For one savvy buyer, PS3 means quick cash.

Byline: Jack Moran The Register-Guard

PlayStation 3 madness was abundant Friday at retailers in the Eugene-Springfield area, where dozens of new game consoles flew off shelves as soon as stores opened their doors.

One example of the release-day delirium unfolded at the Fred Meyer in Santa Clara.

Nearly 150 people jammed the Division Avenue market's parking lot before sunrise, in anticipation of a 6:45 a.m. raffle that store officials conducted for the four PlayStation 3 consoles in stock there.

"The people who came here were really happy that we decided to handle it this way, because nobody was put in danger," store director Nancy Gant said.

Just to be safe, a store security guard escorted one of the lucky winners - a young woman - to her car when she emerged with her new PlayStation 3, Gant said.

Another raffle winner, Fernando Barajas, 21, of Springfield, said he turned a quick profit moments after purchasing a 20-gigabyte console for $500.

`A guy (in the parking lot) offered me $1,000 for it right there,' Barajas said.

"I doubled my money just like that."

Barajas said a local video game store, which he did not name, allowed customers to pre-order a limited number of PS3s. He purchased two additional 60-gigabyte units that way for $600 apiece, and is selling them through a classified ad placed in The Register-Guard.

Barajas said seven people had called him by Friday afternoon, willing to pay the $1,200 he was seeking for each of the consoles.

Barajas said he understands that he could probably make more if he sold the PS3s via eBay. But he says he's unfamiliar with how the online auction house works, and felt more comfortable doing things the old-fashioned way, through a print ad.

"I know that I could make a whole lot more money off this, but I'm trying not to be overly greedy," Barajas said.