Whether you agree with those selling PS3's on eBay or not, the fact remains, if there is ever to be a product with very short supply, you know there will be people who buy them up for resale, and eBay is the perfect place for that.

If you want a chance at a PS3 this season you have two choices, wait in line camping out at one of many retailers across the globe, or enter into a bidding war and pay a premium (and not have to wait in line) on eBay.

Prices for PS3 pre-sales are already approaching $2000, just imagine what it will be like once the sellers have the units in hand.

Here are some tips for camping out at your favorite retailer.

I know from first hand experience when it comes to camping out, a friend and I drove from Boise, ID. to Portland, OR. in 2004 because we wanted a chance to be on "The Apprentice". No we weren't camping out for a game console but I would place our adventure into the same "YOU'RE CRAZY" category either way ;-)
(yes that's me in the picture, I'm on the left in the thick WARM parka)

One of the first things you must do is call around, or visit your local retailers and find out what their rules are going to be for camping out.

Things you want to know :

1. How early will they be allowing the line to form. ... this can be very important especially for stores that are open 24hours. A local WalMartin my area stated they were going to allow a line to form at the layaway counter about 6 hours prior to midnight on the 16th (12:00am Nov 17th)
   


2. How many units do they expect to get in ... they most likely wont tell you exact numbers, but you want some idea so you know if you show up and you are number 10 at a store that's only getting 5, what's the use in waiting.
   


3. Will they allow tents ... some store will, especially if it really cold where you plan to camp
   


4. Will there be security ... helpful if you are concerned about being safe, or keeping your place in line.
   


5. Will they have a ticket or numbering system? and at what time will they give out the numbers? .. this can save you valuable time if you don't want to camp out all night.
   


6. You want to know if there will be anything restricted, such as glass containers, smoking (some places may restrict smoking on the premise where the lines form) etc.
   


7. and the MOST important question, WHERE will the line begin. ... when I camped (72 hours) for the open casting call of the Apprentice, we had to move three different times, and with each move we thought we would loose our spot (we didn't, but we weren't camped out for PS3's either LOL )

Depending on how much time you have, knowing this information will give you a choice as to which stores to head to first.

You may be wondering what to bring to your camp, and that will depend greatly on your interests, the climate where you plan to camp and what the store will allow.

This time of year most places will be cold at night and some down right FREEZING. Here in Idaho the nights are already below freezing, so you want to make sure you have plenty of clothing, jackets, blankets etc. in order to stay warm. On the casting call camp out, we even saw one woman bring one of those mylar cold weather safety blankets. She looked funny, but was the warmest of anyone out there. If you can bring tents then you have a better chance of staying warm, but don't expect to bring the 12 person family tent unless you want room mates ;-)

Depending on how long you plan on camping, you will want to bring plenty of food and water, snacks, or at least a buddy to hold your place in line while you use the restroom or go for a food run.

Most people camping at this type of an event will be hard core gamers, so you can expect there to be plenty of gaming going on, I have even heard of some people who were trying to get permission to bring a generator so they can bring their current gaming consoles and tv's. YES they are that dedicated ;-)

If you are the lonely shy type you will be in for a very long wait, but if you don't mind meeting new people this can be a fun and memorable experience.

Oh ... and be on the watch for the media, TV, radio and newspaper reporters LOVE this type of thing and you will certainly see your share of them poking around from time to time, and who knows you may get your mugshot in the news ;-)

Stay safe, warm and ENJOY . . . Scott

P.S. Take a look at this page I set up showcasing the PS3 auctions currently listed on eBay ... PS3's On eBay