I survived Black Friday! Post your success stories!!
- Thread starter dearmissie
- Start date
I love the story. I bought ZIP, but I wrote a column about Black Friday shopping for work. I applaud your perseverance. I like that you made it a fun outing.
I have my own horror story. I waited in front of Fry's electronics at 2pm. We had a bunch of people. It felt like a camping trip. We had a sofabed, hammock, bbq grill, and the person behind us put up a big projector screen. So around 3am everybody packed up their things and anxiously waited for the doors to open at 5am. Now at this time, there were tons of people standing in front of the entrance trying to cut. Employees told them to move and they refused. Officers had to be called over to escort them away. So the doors finally opened and I RAN straight for the laptops. Even then I had to get into another line and again people were cutting. It was so frustrating to see that. People were cussing and screaming. I did call people out on cutting though. It's just not fair. Thankfully I mananged to get a laptop before they all ran out. I got a lot of great things. Laptop, 50in LCD HDTV screen, home entertainment system, and a digital camera all for about $1,400. The regular price for the T.V. was already $3,000. So it was totally worth it for me. I can't wait until next year to do it all over again!!
Oh I also got a bunch of DVDs from Bestbuys for only $5 dollars and some for $2.50. I wanted to hit the mall, but I was too exhausted from not getting any sleep and having to 'fight' for my things.
Here's a picture I have of the projector screen. So glad it was right next to us. Superbad = funny movie.
Oh you can see the Handicap sign. That means one thing, we were VERY close to the entrance. We were 3rd in line. =)
Oh I also got a bunch of DVDs from Bestbuys for only $5 dollars and some for $2.50. I wanted to hit the mall, but I was too exhausted from not getting any sleep and having to 'fight' for my things.
Here's a picture I have of the projector screen. So glad it was right next to us. Superbad = funny movie.
Oh you can see the Handicap sign. That means one thing, we were VERY close to the entrance. We were 3rd in line. =)
^^ Holy Moly!! Wow, that's a great story!! I'm so happy you got all your goodies! What a steal!! Which Frys was this?? They didnt hand out tickets?? And I agree Super Bad is SUPER FUNNY!!
some year i will do the camping out at best buy!!! i've always wanted to try it but never really had the money to go there for one of their major door busters like a tv (don't need a laptop or camera)
we started at 9:30 Thanksgiving night and headed to the outlet mall to beat the traffic. we got to the parking lot about 10:00... around 11 me and my friend went to wander how to see if the stores were posting their specials... found out that some stores were opening BEFORE midnight! so that was great. we left the outlet mall around 2 am. probably won't even do that again.. not that it wasn't a fun and good experience but i was COMPLETELY exhausted by like 7ish and i just wanted to go home.
After the outlet mall we drove to kohls and saw a line of about 10 people already in line. we decided to stay in the car and nap.. there was nothing really at kohls that we REALLY needed... me and my friend got out when there was about 30 min till open and then line was HUGE and they only were letting people in at one door. of course people try to rush the doors when they opened and a lot of the cutters got in although i did hear that the manager tried his hardest to keep them out.. but there's only so much one man can do! got almost everything i wanted at kohls... a couple things i couldn't find and it was so chaotic that it wasn't worth it to find them. they also didn't have the early bird sale signs up so you weren't really sure if the "doorbuster" you were wanting to buy was the right thing. got out of kohls shortly after 4:30... headed across the parking lot to the mall to jc penney.. found out that jc penney opened their doors at 3:30am! wandered around jc penney.. didn't really need anything.. was just waiting for sears to open at 5... wandered over to sears (at the other end of the mall..) found what we needed and stayed in line for over AN HOUR! their registers weren't working right and their sale prices weren't showing up.. they had a lot of problems...
so while my dad and my friend stayed in two seperate lines i went over to radio shack to check out if they opened yet.. and nope... so i went to bon ton to pick up a new down comforter and plush throw... then went to radio shack after 6 and the store was packed... didn't have the item i wanted... went back to sears and my dad was done checking out and my friend was almost done...
