Shuffle - “Tickle Me Elmo” of Christmas 2006
11.21.06 - 01:51pm
No one wants to be the wee man standing in line at Wal-Mart or Best Buy desperately hoping to be able to get the second generation shuffle in the last shipment of the Christmas season. Chances are if you don’t already have it, this may already be you. Apple’s second-generation shuffle is already tracking in excess of 5 million for the quarter. What this means to us? Basically, to get it now may require paying more than market price.
The “Tickle Me Elmo” of Christmas 2006 the shuffle is becoming hard to find and harder to get. As late as Friday afternoon, the internet’s largest retailer Amazon.com was devoid of stock and only shipping the player through affiliate Blue Proton. Subsequently charging $30 above the official $79 list price, putting it at a premium price of $109. While other select online stores such as Best Buy and MacMall are still showing availability, many are facing extended lead times or even total unavailability as they struggle to cope with the unexpected popularity of the device. One of the hardest hit is Target estimating a two-week delay for new orders.
The point of this wonderful story - don’t be Arnold Schwartznegger in “Jingle All the Way” desperately trying to get Turbo-man. If you’re giving the shuffle as a Christmas gift - get it now and get it fast.
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