US Stock checked
Hard to believe, but the hardest to find gift last holiday season is again the hardest to find gift this holiday season!
I'm taking about the Nintendo Wii....the video gaming sensation that for stores still can't keep in stock!
But you can get one, if you know how and where to look.
Shoppers like Anna Shaw have been lining up in the early morning hours simply based on rumors that a store had Nintendo Wiis in stock!
She says "we went to GameStop...We were looking for it and in the process heard some were delivered down here!"
For Anna -- along with two dozen other hopeful souls at the Voice of America Target in West Chester -- it was her lucky day.
The manager soon came out with the good news: they had Wiis in stock.
As employees opened the door, the shoppers streamed in. Channel 9's cameras found this scene not only in West Chester on this recent morning, but also here on Beechmont Avenue, at the Cherry Grove Target.
The crowed filed down to the electronics department, where they laid their eyes on the 2007 version of the Holy Grail: A stack of Wiis!
So how did these shoppers go about "finding Wii-mo?"
In most cases, they simply did their homework.
I asked Target store manager Sandy Mueller "if you want a Wii, whats going to better your chances at Target? "
She said "Call first thing in the morning, or be here when the doors open at 8."
"We will definitely have Wiis in...It's a question of timing. First come first served," she says.
The same is true at other stores, including Wal-Mart and Toys "r" Us, which tell us Wiis hit the shelves first thing in the morning, as they receive them.
You can also check websites like "Wii tracker dot com"-- which shows which online retailers have it in stock --and "Wii chat dot com" where members post availability.
Just be aware that some websites --like Wal-Mart's-- may require you to buy it in a "bundled" package with a bunch of games for $500 or $600,
Sure, websites can help. But my advice? I think you'll heave the best luck hunting for a Wii the old fashioned way....by picking up the phone, or showing up at stores the minute they open the doors...especially on weekends.
So don't dawdle, and Don't Waste your Money.