then went to VS and me and my mom bought $60 worth of stuff so that i could get the free tote. then we ate breakfast at burger king... headed back home and made a quick stop at my parent's local lowes (which was DEAD and they had lots of stuff), and then back home for a nice loooooong nap! overall i ended up skipping AE, office depot or staples, walmart. we ended up going to target later in the afternoon and i still got everything i wanted.
overall another good year but i don't think i'll do the outlet malls before again. i need my rest before i get up at 3 in the morning!
we started at 9:30 Thanksgiving night and headed to the outlet mall to beat the traffic. we got to the parking lot about 10:00... around 11 me and my friend went to wander how to see if the stores were posting their specials... found out that some stores were opening BEFORE midnight! so that was great. we left the outlet mall around 2 am. probably won't even do that again.. not that it wasn't a fun and good experience but i was COMPLETELY exhausted by like 7ish and i just wanted to go home.
After the outlet mall we drove to kohls and saw a line of about 10 people already in line. we decided to stay in the car and nap.. there was nothing really at kohls that we REALLY needed... me and my friend got out when there was about 30 min till open and then line was HUGE and they only were letting people in at one door. of course people try to rush the doors when they opened and a lot of the cutters got in although i did hear that the manager tried his hardest to keep them out.. but there's only so much one man can do! got almost everything i wanted at kohls... a couple things i couldn't find and it was so chaotic that it wasn't worth it to find them. they also didn't have the early bird sale signs up so you weren't really sure if the "doorbuster" you were wanting to buy was the right thing. got out of kohls shortly after 4:30... headed across the parking lot to the mall to jc penney.. found out that jc penney opened their doors at 3:30am! wandered around jc penney.. didn't really need anything.. was just waiting for sears to open at 5... wandered over to sears (at the other end of the mall..) found what we needed and stayed in line for over AN HOUR! their registers weren't working right and their sale prices weren't showing up.. they had a lot of problems...
so while my dad and my friend stayed in two seperate lines i went over to radio shack to check out if they opened yet.. and nope... so i went to bon ton to pick up a new down comforter and plush throw... then went to radio shack after 6 and the store was packed... didn't have the item i wanted... went back to sears and my dad was done checking out and my friend was almost done...
then went to VS and me and my mom bought $60 worth of stuff so that i could get the free tote. then we ate breakfast at burger king... headed back home and made a quick stop at my parent's local lowes (which was DEAD and they had lots of stuff), and then back home for a nice loooooong nap! overall i ended up skipping AE, office depot or staples, walmart. we ended up going to target later in the afternoon and i still got everything i wanted.
overall another good year but i don't think i'll do the outlet malls before again. i need my rest before i get up at 3 in the morning!
AHAHHAHAA!! I remember spending $60 last year just for that tote too! Then when I went to Hawaii someone offered me $200 for my USED tote! (they dont have it there). I loooove their totes!
(If you're still wondering, I didnt sell it to them.)
I'm back finally! Haha, just have been quite busy!!!!
Okay :drum roll::.....
I drove back to my house after working on Thanksgiving and decided that since it was 12am and I was going to get up in three hours it was not worth it to actually get ready for bed. I just snoozed on a couch until it was time for my departure- "overslept" a bit and didn't leave the house until 4am instead of 3am as I was planning.
First stop Linens N Things for the advertised tree on the front cover of their holiday brochure, (7.5 foot Christmas tree for $99.99 with free 18" wreath). Made it there at 4:20am. Get out of my car and think I can go to Circuit City when I am done at LNT- for $3.99 dvds. I look across the parking lot and the line to get in CC was down the side of the shopping center!
