It being at the level of the other consoles what the entire argument...

No it wasn't, because anyone reading what you said would read you saying that it didn't work at all at any level, regardless of how other consoles did.  You never even mentioned the other consoles, just that it didn't work and "little to no sales" (meaning you don't know whether or not it even sold, and you assumed it didn't or only sold one or two).  

No it wasn't, because anyone reading what you said would read you saying that it didn't work at all at any level, regardless of how other consoles did.  You never even mentioned the other consoles, just that it didn't work and "little to no sales" (meaning you don't know whether or not it even sold, and you assumed it didn't or only sold one or two).  

Not at a single point this I say or even infer I meant any level. I don't know where you pulled that one from. If that was your assumption of what I meant then it is wrong.

I already know that, but I was not talking about the thread. I was talkin gabout the comment I made the reply to. The comment that it is the "the same" as the PS3 is false. It will sell at a high price on ebay for much longer than the PS3.

No, scalpers create or worsen a shortage to artificially inflate prices for personal profit. There is no product or service provided, there is only creation and exploitation of a problem. Without scalpers individuals and manufacturers would still be able to buy/sell products, while the same can not be (generally) said about retailers. Regardless of whether you scalped the Wii or not, someone (possibly the family you sold it to) would have bought the Wii and would have enjoyed it over the holiday season; you provided no additional benefit to the economy or society in general, you just took people's money.

All versions of scalpers are a form of economic parasite draining the host for no good. Next time you fill up your gas tank and see the prices increase think about those Wall Street speculators who are driving up the price of gas, skimming off the top while offering no value, and realize that you're doing the exact same thing.

Sure we do.  We get there in line at the earliest possible time (in this case, the day of the announcement of the release date) and we buy up a console.  Regardless of if "scalpers" bought extra or not, all preorders would have sold out within the first week.  Fast forward to black friday.  The WiiU is all the rage in commercials and little timmy wants one, but everywhere you go they are sold out.  Shipments are expected at 3 am in the middle of december.  If everyone who preordered actually kept the console, you'd have to wait in line at 3 am just for the CHANCE to get one.

Now there are enterprising people who bought a console for resale purposes.  They've been holding on to their stock since the infamous preorder back in September.  Now, suddenly, when the only way to get a console was a retail price at 3 am on a tuesday night there is another option.  From the warmth and comfort of your own home, you can click a button and have the item shipped to you in plenty of time for wrapping and putting under the tree.  But this conveniece, nay even OPTION to buy at this time comes at a price.  You will pay what the market sets for the value of the console, not MSRP.

But you have that option.  In the theoretical "perfect" world, where only people who wanted the item would buy it, the option does not exist.  We enable the lazy or the less on the ball with money to burn to be able to get what they want, when they want it.  That is a service.