OK, we were willing to believe that PS3 pre-orders were regularly going for over $2,000 on eBay. We even entertained the possibility that selling prices of over $30,000 might actually be legit. But someone willing to pay just short of $100 million for a PS3? That's nearly half the gross domestic product of Tonga!
The sad part is that it's hard to tell from the bid history exactly when the auction went from serious pre-order offer to joke-bidding extravaganza. Our best guess is that by the time eBay user mrsophistication placed the first six-figure bid, all logic and good sense had gone out of the proceedings. We can't help but feel bad for jason_138, who bid Sony's asking price of $600 only to be outbid by tens of millions of dollars. Better luck next time Jason.
Now that the PS3 has gone from pre-order possibility to actual retail product, will we see average auction prices decrease, or will short supplies lead to continued bidding frenzies throughout the holiday season?