You’ve probably abandoned all hope of getting a NES Classic Edition before Christmas, and just accepted that you’re going to be wrapping a $60 gift card under the tree instead. But with 2.5 shopping days left until Christmas, there is still hope.
Meijer has made a last-moment entry into the fiercely competitive NES Classic Edition race, announcing on Twitter that limited stock of the NES Classic is available in some Meijer stores today. This might actually be a good opportunity to grab the console: while everyone else is focused on Target, Amazon and Walmart, Meijer is flying under the radar of most NES Classic hunters.
Limited quantities of this season's hot NES Classic available tomorrow morning. Visit @Meijer stores for details!
— Meijer PR (@MeijerPR) December 21, 2016
Meijer confirmed that the consoles were in stock as of 8AM this morning, so you’ll want to be fast. For anyone on the West Coast, the day is still young, so you’ve got a better shot than people in the East. As always, your best bet is to call your local store and see what the word is on availability.
It’s worth trying, because while stock has still been coming in intermittently to Walmart and Target stores, overnight lines are snapping up consoles a lot faster than they come in.
Amazon Prime Now cities are also getting occasional stock, and that’s definitely worth keeping an eye on over the next couple days. Amazon has been announcing stock in a timely fashion through its Twitter feed, so I’d recommend setting up a custom notification or text alert for Amazon tweets, so you can beat the masses to it.
Otherwise, Target has proven to be the most fruitful of the local stores. If you see stock come in overnight, it’s time to grab a good book, head over to the store, and wait in line until opening. A lot of stores are using a ticketing system so that you don’t have to physically wait in line all night, but it’s worth contacting your local store to see exactly how they’re distributing stock as it comes in.
GameStop has also seen stock coming in, and the company confirmed earlier that shipments are arriving today. If you’ve got a local store, it’s worth calling or heading over to chat to the employees, who may reveal when the trucks are arriving.
If all this sounds like a lot of hassle to you, there are alternatives. The market for secondary sales is exploding at the moment. eBay is the obvious place to pick up a console, with prices currently running around $200 for the console, plus up to $50 for overnight shipping. That’s obviously a lot more than the $60 you’ll pay at Target, but then again, this is Christmas.
Craigslist prices seem to be a little lower, but you’re also running a greater risk meeting with someone in person. Just remember that dealing in cash is the most foolproof, meeting in public is safest, and make doubly sure to open the box to check an actual console is inside.
