PS3 decision, please help ASAP.

[Ubiquitous]

If it doesn't pass the $1100 reserve I put on it, think it might be better to hold off and try to sell in two weeks when the initial flood is gone and people get desperate for Christmas?

I think you are fucked basically. Just enjoy your system and stop thinking about trying to make a quick buck, because unless you get really lucky now, you're going to be competing with thousands of other people in a similar situation to yourself, which means prices are going down down down.

[Sharp-kun]

If it doesn't pass the $1100 reserve I put on it, think it might be better to hold off and try to sell in two weeks when the initial flood is gone and people get desperate for Christmas?

I'd say just keep it for yourself.

Other people will be trying the same thing, and by Christmas Sony are likely to have more consoles at stores at cheaper prices than you'll likely be offering (assuming you want to profit). Not enough, but those really desperate are likely to grab those ones.


I have a friend who's thinking of trying the same plan for the UK launch. He's going to fail hard, since by the time it comes out here anyone willing to pay more than the store price will have imported it.

[Praxis]

I'd say just keep it for yourself.

I simply can't afford a PS3 at this point. I'll actually be happy if it sells for $1000; that basicly means selling this PS3 paid for a free one in two months.

[Uraniun235]

No offense to you Prax, but I think that people who waited in line, just to resell it at a profit to those that actually want to play with it, are douchey.

It just annoys me that someone that saved all summer for an obviously overpriced system, now has to pay MORE. I know that the people paying for these extreme prices are idiots, but that doesn't make someone less of a douche for taking advantage of said idots.

Okay, first, someone who saved all summer does NOT "have" to pay more. They just might have to wait a bit longer. OH MY GOD WHAT A TRAGEDY, that someone should not be able to get a PS3 right after an extremely limited quantity of them is released.

Second, I don't see how it's "taking advantage" of anyone. It's the owner's decision to sell; he doesn't have to sell to anyone. It's the buyer's decision; he doesn't have to buy it ASAP and he doesn't have to pay stupidly high prices for it. There's no coercion involved; the buyer clearly wants to pay obscenely high prices just so he can get a PS3 as soon as possible without having to wait in line or anything, and the seller is meeting that demand (while making a tidy profit in the process).

[Max]

No offense to you Prax, but I think that people who waited in line, just to resell it at a profit to those that actually want to play with it, are douchey.

It just annoys me that someone that saved all summer for an obviously overpriced system, now has to pay MORE. I know that the people paying for these extreme prices are idiots, but that doesn't make someone less of a douche for taking advantage of said idots.

Okay, first, someone who saved all summer does NOT "have" to pay more. They just might have to wait a bit longer. OH MY GOD WHAT A TRAGEDY, that someone should not be able to get a PS3 right after an extremely limited quantity of them is released.

Second, I don't see how it's "taking advantage" of anyone. It's the owner's decision to sell; he doesn't have to sell to anyone. It's the buyer's decision; he doesn't have to buy it ASAP and he doesn't have to pay stupidly high prices for it. There's no coercion involved; the buyer clearly wants to pay obscenely high prices just so he can get a PS3 as soon as possible without having to wait in line or anything, and the seller is meeting that demand (while making a tidy profit in the process).

Spin it how ever you want, it's still a douche move.

[Sharp-kun]

I simply can't afford a PS3 at this point. I'll actually be happy if it sells for $1000; that basicly means selling this PS3 paid for a free one in two months.

Then why even buy one in the first place?
I can see the point of buying one if you can afford it, then trying to make more money. Buying something you can ill-afford in an attempt to make something off it when thousands are already trying to sell it? Less of a good idea.

Okay, first, someone who saved all summer does NOT "have" to pay more. They just might have to wait a bit longer. OH MY GOD WHAT A TRAGEDY, that someone should not be able to get a PS3 right after an extremely limited quantity of them is released.

Second, I don't see how it's "taking advantage" of anyone. It's the owner's decision to sell; he doesn't have to sell to anyone. It's the buyer's decision; he doesn't have to buy it ASAP and he doesn't have to pay stupidly high prices for it. There's no coercion involved; the buyer clearly wants to pay obscenely high prices just so he can get a PS3 as soon as possible without having to wait in line or anything, and the seller is meeting that demand (while making a tidy profit in the process).

Yes, but to me people who do this with any console have always struck me as slightly arseholeish.

There are plenty of people who wouldn't buy a PS3 at stupid prices online, but who would at retail prices. Some of them can't because people buy them just to sell. Call me old-fashioned but when something is limited I tend to think its common decency to let those that actually want it get it over those who just want to make a quick buck.

[Uraniun235]

Spin it how ever you want, it's still a douche move.

A brilliant rebuttal.

There are plenty of people who wouldn't buy a PS3 at stupid prices online, but who would at retail prices. Some of them can't because people buy them just to sell.

