verybadbeetle

Really, just keep doing what you are doing by checking eBay. That is going to be your best bet. And yes those original PS3s will be higher priced because they are BC and the new ones aren't. So if BC is that important to you then you will have to pay a higher price.

Warhawk.

I believe the new 80GB go on sale sometime in September.

I don't think it makes much of a difference. Just as long as you give it plenty of room so that air can circulate around it (meaning not in a closed up cabinet/shelf). Personally I keep mine horizontal. I have pets so I won't risk having it vertical because they will knock it down.
 

Definitely go for the PS3. Save what you can. Someone said your 15, at that age you can try to sell off the games/systems you aren’t using. Hit up the relatives and say how much you really want one and if they won’t get it for you, tell them to send only cash for your birthday. Beg your parents for an early Birthday/Christmas present. Ask them to go half on it since it will double as a blu-ray player, which you will gladly let them use for watching movies. Do extra chores.

There are a ton of great games coming out for the PS3. Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2, LBP, Disgaea 3, Valkyria Chronicles, Ratchet and Clank: Q4B, SOCOM, Wipeout HD, followed by Infamous and Killzone 2 in the Spring. And don’t forget about the games you missed out on already. MGS4, Ratchet and Clank, Resistance 1, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Gran Turismo Prologue, etc.

 

GT5P all the way!

It's up for NA now.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/08/04/get-your-first-platinum-trophy-as-uncharted-drake%E2%80%99s-fortune-trophy-patch-is-released/

This is just speculation on my part but with the new 80GB model coming out for $399 I don't think they will drop the price again this year. I think the very earliest they would drop the price again would be next Spring 2009, maybe in time for Infamous. So going by that is it worth it to you to wait 6-8 months just to save $100.00?

You mentioned you want LittleBigPlanet. You could just wait until LBP is released, I think at the end of October, and then decide to buy a PS3 or wait longer for a price drop. If there was going to be a price drop before Christmas, I think they would have announced it by then. Just my opinion though.