my friends bought theirs from best buy - the one they went to received shipments on Sundays - they would have people line up to get them - the distributed the systems at the front register and got lucky when a lot of people ran back to the electronics section because they weren't listening
Here's a handy guide to buying those hard to find items.
Best Buy stores don't get shipments on Saturdays or Sundays.
Monday through Friday they get shipments from FedEx and UPS each, mostly in minor product replenishment (think movies, music and games, although systems CAN show up that way).
Major items come in on a main shipping truck usually, but not exclusive to, Tuesdays and Fridays.
When stores like Best Buy have Wii's, Xbox Elites, or any other special item for sale on Sundays it is to coincide with the release of their new weekly flyers (or ads) that are released to newspapers and distributers for public consumption in the late Saturday evening/Sunday morning edition.
Here's the dirty secret: If the item is on sale for a Sunday release than it's been in the store since sometime that week.
No, you can't get one.
Most retailers have a policy in effect where the units are only to be released on "x" day and won't be sold before. If they are than people will lose their jobs.
No joke, it's happened before and it'll happen again.
Typically, the "ads" have minimums that the stores are required to hold. Let's say a retailer gets 30 Wii's in on a Friday night. If the ad requires them to hold 10 for the ad, the store gets to decide if it wants to have a 30 for the Sunday release or if they want to just have 10 for Sunday and 20 for that night.
There is no true way to "get" a Wii ahead of anyone else unless you've got a buddy who doesn't mind losing his/her job. With that in mind, here's some advice on what will help if you can find one.
1)
Work the phones, call major retailers in the earlier afternoons. In multi-tiered stores ask for electronics. In places like Best Buy or Circuit City ask for video games. If you ask for electronics, you'll get laughed at.
They are electronic stores. It will save you gas and travel to call and you shouldn't be misled.
2)
Be polite. I can't stress this enough. These people are humans too and if you're nice you're more likely to get the service you're looking for. If you're demanding, loud, or god-forbid grabby, you will be ignored or at very least marginalized. Retailers want to make your experience a good one so you'll come back and spend more, but respect is a two way street.
3)
Be patient, hot items are hard to get a hold of. Nintendo is the company producing the Wii and they've said numerous times the amount of units avaliable to retailers should be improving dramatically (it has been improving, the end of June has been very good in compared to other months) within the forseeable future.
Will it happen?
Who knows, but if not being able to find a video game system is the biggest crisis you've faced in your life, it's a charmed one.