Yes, they can. They just have to wait longer.

[Laird]

Spin it how ever you want, it's still a douche move.

Guess I'm a douche, cause I did the exact same thing. If you wanted to have a PS3 at launch you should have pre-ordered like the rest of the world did. I sold mine on the bay for $1800 CND. HDTV here I come.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Now I'm confused. Did the bottom fall out on the PS3 eBay market or not? In one thread I'm hearing about PS3's going for less than MSRP, in this one I'm hearing about having successfully sold for $1800 CDN.

[Chris OFarrell]

Now I'm confused. Did the bottom fall out on the PS3 eBay market or not? In one thread I'm hearing about PS3's going for less than MSRP, in this one I'm hearing about having successfully sold for $1800 CDN.

My guess is fools who are not shopping around like they should. They probably jumped onto the first auctions and placed their bids without waiting for the market to fall over.
So some people will get a decent return, the later PS3 sellers will see the market rapidly start to crash as thousands of PS3's appear. The 'insane fanboy' market is not a large one.

[Master of Ossus]

Now I'm confused. Did the bottom fall out on the PS3 eBay market or not? In one thread I'm hearing about PS3's going for less than MSRP, in this one I'm hearing about having successfully sold for $1800 CDN.

I believe that there's been a complete collapse in Japan, but not in the US, yet.

[Cao Cao]

I'm not one to judge, as Sony is ultimately responsible for this incredible farce. But still, snapping up a $700 turkey you can't afford in the hopes of gouging out a +$1000 price for it in a flooded market is... not something I would do, at least.

[Dark Lord of the Bith]

Spin it how ever you want, it's still a douche move.

Guess I'm a douche, cause I did the exact same thing. If you wanted to have a PS3 at launch you should have pre-ordered like the rest of the world did. I sold mine on the bay for $1800 CND. HDTV here I come.

Well, your custom title is "Friendly Neighbourhood Asshole"

One thing, though: what if the poor chap ("poor" as in pitiable, but obviously wealthy enough) couldn't pre-order because all the units were already pre-ordered by the folks who wanted to sell on-line?

[Crayz9000]

You know what, with the auction ending at $810, you're still making about $300 profit on the unit. I'd let them have it if they can pay.

[Praxis]

You know what, with the auction ending at $810, you're still making about $300 profit on the unit. I'd let them have it if they can pay.

I know someone in town who offered $750, I'm going to counter-offer $900.

I'll settle for $800. If I can't, I'll offer it to the highest eBay bidder for his bidding price.

[Praxis]

Then why even buy one in the first place?
I can see the point of buying one if you can afford it, then trying to make more money. Buying something you can ill-afford in an attempt to make something off it when thousands are already trying to sell it? Less of a good idea.

Okay, bad wording. I CAN afford it, it just hurts my spending money, and I wouldn't normally spend that much of my money on a system without launch titles I am interested in.

I actually DO have the money in the bank and if someone were to steal the PS3 tomorrow I'd be fine with the $500 loss, just short on spending money.

[Soontir C'boath]

You know what, with the auction ending at $810, you're still making about $300 profit on the unit. I'd let them have it if they can pay.

I know someone in town who offered $750, I'm going to counter-offer $900. I'll settle for $800. If I can't, I'll offer it to the highest eBay bidder for his bidding price.

Er, take a look at eBay's Final value fee and PayPal's fee. You're probably going to be paying about fifty dollars out of your pocket in fees since they each take ~3% ($23-25 in your case of ~800) from the end price.

[Praxis]

You know what, with the auction ending at $810, you're still making about $300 profit on the unit. I'd let them have it if they can pay.

I know someone in town who offered $750, I'm going to counter-offer $900. I'll settle for $800. If I can't, I'll offer it to the highest eBay bidder for his bidding price.

Er, take a look at eBay's Final value fee and PayPal's fee. You're probably going to be paying about fifty dollars out of your pocket in fees since they each take ~3% ($23-25 in your case of ~800) from the end price.

That's exactly what I figure. $800 to eBay is the same as $750 to a local.

[RedImperator]

Yes, but to me people who do this with any console have always struck me as slightly arseholeish.

There are plenty of people who wouldn't buy a PS3 at stupid prices online, but who would at retail prices. Some of them can't because people buy them just to sell.

Oh please. This isn't heart medication, it's a God damn game console. It's a luxury. If some guy can't get it because a speculator bought it and resold it at inflated prices to some moron who couldn't wait two weeks for the shortage to end, that's just too bad. Bitch to Sony for mishandling the launch as badly as they've mishandled everything else.

