Thread: The vultures who stole Christmas

Just a little bitterness...


It happens with every game console: The fast-selling preorders, the forming lines the night before its release, the pre-Christmas shortage, the inflated prices on eBay, the large shipment of them after Christmas, the suppressed regret, the stupidity of it all…

“Did you get your Xbox 360?” a friend asked me, assuming that perhaps one was reserved just for me, or maybe it’s assumed that I care enough about console games to stand out in the cold for several hours to get it before “everyone else.” No, that’s not what the friend was assuming at all.

“They’re going for nearly $2k on eBay right now!” he excitedly announced. Obviously, the friend got his Xbox 360. Never mind that he doesn’t play video games.

“I’m buying this for my son,” man number 21 says outside of a store with 20 consoles in stock. “I’ll give you an extra 100 dollars for your Xbox.”

No one budges. After all, they can make 10 times that much on eBay.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint which is more annoying. Is it the people who pay over a thousand dollars for the Xbox on eBay, or is it the people who sell them? Maybe I should just blame Microsoft for contriving the whole ordeal by creating a shortage.

I’d like to think that a lot of us still maintain a level of integrity and compassion for others. I’d like to think that most people planning to sell it, hearing a man’s request to make his son happy, would listen to their conscience and show a little class this holiday season.

Then again, if people are stupid enough to pay that much to get their Xbox a month before everyone else, then why not sell it? I smile when I think about how many people will regret their impulse buy when the Xbox is available in large quantities all over the nation.

Another form of poetic justice would be a massive recall on Xbox 360s due to a problem with premature power failure or some faulty capacitors. Then, you can send back your $2k Xbox 360, getting a functional replacement at the same time as those who paid retail.

People who say that console games are better than PC games usually use the argument that consoles are cheaper. This is a valid argument, but oh, what irony! My $1,700 laptop has better graphics than your $1,700 Xbox, and it does infinitely more tasks than your task-specific Xbox. PC graphic technology will probably always remain far ahead of console graphics, so if you want to justify your preference for consoles, show me a sales receipt instead of an eBay invoice.

Next time a high-demand console is released around Christmas, I have made a personal vow to stand in front of a store as early as possible, to later give my place in line to whoever seems the most genuine about buying it for their kid. I hope others will join me in an effort to make life a little bit less convenient for these vultures.

Hi Stephen, how are you. I heard about the inflated prices not only in stores but also in Ebay. It amazes me people will buy while willing aknowledging and knowing whole heartidly that the prices are inflated. The last time I stood in line overnight was to see a concert when I was sixteen years old, ha. My daughters know that whatever they desperately want for Christmas can wait for Boxing Day sales or the following days after.
As a retailer myself, I know the tricks of the trade but don't use them. Not one item in my store, I can honestly say, was inflated for the Christmas rush.
I enjoyed this piece. It is a good reminder not only to the shoppers but also to the retailers out there.

Enjoyed the read. Thanks for sharing.

Kimberly