WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP -- It was a disappointing morning of Christmas shopping for a lot of people in Luzerne County. They hoped to get their hands on one of this season's hottest items but walked away with nothing but bad feelings.
A lot of it comes down to this: first come, first served has different meanings to different people, and first come at some Best Buy stores applies to the first customers in line -- not the first ones in the door when the store opens.
It was the worst of times for some would-be customers of the Best Buy store in Wilkes-Barre Township. They wanted a hard-to-get Nintendo video game system.
Some waited in cars. Some waited on the cold sidewalk. They all desired the Nintendo NES Classic that's almost impossible to find this Christmas.
The appeal, for people like Brenda Vanchure of Wilkes-Barre, is nostalgia. The new Nintendo plays classic video games.
"When I was younger that was the most popular thing, that Nintendo, to play back. It's all a memory," said Vanchure.
Here is where things got off the track. Best Buy handed out tickets to people in line two hours before the store opened.
Some people said they assumed first come, first served meant after opening time, not before.
A Best Buy spokesman at the home office says their policy is clear, and that's reflected on the company's phone line.
"Just like on Black Friday, our Best Buy stores will have a ticketing process for customers waiting in line. We will only pass out as many tickets as we have consoles."
But when we asked the spokesman where it says the tickets go out before the store opens, he replied that first come, first served means just that, and no time frame is spelled out anywhere in store policy. It's up to managers at each store.
Jessie Smith of Thornhurst hoped to score a Nintendo for her grandson.
"It's terrible. People are out here waiting. It's not fair to everybody standing out here in the cold," Smith said.
For the people who waited in the parking lot and those in front of the building all night long, the odds were stacked against them. This Best Buy store only had 24 game units to sell.
Some waited and hoped for the best.
"My little brother is interested in playing all the new games, so I figured I'd try getting some of the old games all in one system. Maybe he'll enjoy that," said Collin Shandra of Pittston.
Bobby Jacobs was one of the lucky ones. He got there just after midnight and had ticket number 17 of 24.
"It was really, really cold, but you know, it's going to be worth it, even if it flops. I like the adventure. I met a lot of good people out here," Jacob said.
We know Jacobs got his Nintendo. We also know it won't be under the Christmas tree Sunday morning. Jacobs says he'll be playing video games as soon as he gets home and hooks it up.
So if you didn't get one, you could try eBay, where units are selling for three times the retail price.
The Best Buy spokesman isn't sure if they will have any more in stock before Christmas.