids anyway. And yes I bought a wii for my spoiled kids too....sue me. At least they won't be as fat as your spoiled kids!

@savvy999: If he;s making that much on ebay, ebay would have reported the earnings to the IRS. So no he wouldn't. Craigslist, thats another story.

@complexicated:

The entire stock? That's abuse. Straght up abuse.

I've purchased two Wiis this summer, at two separate times, right off the shelf in the middle of a Saturday at a Target. Every person I know who has wanted one has gotten one by exerting a little effort by either getting to a store early or by being vigilant. Are they really THAT hard to come by or is everybody just waiting until a month before Christmas to try to buy one? And no, I didn't resell my Wiis - one was a birthday present for my brother and the other was for someone I knew wanted one who paid me back immediately. But I don't begrudge Garrett his extra income. Maybe if people wouldn't whip themselves up into a frenzy to get the latest, greatest whatever that they will pay anything in order to have it, ebay resellers wouldn't be making a profit.

You know, I see why some people are willing to shell out large sums of money for a Wii. I was fortunate enough to get on last year on pre-order, so I got it at Launch. BUT, demand has been astronomical. In one year, Nintendo has sold as much as Xbox 360 has done in 2. Everybody I know seems to want one.

Now, if your going to pay a large sum of money . . . why give it to a guy with nothing in return? For example, right this minute, you can get a Wii at Walmart online for $677.00.

Sounds like alot, but . . . you get the Wii System (Wii, Remote, Nunchuck, Wii Sports) ($250) + an extra remote ($40), Extra Nunchuck ($20), Mario Party 8 ($50), an option to pick an accessory like the classic controller ($20), plus you pick out 6 other games from a list of like 40 ($300).

Add it all up ($680), and you're getting your money's worth, and while being forced into a large package, most "gamers" I know would end up spending that money within a year of purchase. If your a parent, just put back the extra games, and spread them out over the year, here's a game for Valentines, Easter, your Birth day, etc.

No need to pay somebody like this guy for nothing. Shop smart. Get your money's worth.

I don't get how anyone can have a problem with this and be pro-consumer. Wiis and iphones are both items where the manufacturer sets the retail price for the most part. Many pro-consumer groups think that this practice is like price fixing and don't want manufacture dictating price. So the alternative that these groups want is for the retailers to set their own prices. Well, this is exactly what Garret did based on supply and demand. It is no different than if a large chain store sets the price at $400 for a Wii.

This reminds me when I was selling a game on Craigslists and some guy saw the game for less elsewhere and claimed my price was a ripoff. Basically, he seemed to think that anyone who sold an item for more than the lowest priced seller anywhere was ripping people off.

@jasonorl: First off, the "I'm saving time and effort driving to the store and looking for one, so I'm willing to pay more for the convenience" angle is 100% bullshit. Every store that sells these things has online fronts too, and the products can be ordered just as easily. Every unit these shit eaters buy and sell for more is one more that someone else couldn't buy at a store for a reasonable cost. It would be one thing if these fuckers were going warehouse direct, or had an in in Chinatown for them or something, but they don't. They camp out, they buy their way to the front of the line, the buy out entire inventories before anyone else has a chance to, then they mark it up and sell it on ebay. People buy from them because they're desperate, not because they want to or because they feel like they're getting added value or convenience. People buy from shitbags like this one because they don't have a choice because they don't have access to the supply. He may be able to walk into a store and pick stuff up off the shelf, but there are plenty of places that still can't get stuff in stock. Sure, everyone has a choice, but when the choice is "Either buy it from a scalper or don't buy it at all" and the consequence of not buying it is pissed off kids or not having it at all, (which is a whole other argument separate from this one) it's not much of a choice.

I have been flipping toys on ebay for 3 years now, I don't go for the most popular stuff but I try to sell things that are rather unknown but still have a huge amount of people going after them because they are no longer sold in stores or discontinued. I buy stuff at yard sales, save it for the holiday season and then flip it for profits. As other said this is the way the market goes, if someone wants it bad enough they will pay for it. I also get many ebay buyers thanking me for the opportunity to bid on the items because their kid wants it and its impossible to find, I don't think I have had a sourpuss buyer yet.

But if Nintendo would manufacturer enough Wii's for the holiday season we would not have this issue. There would be no reseller market like there is today if they could keep their product on the shelves.

If you have kids, you either stand in the cold for a Wii, tell them no, or overpay for it (or buy it during the non-christmas season). Some people elect to overpay and thats their business, as some people value convienience over price. People you know its gonna be a hot holiday item, if you don't like it, buy one in the summer when its more available and then hide it until christmas, then you will not have to complain here.

I really think its the American attitude that "if I do not get my little Johnny toy x then he will call me a bad parent and then I WILL be a bad parent" fear that drives parents to overpay for items like this instead of telling their kids no or to wait until its availiable. I have actually heard people badgering clerks and telling this to store clerks when an item is out of stock "I will be a BAD PARENT if I don't get my son this item, your ruining my christmas and my son's christmas because your store does not have this item in stock" etc...

I got my Wii at the Nintendo World store in NY last month - no waiting, no lines, no pushing, no shoving and I didn't mind waiting a year for things to settle down and the price to slide a bit.

I just don't get the people who have such a hard-on for a material good that they'll pay waaaaay above the retail price for it. MADNESS I TELL YOU!

Arbitragers are worse than brokers in my book - and that's pretty bad.

I think I'd hate him less if he camped out for them, had some kind of distribution connections, etc - but all he's doing is getting chummy with some pimply faced kid at gamestop and blocking regular consumers from normal retail channels.

May as well be scalping tickets to Hannah Montana concerts...

I got a Wii back in the summer (around July/August) for 10 dollars more than MSRP+tax (I think I paid $285) and it was a good deal (and really local). I saw the same poster on craigslist attempting to sell it for 315 just a week before. Demand was obviously much lower than it is now.