Nintendo has not kept up with demand for its rerelease of the iconic original NES, with nearly no physical stock to be found just about anywhere. While the console retails for just $60, those lucky to snag one following its November 11 release are already turning to eBay to make a healthy profit.
As of earlier this week, the average selling price for the console on the auction site was about $230, nearly four times its retail price, according to site statistics. Between November 11 and 15, eBay was selling an NES every 18 seconds, although it has slowed to about one every 90 seconds or so, which is still quite impressive.
Of course, your frustrating search for Nintendo’s latest hit is eBay’s gain. “Ebay is the destination for hard-to-find consoles, from the rare and vintage variety, to hot trending options, like the Nintendo NES Classic Edition,” Jay Hansen, eBay vice president of North America Merchandising and Hard Goods, told Polygon. “Customers rely on eBay to offer a great selection of items that are difficult to find elsewhere.”
If you’re not willing to pay the premium, there is one place where the NES may be easier to find. Anticipating the high demand, Walmart decided to hold back portions of the stock it received, and plans to release new stock throughout this week. Of course, it’s first come, first served and apparently online only — so check around 5 p.m. ET to see if any new stock is available.
Good luck getting through: Walmart’s site crashed every day this week when new stock was released, and each day’s stock was sold out in less than a minute due to the extraordinarily high demand. In any case, the lack of stock has left a lot of Nintendo fans irritated, claiming the company should have had more stock on hand for what has become one of the must-have gifts of the holiday season.
Nintendo is promising that it will have more stock in time for the holidays, and will continue to resupply retailers through the new year. There is no indication of how many the company plans to produce, or when they’ll arrive in brick-and-mortar retailers again.
