Want a DS Lite? Time to break into that piggy bank.

Online retailers and individual sellers are charging prices that are a bit higher than the suggested retail for the new version of the system, to say the least. Numbers show that less than 100,000, and possibly as little as 80,000 units were released in the Land of the Rising Sun yesterday, and many of those who managed to scrape one up aren't ashamed to gouge American importers.

Even respected online importer Lik-Sang notified customers who had pre-ordered DS Lite that the price of the system had been raised from $169 US to $199. "Supply is not even remotely meeting demand, which, as we all learnt in economics class, always leads to higher prices," a note on the website explains. Other online retailers are selling DS Lites for upwards of $300.

A quick survey of eBay.com shows that the average price of a DS Lite is above $200, although some sellers are asking for outrageous shipping fees of $90 or more, effectively masking the true buying price.

Patient DS fans should probably wait for the DS Lite to be launched in America before attempting to buy one, although it hasn't been officially announced when that will be. Even those who can't wait that long would be well-advised to postpone their importing for a few weeks. The Enamel Blue and Navy Blue colors of DS Lite will be shipped to Japanese stores on March 11th.

Source: Joystiq.com, eBay, Lik-Sang