Do you shop black Friday?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

In the Washington D.C. area, some stores didn't even bother to wait for Friday: They opened their sales doors on Thanksgiving. (Eventually, Black Friday will be coming right after Halloween.)

At times like this, I often give thanks that there's nothing I need so bad that I have to go out today to get it...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

In the Washington D.C. area, some stores didn't even bother to wait for Friday: They opened their sales doors on Thanksgiving.

Is it illegal for shops to open on public holidays in the US?

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is it illegal for shops to open on public holidays in the US?

No, not at all. And it appears that employees can be found who will do anything asked of them including working long hours in the middle of the night on holidays to serve hoardes of customers. The only downside might be that the practice is looked on unfavorably (excessive) by many.

[daffy4u]

I gave it a try for the first time this morning (first time Black Friday shopping). I walked out with nothing because I couldn't stand the crowds and the lines. The deals were not worth the hassle for the couple of items I wanted. I hate shopping.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It's a tradition that dates from the second werewolf epidemic (mid 18th century). On the first full moon after Christmas it was customary to give a small box containing the tools you might need to fight off a werewolf: wolfsbane, silver, wooden stakes, and a hat*.



*It's largely been forgotten today, but mercury (quicksilver) was used in the making of felt hats. Quicksilver is one of the few ways to kill a werewolf.

thank you nate for that lesson in history and tradition. i don't know about everyone else, but personally i feel smarter and more cultivated now.

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Oh... Oopps. I'd assumed that box was for getting rid of unwanted relatives, one way or another (apparently cocklaphobia has a strong genetic component). Oh well.

...are your unwanted relatives werewolves ? (little tip : if you say "yes", you've got the perfect cover.)

Originally Posted by BenG

The people who are shopping on Friday are too busy to answer polls. They're all reading the ads, making schedules and drawing up their plans of attack.

i hear it's all about the strategy.

Originally Posted by Xiaopanda

Ok, I'm Australian, so I equate "Black Friday" with the massive Boxing day sales held each year , as montsnmags has already stated.

Also, In Singapore, we have a Week of Sales (The great Singapore Sale) AND post Chinese New Year sales in February.

I avidly attend ALL of these, and have been known to trvel to Malaysia to take part in thier verson of the Great Sale, which usuall happens around this time or around Hari Raya in October.

Short answer, if there is a major discount (70%+) on offer, it's amazing what I find I need even if I never use it.

wow, you are insane.

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I gave it a try for the first time this morning (first time Black Friday shopping). I walked out with nothing because I couldn't stand the crowds and the lines. The deals were not worth the hassle for the couple of items I wanted. I hate shopping.

i'm with you !! i don't even like it when i have to go to the grocery store on a saturday because it's too crowded and the lines are too long ! this "black friday" business sounds like a nightmare.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I gave it a try for the first time this morning (first time Black Friday shopping). I walked out with nothing because I couldn't stand the crowds and the lines. The deals were not worth the hassle for the couple of items I wanted. I hate shopping.

good grief you crazy duck! it's not even 7 and you're back!

well at least you are uninjured! here's a brandy to settle the nerves

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

good grief you crazy duck! it's not even 7 and you're back!

well at least you are uninjured! here's a brandy to settle the nerves

seriously ????? not even 7 ??? good god, daffy !!! you really are insane. and setting aside the inherently barbaric nature of trying to do *anything* before 7 (*especially* shopping !!) if things were already that bad, i don't even want to imagine what it will be like once actual day time starts !!!

[daffy4u]

I was up at 4am, at the store around 4:20am, entered the store at about 5:10am (store opened at 5am) and out empty handed around 5:20am. Stopped at the grocery store and was home by 6:15am.

Luckily I'm a morning person.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I was up at 4am, at the store around 4:20am, entered the store at about 5:10am (store opened at 5am) and out empty handed around 5:20am. Stopped at the grocery store and was home by 6:15am.

Luckily I'm a morning person.

excuse me, i... i .... i think i have to lie down for a while. i'm feeling faint-headed just reading that.

[BearMountainBooks]

I pretty much avoid the whole weekend shopping. There are very very few "real" deals. I think initially there were more true deals on washers/dryers and tvs to get people in the store. Last year stores wouldn't even say how many items they had at the doorbuster price and there were reports by those shopping that in some cases it appeared to be less than 5. That's just plain silly.

