According to comments made by Ken Kutaragi the United States will receive just 400,000 PS3 units upon launch, with Japan only getting 100,000. This means that severe shortages are all but certain. eBay could be the only place to get one (except you will likely need thousands and thousands of dolllars).
Speaking to AP, he said [...]
"United States to Get 400,000 PS3 Units on Launch" - 07.09.06