Get Your Post Holiday PS3...Cheap!

If you didn't get a Playstation3 for Christmas you have every right to be bummed out. The PS3's graphics are awesome, the Blu-ray DVDs look great in high definition and the built in wireless internet connection means one less cord crowding the back of your entertainment center. No need for despair, though, sales of PS3's haven't gone as planned. In fact, Nintendo's Wii was the big holiday hit with some estimating the Wii out sold the PS3 by a 2-1 margin. While that's bad news for Sony it's good news for anyone in the market for a PS3.

Remember all of those people who waited in line for days just so they could be the first to get a PS3? A lot of these people bought as many as they could so they could poach Playstation fans for as much as $5000 by selling their PS3 stash online. But a lot of gamers didn't go for the inflated Playstation3 prices, and it's paying off for them now.

There's a good chance you can score a PS3 for retail price, and possibly cheaper. Retailers have been reporting a steady stream of PS3 returns in the hours after Christmas. Many of the people who waited all of that time in line are willing to call it a wash after not being able to recover their expenses selling PS3s on internet auction sites. Pick up your phone and call your local electronics store. If they don't have a PS3 in stock they'll probably be getting some very soon either though a return or a shipment. This way you won't be subject to some of the ridiculous prices people have paid just after the PS3 was released. But why would you pay retail price when there's a cheaper way?

Remember back on November 17th when you scanned Ebay to see what a PS3 was going for? Do you remember how much you laughed when you saw people were paying a few thousand dollars to get PS3 on the release date? Have you checked Ebay lately? Sellers are doing all sorts of things to get you to buy their PS3. Some are offering jewelry, throwing in games or simply dropping the price to attract business. However, don't hop onto Ebay thinking you'll see PS3s with rock bottom prices all over the place. Most are still trying to make a profit, albeit a very small one, but if you poke around auction web sites for a while you're bound to find a PS3 that costs less than what you'll see at a retailer.

You don't have to give up hope on getting a PS3 before the summer. Many stores are getting re-stocked by returns, and with a little effort you can find some one dumping their PS3 online for a little less than they paid for it. Yes, you'll gain from someone's misfortune, but isn't that what the Holidays are all about?