Long lines and short tempers
Dollar signs danced in the head of business student Julian Perry, 25, when he learned that the much-anticipated PlayStation 3 would go on sale Friday -- in limited quantities.
As demand outstripped supply, Perry knew the video game console’s price would rocket past Sony’s $599 list price -- on EBay.
So Perry hired seven people to get in line with him. It would be a long wait.
They arrived Monday afternoon at the Circuit City in Torrance, where 100 machines were to go on sale at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
Perry bought a tent from a store across the street, only to return it the next day when a friend showed up with one large enough to house all of them.
He fed his crew breakfast, lunch and dinner. He gave them gas money so they could go home to shower or report to their jobs, while the others held their spots.
And he paid them $50 to $200 apiece.
Shortly after midnight, Perry and his crew drove off in a convoy with eight PlayStations, avoiding what he said were shady-looking characters lurking around the parking lot.
A few hours later, he had the first one listed on EBay, where bids for other consoles had already surged to $2,500 and up.
Things went smoothly in Torrance, but elsewhere in California and around the country, scuffles broke out as crowds grew anxious.
In West Covina, police struggled to restore order when patrons began pushing and shoving at a shopping mall where only 20 consoles were available.
In Palmdale, a Super Wal-Mart was forced to close for several hours as tempers flared among weary customers.
And in Fresno, police threatened to use Tasers on hundreds as they stormed a store, trampling some people.
There was also gouging. Stuart Dean, 50, of Studio City said he had placed an advance order for two machines at Aahs! in Sherman Oaks.
But when he went to pick them up early Friday, he was told the machines would cost $2,500 apiece.
He called the district attorney’s office to complain but was told such price hikes were not illegal. Store manager Sunny Kohli said that Aahs! could adjust the prices because it wasn’t an authorized Sony dealer.
“If I was going to resell them, I wouldn’t care,” Dean said, but they were for his son and daughter, ages 6 and 9. He said they need two because they “never share.”
As for Perry, he hopes to make $3,000 to $4,000 for each of the seven PlayStations he’s selling on EBay. He may have to settle for less. By Friday evening, dozens of the video consoles were listed on EBay, with most prices ranging from $1,600 to $2,600. Will he share the profits with his crew?
“No, uh, uh,” said Perry, who hopes to soon complete his MBA at the University of Phoenix in Pasadena. “Everybody’s all paid off. We negotiated in advance.”
Times staff writer Dawn Chmielewski contributed to this report.
