Scalpers have been stocking up on the iPad 2 at New York stores.
At both the Prince St. and 59th St. locations, long lines of customers — predominantly Asian — have been waiting to get their hands on the latest Apple product.
“Dozens of people were sleeping outside the store,” one Apple employee told Metro.
Once they buy the iPad 2, some crafty customers reportedly ship it to be resold on the Asian market. The iPad 2 goes on sale in Hong Kong this Friday, but is not yet available on mainland China.
“I don’t think they know what an iPad is,” said Enrique, 40, a street vendor on Prince Street. “They’re here early in the morning when the store opens. Someone must have sent them.”
When Metro asked, a customer waiting in line said he was offered $100 to queue up, buy an iPad and then trade it.
Apple has beefed up security to deter the scalpers. One guard explained: “Normally there are two guards — but since the iPad, there are more.”
Outside the gleaming 59th St. Apple store, there were eight guards yesterday, plus a pack of police officers. Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter at
