Get the Scoop on Black Friday Madness and How One Person Made $330 Before Noon!

[thechefofnorthbend]

Who was insane enough to get up at the crack of early and go out with all the madness and participate in Black Friday??? Not me!!! I had a show (special) and so far made $330.00 in sales!!! And its only noon here!!

 

[heat123]

I have done it the past 3 years but this year I was not at all impressed with the sales going on anywhere so I stayed home and slept in!! Maybe next year!

 

[lisacb77]

I did...it's my annual tradition. Got some great stuff for me at Penney's. Also got some of the holiday shopping done and got a discontinued rolling cart box at Office Depot for the biz. Not bad!

 

[PampMomof3]

I highly recommend the rolling carts from Office Depot. I bought 2 last year for bogo! I use them ALL the time!

 

[apriljc]

I stayed home but my husband did get up at 4:30 and hit the stores, or at least some of which he wanted to go to. He did get a lot of bargains. I would have hone but I have a really bad cold so my two boys and I slept in.

 

[AJPratt]

My husband went to Best Buy at 3:30 this morning. He got there and called me saying he was on his way home. The lot was full and there was a line around the building. I just got off the phone with my director who was at the store next door and told me that there were a bunch of arrests and that people were assaulting officers. Thank God he came right home. Assaulting officers, some Christmas spirit, huh?

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I worked in retail in my high school and college years and for several years thereafter. The very last place I want to be on Black Friday is a store.

 

[cmdtrgd]

I checked out the online ads and wasn't too impressed. I have most of my holiday shopping done with online shopping. I just have to get some more PC stuff...I try to wait until I have to make a sales goal or increase a show for a host.

 

[chefkristin]

I would have liked to go but I had to work. It was a total waste of a day-no one was there anyway. I work at Staples Corporate Office.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I'll bet the stores wished you had been helping them out!

 

[maggiemay]

I headed out - hit the new cabela's in boise - nice - but packed - had hubby and all 4 kids. It was fun, but tiring, glad to be home in my nice little quiet small town - two hours from boise.

However, I'll admit..... I helped the stores out quite a bit

 

[Paige Dixon]

I have a 52 inch rear projection TV that fits perfectly into custom cabinetry but it has been not working for over a year. The technician estimated a $500 bill to fix it. A friend of mine saw what looked like the same tv on a commercial for the doorbusters for Walmart for less than $500 starting at 5am. So, relieved that it is a 24 hour store and I wouldn't have to wait outside, I strode on in at 4am to check it out. (Luckily, my folks are visiting for Thanksgiving, so I was able to leave the babies at home asleep). Anyway, they had all the doorbusters set up but wrapped in black plastic. I searched so I could be near the TV that I needed at 5, but couldn't find them. I finally asked an associate guarding the computers and he said that they have 6 in the back that they aren't allowed to bring out because THEY WERE ALREADY ASSIGNED! I asked how they were already assigned when it wasn't yet 5am and he didn't know. Then a lady near me said that people can get online at 3am which is 5am Eastern Time, and snatch it up. I decided to leave with buying only milk.

 

[jdavis]

Well my SIL and I went out this morning just before 5 and I think we were back home before 7, only hit the big W, wasn't sure what we were gonna get, we weren't overly impressed with anybody's ads to go to the big city, there weren't a ton of people thank goodness. Anyway for not knowing what we were going to do we spent ALOT more than we thought we would, lol, we felt a bit guilty we both came home with a digital camera and memory card for ourselves, and she also bought herself a new tv and dvd player for her bedroom. But I got most of my boys' christmas done now thank goodness.

 

[thechefofnorthbend]

I have a 52 inch rear projection TV that fits perfectly into custom cabinetry but it has been not working for over a year. The technician estimated a $500 bill to fix it. A friend of mine saw what looked like the same tv on a commercial for the doorbusters for Walmart for less than $500 starting at 5am. So, relieved that it is a 24 hour store and I wouldn't have to wait outside, I strode on in at 4am to check it out. (Luckily, my folks are visiting for Thanksgiving, so I was able to leave the babies at home asleep). Anyway, they had all the doorbusters set up but wrapped in black plastic. I searched so I could be near the TV that I needed at 5, but couldn't find them. I finally asked an associate guarding the computers and he said that they have 6 in the back that they aren't allowed to bring out because THEY WERE ALREADY ASSIGNED! I asked how they were already assigned when it wasn't yet 5am and he didn't know. Then a lady near me said that people can get online at 3am which is 5am Eastern Time, and snatch it up. I decided to leave with buying only milk.

