How to Find a Wii

Guide Note: The Nintendo Wii continues to be a much sought-after and hard to find item well after its release. Here are some tips to find one in a timely fashion.

Finding a Wii

  • You may be surprised to discover that even though it was released long ago, the Nintendo Wii is still hard to get your hands on. If you're thinking of buying one, you may need to implement a more cunning strategy than moseying down to your local gaming store this afternoon.

Finding a Wii Online

With a little hard work, this could be yours. (Creative Commons photo by Herman Yung)
With a little hard work, this could be yours. (Creative Commons photo by Herman Yung)
  1. Go to WiiTracker.com, where they gather up-to-date information on who has Nintendo Wiis and Wii bundles. You can find out what time sites tend to put their stock out online, and they even include pricing information and an RSS feed.
  2. Bundles are what most commonly pop up on WiiTracker. They are available from places like WalMart, but they usually run about $550-$650 and probably include a bunch of games you don't even want.
  3. Other Wii Tracking websites include XPBargains.com, NowInStock.net, and Refresh Thing.
  4. Check eBay auctions if you don't mind paying more than retail price. Be sure to check the seller's eBay rating and history to avoid scammers!
  5. Browse Craigslist for people selling Wiis in your area. Be sure to meet them in a public place for your safety and carefully inspect the product before you agree to buy it.
  6. Amazon resellers are another place to find second-hand Wiis - as long as you're willing to shell out for some ludicrous prices.

Finding a Wii in Stores

  1. Compile a list of stores in your area that potentially sell Wiis along with their phone numbers (see retailers section below).
  2. Call each of them and ask if they have any Wiis in stock. After they inevitably say "no," ask if they are expecting any in the near future.
  3. If you have not successfully gathered any leads so far, inquire as to when they typically receive product shipments at their store.
  4. If the trail is still cold, keep in mind that most big box electronics stores have new shipments available Sunday mornings. For other stores such as EB Games, you'll need to find out when their UPS or FedEx shipments happen.
  5. Try setting up an iTrackr account to text you when a store in your area receives a Wii shipment.
  6. It is unlikely that stores will have any sort of waiting list, so plan on arriving early on the morning they have new shipments available. Arrive well before they open to avoid like-minded Wii poachers... The earlier the better!
  7. If you still have no success, don't get discouraged. Keep calling the stores in the morning to ask about the Wii. Persistence is the only path to success, but remember to be polite or the employees will be far less inclined to help you out.

Nintendo Wii Retailers

Related Searches

Wii Locator | Buy Nintendo Wii | Wii Tracker | Wii UK Locator | Cheap Nintendo Wii | Nintendo Wii | Wii Perfect Shot Gun | Wii Sports | Wii Zapper | Super Mario Galaxy