Most of the deals can be had at different times of the year if they lowball them now (like after Christmas or for the next school shopping season.) For example, I saw a sony loaded up laptop for 479 as a doorbuster--we bought a toshiba that had an even larger monitor last Aug for 350 before tax/shipping.

I priced Smartwool socks 4 months ago, 3 months ago and so on--they are actually more expensive now than at any other time I have priced them. (Somewhat expected as it is a seasonal item.)

I have seen good deals and did go to a small store (not in a mall) one year to get cat beds for 5 bucks a piece. It's rare to see this price on them. They had two left, so I bought them both. They were completely out of all their other door busters (I didn't bust my butt going--it was 8 o'clock.)

Mostly I think the whole thing is an overblown excuse to just go out and be in a crowded situation. There are people that like that. Lots of them apparently.

Me, I'm happy sipping my hot cocoa and...reading.

Maria

[Leep]

And do you wonder why its called "Black Friday?" Because, traditionally, this is the first day many stores were actually "in the black" ink. Until then........they were running in the red. Thats how much business used to be done on this day.

Now that's some business model! And we wonder why we're in a recession.

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I gave it a try for the first time this morning (first time Black Friday shopping). I walked out with nothing because I couldn't stand the crowds and the lines. The deals were not worth the hassle for the couple of items I wanted. I hate shopping.

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I was up at 4am, at the store around 4:20am, entered the store at about 5:10am (store opened at 5am) and out empty handed around 5:20am. Stopped at the grocery store and was home by 6:15am.

Luckily I'm a morning person.

I did the whole "Black Friday" thing this morning following much the same routine as you did, Daffy, with one exception, we actually bought something. My in-laws give us a "Family" check for Christmas every year and we decided to buy a digital video camera because our camcorder is no longer operational. My husband saw a great deal at Best Buy (a chain electronics and home appliances store) and talked me into going with him.

When we got there at 4:45, there was a line down the block and a few people had actually brought TENTS!! We waited in our car until 5:00 and went in with the rest of the crowd and found someone to help us with the video cameras. He told us the one we wanted was a "Doorbuster" deal for which they passed out tickets between 2am and 4am. I showed him the flyer and told him that it was not a Doorbuster item and he called the manager over who then found us the ticket for the last video camera (they only had 4 ~ sounded like bait and switch to me ). We then had to stand in line for 1 1/2 hours just to pay for the darn thing.

We did save $300 off their regularly listed price, but I told my husband, "NEVER AGAIN!" It's just not worth it to me when I know I could probably have found it online for close to what we paid in person.

I will say that I was amazed at the amount of stuff people were buying. They were rolling around carts packed high with things like wide screen TV's, computers, printer, etc. It was like sharks in a feeding frenzy!

. . . and they say we're in a recession.

[Patricia]

This all seems really weird to me. How did you people let shopping become a leisure activity, rather than a dreary chore? Whatever possessed you to get up so early in the morning? Don't you have nice warm husbands/cats/ dogs in bed with you? If so, why get up at an unspeakable hour to go shopping, of all things? If you are bored then you could read, sleep, do housework, etc. But why add to the list of things that require cleaning, insuring and other attention?
I honestly have some trouble understanding this mysterious idea.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Patricia

This all seems really weird to me. How did you people let shopping become a leisure activity, rather than a dreary chore? Whatever possessed you to get up so early in the morning? Don't you have nice warm husbands/cats/ dogs in bed with you? If so, why get up at an unspeakable hour to go shopping, of all things? If you are bored then you could read, sleep, do housework, etc. But why add to the list of things that require cleaning, insuring and other attention?
I honestly have some trouble understanding this mysterious idea.

me too. *particularly* the getting up at an unspeakable hour part. i'm thinking perhaps some of y'all should make an appointment with pshrynk.

[neilmarr]

Talking about this membership milestone being a reflection of the popularity of ebooks generally; there was a clip on our morning TV news here in Francetoday showing the Black Friday rush on one big US store. It lasted just a few seconds, but of all the tens of thousands of items that must have been available, when the camera was focussed on a checkout till, what should be rung up but a Sony reader! Neil