PS3.

I didn't get a PS3. No one I know did. Six years ago I missed out on the profit potential of the PS2 and last year I missed out on the Xbox 360.

Last year I went to Best Buy the night before Xbox 360 was released and there was no line outside. It was about 8PM. I asked someone about it:

Me: "Are you selling Xbox's tomorrow?"
Best Buy Dude: "Uh, yeah, I guess."

I shrugged my shoulders, decided it wasn't that big of deal and probably wouldn't sell for that much more than retail on eBay. It had been five years since the PS2 madness. If you recall, PS2 were impossible to get for a while and they sold for over $1,000 on eBay. I decided that was the exception, not the rule, and I wasn't going to waste my time trying to get an Xbox 360, so I left Best Buy, went home and slept.

This year I had determined I was getting a PS3 and was going to make some damn money on eBay. I saw pre-sale systems going for over $1,500.

On Monday, I called Alex. He had already thought of it. Mrs. Brick said she was in, too:

Her: "Sure, I'll wait outside for ten hours for $1,000"

We were planning on getting there at about 9PM the night before (last night) and set up some chairs and bring food and blankets and games. I had scheduled to take a day off today. We had no idea.

Alex popped in on Wednesday (Alex loves the pop-in, you have no idea how annoying that is). He sat on our couch. We talked about the plan. I called Scott and he thought we were crazy.

Him: "When are they coming out?"
Me: "Best Buy is going to have twenty of them. They are passing out tickets Friday at 7AM and will sell the systems at 8AM."
Him: "When are you getting there?"
Me: "Thursday at around 9PM."
Him: "You guys are nuts. You all are going to buy one? You are going to freeze. How are you going to sleep and poop and stuff?"
Me: "We'll dress warm and bring chairs and blankets. We'll just have to make arrangements with the other people in line to make bathroom runs. It will be a fun party."

I explained to Scott the profit potential of this situation and he was quickly onboard.

Alex and I decided to scope out the Best Buy. Our plans were soon jettisoned. We were there approximately 24 hours before we planned on starting our line wait and there was already a line of tents outside Best Buy.

Me: "We're fucked."
Him: "Yup."

Oh well, we thought. The Target next door also had six people in line. I went and talked to them.

Me: "You guys in line?"
Them: "Yeah, man, they are only getting six systems and there's already six people here. Fucking crazy."
Me: "Dang."

Alex was actually considering it. "Man, 36 hours for $1,000? That's more than I made per hour at my job. That might be worth it." Except the lines looked pretty full already. After seeing the conditions, I wasn't about to pursue it any further.

I'm glad I didn't, although I'm not glad I didn't get a system. There were even even less available than the expected 400,000. A lot of those people that waited didn't even get one. I bet it was mayhem this morning. One guy got shot. He didn't even have his PS3 yet. A line waiting outside a Wal-mart in Kentucky was hit by BB fire.

On eBay, systems are now selling for over $3,000.

People are stupid. I just wish I could have capitalized on that stupidity.