Black Friday: Is it just me?

Are you referring to the day after Thanksgiving with all the crazy sales?... If so, I've never heard of it being called that before. But I guess it would fit - with all the sales, profits stay in the black right?...

No friggin way I'm stepping into a Walmart today!!!!!

 

I voted no way, they're all nuts. I have no need/urge to get worked up into a frenzy intentionally created by retailers over physical goods.

It's like coupons, the time you spend pursuing the idea of a "good deal" is usually, ultimatley, ill proportionate to the actual savings, if any, and often times in the negative.

I have better things to do with my life...

...like amuse myself with PC...






h34r:

 

They are nuts. The only times I ever went was 1) When I was a kid and my mom made me and 2) When I worked at a Circuit City back in college. We all had to show up extra early and set everything up. People were lining up for hours in the freezing old to get these things. Once the doors opened, they came pouring in like a herd of wildebeest chased by lions! Craziness!

 

I try not to step into Wal-Marts on ANY day!

 

Last night I drove home from the family Thanksgiving meal at about 11:30PM. I passed two Best Buys and there were already people lined up in the rain, waiting for the 5AM opening.

 

I actually laugh at idiots who wake up to get there (the store) at 5AM. There should have been a choice:

(6) These people are idiots and have no life.

 

It’s all just a stupid publicity stunt to try to whip-up buyers into a holiday buying frenzy. Those who sit out in front of stores all night long are just being USED for a few dollars savings on some “commodity†- knowing that the media will be there to give live "news" updates.

The release of the X-box 360 is the same stupid publicity stunt, except here there is a shortage of that particular item . . . a shortage purposely created by Microsoft to whip-up a frenzy of desire and free media attention. If the X-box were in full supply, say goodbye to the free media hype.

The Prius on the other hand was, and still is, in short supply due to manufacturing problems (battery supply), but here too, Toyota has benefitted from the free media hype. If Toyota could, they definitely would rather have produced and sold many more Prii.

 

OOPS

 

I've done it twice in my life. The first was inspired by a recent layoff and was a miserable experience at Walmart. Conversely, the second time was great! The early bird specials at Toys R Us were just perfect for my kids. I got there at 4:15 for a 5:00 opening... and they'd already opened. I had the run of the place, got all my stuff w/ no muss / no fuss.

This year's papers were less than inspiring... so I slept instead.

So... poll options 1, 2, and 3 all apply IMHO... situationally dependent.

 

I hate shopping on a normal day - and I never go to WalMart

 

i went this year- it was my first experience doing that and i will testify that the people who do this yearly are all insane.

sure. i saved a bit of money. but i have been tired all day AND it was chilly this morning and my southern-native passenger was shivering so i had to turn on the heat.

and one extremely off experience on the trip, completely unrelated to shopping, had me leaving the car running with the heat on full blast which dropped my mpg by .7!!!!

never again. i am so not a morning person in the first place...

 

They are complete idiots, but on the other hand -- if Toyota was selling '06 Prii on a first come, first serve, basis today ..............

 

I had to buy some paint supplies this morning. Knew it was Black Friday, but had a mental lapse.

Went to Home Depot (its across the street from Best Buy and down the street from Costco).......MISTAKE!!!!
People get nuts! Traffic is insane. People will kill for a parking space (I got lucky just prior to aborting the shopping attempt).

Silver lining...the lines were short and the cashier at Home Depot was very pleasant!

Didn't see a single Prius on the road...perhaps owning one makes you smarter

"Soon to be Prius Owner"

 

One thing I noticed with amusement this year, while browsing the ads in yesterday's fat paper, was the absence of real "door crashers". Sure, they have to open early, and play that up in the ads, but the real biggie door crashers weren't there---at least in my neck of the woods.

And I'm sure that's because of the well-publicized incidents in recent years when violence has replaced the holiday spirit when it came to grabbing that last Tickle Me Elmo before bozo, approaching from the opposite direction, gets it! Someone trip her! Run! out of my way, jerk! I saw it first, but this s**thead blocked me and kept me from getting it! I could kill you! Hope you're happy, making my kid miserable this year! Tackle that b**ch---she's getting away with FOUR of them!!!

Boys and girls, can you say lie-ah-bill-it-ee?

:blink:

 

I had all of my holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving. The frenzied masses can have their stores. I'll happily give them a wide berth, and that includes insuring that all groceries are purchased from a 24 hour store after I get off of work after midnight.

 

We went out today - but certainly not at 5 AM. Naturally we 'missed' some door busters but, in spending about 4 hours, not entering a store with crazy lines, obtained a few things at good prices. I was in the group buy a few things, but don't invest too much in this day.

My wife did a great job shopping throughout the year, combining clearance and coupons.

Interesting to note about the loss leaders on sale. We were looking for a GameBoy Advanced bundle. I asked the Target electronics person how many they had in supply this morning - 12. They sold out in fifteen minutes.

Clearly, take the sales in stride, and have fun with it. We did refuse to wait in hour-long lines.

 

I think they're crazy!

But then again, I despise shopping for the most part and can't understand the 'thrill' of a holiday sale at a department store or mall that opens at 4 or 5am on a day that will have thousands of other people fighting over the same 'sale' items...

I'd much rather do my holiday shopping during a weekday evening sometime between Dec 1 and a few days before Christmas. NO weekends either, much too crowded...