Black Friday

[StormRichards]

I was just looking at the vacation schedule here at work when I noticed half of my group are off on Black Friday. It is actually one of my favorite days to work (I am not in Retail) because it is so quiet here. I have only gone shopping on Black Friday once and it was for a $20 coat rack. I had been looking for one and wasn't having any luck finding what I wanted. Everyone was running around and loading their carts, and here I was first to the check out line with a coat rack. The cashier gave me a "is that all" look.

Seeing how everyone else was acting made me realize what I had already suspected that Black Friday is NOT FOR ME!

Do you go out to get the deals?

Anyone go for the purpose of reselling?

[scfr]

I have purchased discounted gift cards both at store and on-line.
I have purchased T-shirts.
I wanted to buy a door buster crock pot one year but it was sold out. I guess I didn't want to buy it badly enough to wake up early enough to be in line when the doors opened.

[bjl584]

Here in PA, turkey season comes back in on Thanksgiving. I'll be in the woods hunting on Black Friday. I'll be as far away from crowds, stores, traffic, and craziness as possible.

[StormRichards]

I usually do walk to the Rite Aid near work and pick up some of their Black Friday freebies. Most years they have about $100 worth of items that are free after reward points.

[HundredK]

I like going out simply to people-watch. Gosh, people are crazy. Never buy anything though.

[kork13]

I may be on the lookout for a new phone.... My current one (1st gen Moto X) is going on 3 years old, and having more and more problems with software updates & such. I've had to wipe it clean twice in the last 3 months. Still workable, but becoming bothersome.

I may go out later in the day on black Friday, but most of my looking will be online.

[MonkeyMama]

I don't participate at all. (I refuse to mostly go into any retail store the entire month of December. It's not just Black Friday. It just gets so CRAZY!)

My husband will often go out to pick up some deal on something small. Oh, and one of his favorite resale shops has a great promotion that he has been doing every year. (I think basically if you show up they hand you $25 in credit. I will have my memory refreshed this month).

He insists that it's no big deal and I Recall going with him once to a big store (not a huge chain) and there wasn't really any one there. So maybe some places/items get mobbed, but it's not universal. He's more of a deal shopper and ad watcher whereas I am more of a "I just buy what I need when I need it" type. I think if there was a huge mob, my husband wouldn't participate. He likes a deal, but within reason.

[disneysteve]

I don't participate at all. (I refuse to mostly go into any retail store the entire month of December. It's not just Black Friday. It just gets so CRAZY!)

Honestly, I rarely go into a retail store at all.

My wife goes to Target every week or so to buy routine household items, cleaning supplies, etc. She goes to JoAnn Fabric for sewing supplies. And we periodically run into WalMart for something. But personally, I can go a couple of months without being inside of a store other than the grocery store. Most of our day to day needs either come from Target or Amazon.

[MonkeyMama]

Honestly, I rarely go into a retail store at all.

Same here. But December is the only month where I specifically avoid it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Rare. I plan on buying some underwear and socks maybe on black friday and pj for kids.

[GoodSteward]

I went once to a black Friday sale at walmart. It was the midnight sale(they have hourly sales). I went in looking to buy my kids a couple things for a few hundred dollars. My wife had done this before and warned me. She said when they give the OK you'll hear a roar come over the whole store. I thought yeah right....hah All the sudden I heard them say "Go" and this roar came from the far end of the store and made it's way to the group we were in. It was like something in a Movie. People going nuts and snatching stuff up. It's over in a matter of 10-15 minuets. We got caught up in the hype and spent a few hundred more than planned.

I'll never go back.

My sister in law has been in a fist fight before with someone over a kids power wheels. Someone walked up and just started to walk away with the cart...that started the fight.

I should write a book with the stuff I've heard and seen. Just blows my mind.

[rennigade]

My sister in law has been in a fist fight before with someone over a kids power wheels. Someone walked up and just started to walk away with the cart...that started the fight.

I should write a book with the stuff I've heard and seen. Just blows my mind.

No need to. All the gentiles can be seen on youtube causing havok on BF.

[disneysteve]

People going nuts and snatching stuff up.

My sister in law has been in a fist fight before with someone over a kids power wheels.

causing havok on BF.

I will never comprehend this sort of behavior. Is your holiday really going to be ruined because you didn't get $20 off that new TV or toy? Is it really worth getting injured or even arrested? People turn into Roman gladiators fighting for their lives in the WalMart Coliseum.

[StormRichards]

I will never comprehend this sort of behavior. Is your holiday really going to be ruined because you didn't get $20 off that new TV or toy? Is it really worth getting injured or even arrested? People turn into Roman gladiators fighting for their lives in the WalMart Coliseum.

I rarely shop at Walmart on a regular day. It is the last store I would go to on Black Friday.

[rennigade]

I will never comprehend this sort of behavior. Is your holiday really going to be ruined because you didn't get $20 off that new TV or toy? Is it really worth getting injured or even arrested? People turn into Roman gladiators fighting for their lives in the WalMart Coliseum.

I think I understand why people do those sort of things on BF. I think its more of a win vs lose mentality. If they grab an item they want and someone else doesnt...in their minds its a victory and thats more gratifying than saving money on the actual item itself...if that makes any sense.

For instance...my wife and I like to go to goodwills, salvation army, thrift stores, etc etc and find deals. It can be anything from an old coffee mugs (like old school waffle house, dunkin, krispy kreme) or she sometimes finds a new pair of $100 anne taylor dress pants for $8. Can I afford to go on ebay and snatch up old coffee mugs for $6-10 each...of course...but finding them for $1 is much more satisfying. I refuse to pay that much for them. Same with her pants...she can afford to buy those but the feeling you get when you score a pair for $8 is addicting.

I think thats why you see what you do on BF shopping. Steve I know you were/are a big collector of disney products. Imagine what it would be like if those $25 figurines were all going to be at one place during a certain time...and they were going to be sold brand new for $7.50. The kicker is 500 other people want them too. When the doors open you're going to B line straight to them and start grabbing...or so I imagine. The money you're going to save is great but the fact that you beat others to these items is a better feeling. I think its just a primal thing most of us have in us. Thats the jist of it imo.

The above example with steve is hypothetical. Whether you would do a mad rush isnt the point...the point is a lot of people have that mentality. Just trying to put it in context.