The worldwide struggle to bag a Nintendo Classic Mini NES has been tough on everyone. If you’ve managed to resist the lure of the eBay reseller (damn their eyes), we have some good news for you: the Nintendo Classic Mini NES will be available to buy on Target’s online store today for $99. Here are some online buying tips to improve your chances.
We’ve all felt the frustration of missing out on an online flash sale. It sucks – especially if you made it all the way to checkout, only to receive a ‘sold out’ message at the last second.
While there’s no way to ensure against website crashes and other technical issues beyond your control, there are a few tips you can employ to increase your chances of success. But first, here are the important facts about Monday’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES sale.
Nintendo Classic Mini NES Target Sale: What Time Does It Start?
Target will sell the Nintendo Classic Mini NES from December 12 at 8.00am AEDT. There is a limit of one per customer and as with all previous sales, stock is expected to be extremely limited.
Nintendo Classic Mini NES Target Sale: Can I Get It In Store?
Nope. The console will be sold exclusively through Target’s online store. Here is the link to Target’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page. Target is recommending customers sign into their Target Online account prior to the sale starting. (If you’re already not a member, you can set up a Target Account here.)
Nintendo Classic Mini NES online buying tips
This is a flash sale and stock will sell out in minutes, if no seconds. Provided Target’s servers are suitably equipped to handle the load, you can increase your chances of buying one by following these tips:
- Use fast, reliable internet: Well, duh. If your home internet is a bit rubbish, you might be better off buying through your smartphone.
- Log in well before the sale starts: You should be in front of Target’s Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page by 7:45 at the latest. With that said, don’t constantly refresh the page. The sale won’t start before 8:00am AEDT, so hammering refresh will achieve nothing (except possibly crashing the website.)
- Use two devices: Get a friend you can trust to follow the same process, thus doubling your chances. (If you’re both successful, you can sell the second one on eBay for a tidy profit. You blackguard.)
- Have a backup ‘guest’ tab ready: During the infamous EB Games website crash, the retailer sent out an urgent tweet urging people not to use their EB World profile. (Previously, customers had been advised to sign into their accounts before the sale to improve their chances.) It therefore might be worth keeping an incognito tab open of the Nintendo Classic Mini NES product page, just in case.
- Make sure shipping details can be auto filled: If the computer you’re using doesn’t have any of your details saved, sort this out ahead of time. If the fields can be auto filled, the checkout process will be much faster. (You can do this by purchasing a random product on Target’s online store, paying for it online and immediately canceling it. The cookies relating to order processing will now be saved.)
Remember, this thing will likely be freely available in the new year – so if you don’t specifically need it for a Christmas gift, we advise you just wait.
This story originally appeared on Lifehacker
Comments
19 responses to “What You Should Know Before Buying The Nintendo Classic Mini NES Today”
Starts at 8am?
I look forward to coming back in 7 minutes at 8:02 to see people complaining that they didn’t get one/website crashed/EB Games sucks (even though it’s Target selling them).
Looks like they’ve sold out already. Only took 5 minutes. I click on Add to Basket but I just get an error. 🙁
i went on target about 10 minutes ago to buy a pair of pants, forgot they had this sale on today. site put me in a queue, let me in where i saw the banner ad for the nes, tried to search for pants and now the sites just crashing lol.
The good news for you at least is the whole site is pants today.
“Aaaaand it’s gone!”
I came here to find this comment and like it.
I dont think ill buy one but the website is broken.
The big positive from this mess – Ninty would be CRAZY not to release a Mini-SNES next year and hopefully they’ll prep the supply chain a little better for that one.
I believe I managed to get an order through, though it’s uncertain at this point. Got to the “check email for confirmation” screen yet there’s no email. Support says the site’s essentially gone into safe mode to let everything calm down. Did anyone else manage to get to the same point as me?
Been waiting since 0809, still in line, ill be keen to see what time I’m told I wont be able to buy one.
Welp, I bet no-one saw that coming?
There is no way Nintendo underestimated demand – this happens with far too many of their products. Time and time again they fail to come up with any truly new, non-gimmicky ideas and so they pull this crap to stay relevant. I mean its a tiny box of plastic with a circuit board and less than 1mb of games LOL! At $99 guess how much of a markup this thing has too!
Being near Christmas and actually having to compete is unthinkable for Nintendo.
Target just sold out
Can’t believe you’re recommending that people sell on ebay for profit if they’re lucky enough to get two. EBay scalpers are scum and people should be discouraged from buying from them, not encouraged to become one of them.
Poor form Kotaku. I’m extremely disappointed in you.
But not surprised….
Fine, sell it on ebay for the exact same RRP then. Doesn’t really matter in the long run. Although the making a profit comment was obviously tongue-in-cheek.
What are the chances of getting two of them anyway? Most people can’t even get one.
It wasn’t tongue in cheek, it was completely serious, and I find the fact that Kotaku, or more specifically the author of this article condoning the practice disgusting.
EBay scalpers are a real problem and must be stopped. Some people might be happy to pay 3 or 4 times the rrp for something, but I damn sure won’t.
It wasn’t completely serious. You know what “blackguard” means, right?
I do now that I’ve googled it.