Update: The first auction has finished, and the final sale price was $178 after 22 bids. A screenshot is embedded below.
As scalpers continue hoarding and flipping high-demand electronics, it's left many asking where to buy PS5, where to buy Xbox Series X, and where to buy Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. Well, it seems that the upcoming Switch accessories have also been caught up in the mix, meaning fans will soon start asking where to buy limited edition Zelda Joy-Cons too.
Earlier this week, Nintendo announced that the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword would be seeing an HD port to Switch. Along with the game's release on July 16, new limited edition Zelda Joy-Cons will go on sale, retailing for $80. But as soon as sites like Best Buy and GameStop began listing the item for pre-order, scalpers took the now sold-out accessory straight to auction sites at inflated prices.
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Searching for "Zelda Joy Con" on eBay brings up multiple listings for the new limited edition controllers. Listings ranged from $170 on the low end, all the way to $300. There are a few auctions going on as well, with one already exceeding $152.
Doing an advanced search, we can see that multiple listings have sold for more than $150, including units from Japanese sellers. Because the item is so new, we haven't seen a listing go through with a final auction price. But one should end in the next 24 hours. When it does, we'll update this article to reflect the final sale price.
A screenshot of a final auction price is embedded below.
Because of the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, manufacturing around the world has been greatly hindered. This has slowed production, making in-demand products more difficult to buy. The scarcity has created a cottage industry of would-be entrepreneurs that use bots and other means to buy up as much inventory as possible to flip for high profits. Some sites, like Best Buy, have added verification systems to try and push back against scalpers. Other sites, like Newegg, have implemented a raffle system, where buyers can choose one item they're interested in, and if they're lucky, will be offered the opportunity to buy a system. Unfortunately, many other big-box retailers have yet to take more stringent measures to try and halt scalping, allowing bots to buy up inventory in seconds.
The situation has gotten so bad in countries like Japan that the police had to come shut down PS5 sales at a Tokyo electronics store.
While scalpers may be the bane of gamers and enthusiasts, the scalping community feel that they're garnering unfair amounts "bad press." In their worldview, they're doing a service by making product readily available so people don't have to wait in line. Granted, the unavailability is also their fault.
Anyone who's trying to profit off of the Legend of Zelda limited edition Joy-Cons might be in for a rude awakening, however. Nintendo is more than willing to order more units from manufacturers to continue selling. For example, when supply ran short for the NES Classic, SNES Classic, or Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Edition, all were replenished months later.
If you're tempted to buy from one of these scalpers on eBay, we recommend avoiding doing so. Not only will it encourage more of this type of behavior from scalpers, Nintendo is more than willing to take your money. Just wait a little, and Nintendo will likely replenish the supply chain.
