I just read another guide http://reviews.ebay.com/DO-NOT-BUY-a-Wii-PS3-TMX-Here-apos-s-why-READ-ME_W0QQugidZ10000000002553260 and I wholeheartedly agree.

Nintendo is shipping 600,000 wii consoles to the US every month, so there must be more than 10 millions units here in the US now. Ask yourself, how many are actually being played by end users? How many are stored for sales? The simple fact that IF you want to buy JUST the console, then there is NONE, but if you are willing to buy a console with other games/accessories at retailed prices, then there are ALWAYS Wii available, simply means that there is NO shortage. Sellers just want to make more profit off a popular product!

 Besides, it is a 2-year old technology product! I can't even sell my 2-year old laptop or camera at 50% off the original price, so why can a wii keep its value? the market for video games does NOT expand that fast!

I want to say the same is true for WII FIT.

Please please do NOT bid/buy Wii Fit ABOVE the retailed price!

Or better yet, choose a period (this month?) that we will not buy/bid wii fit from ebay altogether!

The MSRP is $89.99 a piece. Even at that price, retailers (walmart/bb/circuitcity/amazon, etc...) are pocketing at least 20-30% profit (that's why toysrus provides $10 off 50+ coupon or target/bestbuy has 10% coupon regularly, besides all the cashback-referral programs). We buyers are robbed off already at this price! We should be able to buy at that price if we want to, or less!

But no, right now we have a shortage in the US because people who don't play the game - some don't even own a wii are jumping in whenever it is available online. The results: we have over 1200 wii fit for sale on ebay & some sellers are just relisting them every minutes!!!

Why so many? because at $150 plus final price less fees, sellers are making $30 a piece - or an equivalent of 33% return of investment (sometimes over a day)... That is too good for the scalpers to stop. So they will keep buying as many as they can when wii fit become available @ retailed price; and therefore the supply diminishes & demand increases. & the price stays way beyond retailed price for the people who really want to own the game & succumb to the apparent shortage.

But it ONLY happens here in the US! I asked my friend who lives in Tokyo. He then stopped by a store next door the next morning, and Wii Fit were there, a lot of them, all at ~$75 (<8000yens).

So I told him: "if today was November, you'd better send 1000 over here quick & we can open a store!"

& according to a poll  at www.nintendoeverything dot com/?p=1883, 64% of Japanese gamers have already stopped using Wii Fit after the purchase! If there is one for the average lazy Americans? I'll be surprised if it can be less than 80%.

So please, do NOT bid or buy OVER THE RETAILED PRICE. Buy it for what it is really worth (to you). Here at ebay, after 2 or 3 unsuccessful listings, sellers may relist again, but after 10 times & the fee keeps piling up? The price must drop!

& I'll stop now to Wii fitting in Japanese version that my friend just sent over. When the price is right, I'll consider the US version.