Boy...it was ALL OVER THE NEWS out here about the Walmart fiasco. We have a 24 hour store and you can go online, purchase a product and have it delivered to the store of your choice, so those who were smart, bought the TV's, had them sent to the Walmart here in town, but because each walmart were only alloted 6 of the 52 inch TV's those were the ones designated to the internet buyers, so those walking into the store to get one, didnt have a chance. Kind of unfair, I think...

 

[janel kelly]

Hey Ann, my husband went to Best Buy this morning at 2:30 also. It was full just like the one you described without all the arrests. I guess they started passing out coupons for certain items at 4am. I guess everyone who got coupons left to come back later (since they would definately get what they wanted but at a decent hour. So my husband ended up being at the front of the line. He bought a new top of the line minitor for $100 which normally would have costed $400. Thats all he got though since we still need to buy Christmas gifts.

I however would never get up that early unless there was something I really needed that was a deal of a lifetime. I plan on going shopping tommorrow. I think people will be in better moods then.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Boy...it was ALL OVER THE NEWS out here about the Walmart fiasco. We have a 24 hour store and you can go online, purchase a product and have it delivered to the store of your choice, so those who were smart, bought the TV's, had them sent to the Walmart here in town, but because each walmart were only alloted 6 of the 52 inch TV's those were the ones designated to the internet buyers, so those walking into the store to get one, didnt have a chance. Kind of unfair, I think...

More than unfair...probably illegal. I would hope your local DA, or better the Feds, would look into this but I doubt anything will come of it. Wally World has hot and cold running lawyers to fight any action taken against them. I'm also thoroughly disgusted with Sony for holding back the PSIII for the publicity they got from it all.

 

[janel kelly]

I wasn't surprised by the whole PS3 thing though. Don't they normally do that when they bring a new model out? My husband said that although its very frustrating to those who want one, its good marketing.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Of course they did that with the last one and just like trained animals, the goofs go stand in line to buy one and the goofs who masquarade as journalists go and report on it.If they would, like the rest of it, just ignore the whole thing, it would all go away.

 

[Paige Dixon]

I say we sell all the Deep Covered Bakers and Decorator Bottle sets that we have on hand for $1000 each! Good Marketing!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

But only to people who order online so the items can be "ASSIGNED" to them before anyone else gets a chance at them.

 

[DebbieSAChef]

I steer clearI try to stay away from stores the day after Thanksgiving. I have seen some ugly things happen.
Old women almost being trampled and run over as well as children, for electronics, housewares, etc...
It's shameful how people pounce on items and then give this horrible glare if you come near their items....LOL
It really is insane. I mean I know people want a good deal, who doesn't but I am not going to try to fight with someone for a chocolate fountain, or a TV, or a game system.
I never spend that much money on Christmas anyway. I stick with baked goods, and simpler things or friends.
Family usually get gift cards or something I have overheard them say they really wanted....
Perfume, a certain toy, sweater, etc.

Yes Anne, you are right that is not the Christmas spirit I ever want my kids to see or to experience. Come to think of it, I don't want anyone to see it. So many people have lost the important message of Christmas. and the true Christmas spirit.

Debbie

 

[AJPratt]

I tried to tell him to forget it. I got my laptop for about $400 and to save the extra $30 wasn't worth it. LOL Besides, I was hoping to get it for him as a Christmas gift.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I went, but I didn't leave my house until 7:30. It was about an hour drive. In all actuality, the lines weren't bad at all. The people who were out then were very pleasant and we didn't have any trouble. But, at a Best Buy in a town south of me, a guy got mugged for his purchases. It was a dvd player & some movies. Best Buy gave the victim a gift card for the amount so that he could go back in & re-purchase what he originally bought. I thought that was pretty cool.