And it's not like if you can't buy one now you'll never be able to ever buy one again. I mean, OH NOES, you might have to wait a few weeks until the supply stabilizes. I'll have to wait years to get it because there's no way I can afford a $600 game console (I can barely afford a Wii, to the point I don't know if I'm even going to buy one of those). So I'm not exactly about to cry myself to sleep tonight because some guy somewhere can't buy a Playstation because a speculator got it first.

Call me old-fashioned but when something is limited I tend to think its common decency to let those that actually want it get it over those who just want to make a quick buck.

Actually, the speculators aren't getting it at all. The people who are really getting it are the ones who want it so much they're willing to pay many times the MSRP for it. So by your crackhead thinking, the speculators are actually morally in the right, because they're taking units out of the hands of people who only want it enough to pay $600 and selling them to people who obviously want it many times more.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

Spin it how ever you want, it's still a douche move.

Guess I'm a douche, cause I did the exact same thing. If you wanted to have a PS3 at launch you should have pre-ordered like the rest of the world did. I sold mine on the bay for $1800 CND. HDTV here I come.

Well, your custom title is "Friendly Neighbourhood Asshole"

One thing, though: what if the poor chap ("poor" as in pitiable, but obviously wealthy enough) couldn't pre-order because all the units were already pre-ordered by the folks who wanted to sell on-line?

Oh noez! This isn't a music concert or game, dipshit, where missing a ticket means you missed it forever. If they don't get it then, that means they'll have to go through that unbearable pain and humiliation of...waiting a few weeks!

Fact: Sony will make enough PS3's to get one out to everyone who wants one and is willing to pay for it.

Fact: They won't do this right off the bat.

Fact: You can't even use the argument against ticket-scalpers (That they're preventing people from a once-in-a-lifetime event because they bought up the tickets) for this.

Now, are you actually going to back your assertion that people who buy them early and sell them are douches, or just wave your hands about and scream, "Oh noez, people either have to pay more, or wait a few weeks, pity them!"

[Cao Cao]

Fact: Sony will make enough PS3's to get one out to everyone who wants one and is willing to pay for it.

What if Sony go bankrupt thanks to being run by retards and the few PS3s made become collector's items? [/needless panicmongering]

[Bounty]

Fact: Sony will make enough PS3's to get one out to everyone who wants one and is willing to pay for it.

What if Sony go bankrupt thanks to being run by retards and the few PS3s made become collector's items? [/needless panicmongering]

Then the demand will plummet since no-one wants or needs a console with five games, unless they're collectors - and I doubt there are hundreds of thousands of vintage hardware collectors around.

That said, why didn't Sony launch mid-September? The loony brigade would've bought their PS3 regardless of the holidays and the stores would've been overflowing with consoles come Christmas shopping season.

[phongn]

That said, why didn't Sony launch mid-September? The loony brigade would've bought their PS3 regardless of the holidays and the stores would've been overflowing with consoles come Christmas shopping season.

They might not have been able to amass enough inventory to do so.

[Dark Lord of the Bith]

Guess I'm a douche, cause I did the exact same thing. If you wanted to have a PS3 at launch you should have pre-ordered like the rest of the world did. I sold mine on the bay for $1800 CND. HDTV here I come.

Well, your custom title is "Friendly Neighbourhood Asshole"

One thing, though: what if the poor chap ("poor" as in pitiable, but obviously wealthy enough) couldn't pre-order because all the units were already pre-ordered by the folks who wanted to sell on-line?

Oh noez! This isn't a music concert or game, dipshit, where missing a ticket means you missed it forever. If they don't get it then, that means they'll have to go through that unbearable pain and humiliation of...waiting a few weeks!

Fact: Sony will make enough PS3's to get one out to everyone who wants one and is willing to pay for it.

Fact: They won't do this right off the bat.

Fact: You can't even use the argument against ticket-scalpers (That they're preventing people from a once-in-a-lifetime event because they bought up the tickets) for this.

Now, are you actually going to back your assertion that people who buy them early and sell them are douches, or just wave your hands about and scream, "Oh noez, people either have to pay more, or wait a few weeks, pity them!"

That's pitifully easy to back: people who buy early and sell them inconvenience others merely for profit. Sure, the inconvenience is relatively minor, consisting of just waiting a few more weeks, but they wouldn't have to if that unit wasn't taken by someone who just wanted to turn a profit on it.

You're the one trying to blow my position out of proportion. In a competitive business, this happens all the time. But the fact is, the people who just want to play the new system aren't thinking that they're competing in a cut-throat enterprise, and are being taken advantage of.

There's nothing illegal about it, but it's still border-line douchey.

[Vendetta]

That said, why didn't Sony launch mid-September? The loony brigade would've bought their PS3 regardless of the holidays and the stores would've been overflowing with consoles come Christmas shopping season.

They couldn't. Hell, they've only managed to ship about half of their volume prediction as is.