So I am standing in the parking lot patiently waiting and surveying the area when this lady shouts to me from her car, "LNT doesn't open to 5am" in which I roll my eyes at her. I am standing there with the circular that says they don't open to 5! DUH! At 4:45am I start to approach the store. This girl about my age gets out of her car and we start talking. Well the "loud" lady decided that she can't be left out of this, so she gets out of her car. Very nice ladies and we talked- we were the first three in line- people were starting to come out of the CC line because they only gave coupons for the door busters to the first 50 people, so by the time LNT opened there were about 30 people in line. At this point the CC line was around the shopping center and they didn't open until 6am.
Doors open, I want my tree! So I walk to the back of the store and there is a clerk there to assist you with the trees. Well being me, I thought I could carry the tree and the clerk goes, "You need a cart because the handle on the box breaks easily ::see:: (picks up the box with the handle and handle breaks off) This nice girl offers to go get me a cart, if I will wait with the trees- Sure, NP! Get the tree in my cart and off I go- decide to look at some other things while I am there, afterall I have a 20% off coupon too. Pay for the tree and boy am I excited! HA! I try to get the tree in the trunk of my car, NOPE, the box won't go. Mind you, I am trying to do this myself. Next thought, okay it will have to go in the back seat. While I am trying to get it in the backseat, there is a line starting for people who want my slot.
WHEW the tree is in the car at last! I decide since it is only 5:30am, I will go see what KOP (aka King of Prussia) has to offer.
Jump on the highway, and any other day this would take me an hour, but it only took me 15 minutes. Get to the mall, find a slot (LOL! at watching people fight for slots at 5:45am!) (Very nice totes for the first 1,500 customers in the mall at 4am.) At this point Macy's isn't open yet- those of us that are standing there are betting that the older security guard man is going to get mauled/flattened. 6am doors open and people fly inside.....I make my way to the housewares for a skillet. End up getting a Circulon 12" skillet with lid for $42, retail $100.
There were a ton of people in there, so I left.
Decided to see what else the mall had to offer, got three shirts at Express, 20% off before 11am. Waited until 7am to see what Lord and Taylor and Nordstrom had, nothing much. Got a smoothie, went to Sears to see about more housewares. Went back to Macy's to get something for the BF. Ended up with two dress shirts and two ties (Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors) for $54.
Went home, showered. Went to meet the fam downtown for cheesesteaks. Walked around, fell asleep in Borders, had dinner at Hard Rock. Went home, organized some things and went to bed early. Whew!
This is my fourth black friday and I love it, it's a thrill adventure to me and you don't know who you might meet along the way.
PS When I went by Kohls at something like 4:10am, there was already a line! And I could see people double parking. O_O
Great haul FlungFlung83!!!
Okay :drum roll::.....
I drove back to my house after working on Thanksgiving and decided that since it was 12am and I was going to get up in three hours it was not worth it to actually get ready for bed. I just snoozed on a couch until it was time for my departure- "overslept" a bit and didn't leave the house until 4am instead of 3am as I was planning.
First stop Linens N Things for the advertised tree on the front cover of their holiday brochure, (7.5 foot Christmas tree for $99.99 with free 18" wreath). Made it there at 4:20am. Get out of my car and think I can go to Circuit City when I am done at LNT- for $3.99 dvds. I look across the parking lot and the line to get in CC was down the side of the shopping center!
So I am standing in the parking lot patiently waiting and surveying the area when this lady shouts to me from her car, "LNT doesn't open to 5am" in which I roll my eyes at her. I am standing there with the circular that says they don't open to 5! DUH! At 4:45am I start to approach the store. This girl about my age gets out of her car and we start talking. Well the "loud" lady decided that she can't be left out of this, so she gets out of her car. Very nice ladies and we talked- we were the first three in line- people were starting to come out of the CC line because they only gave coupons for the door busters to the first 50 people, so by the time LNT opened there were about 30 people in line. At this point the CC line was around the shopping center and they didn't open until 6am. Doors open, I want my tree! So I walk to the back of the store and there is a clerk there to assist you with the trees. Well being me, I thought I could carry the tree and the clerk goes, "You need a cart because the handle on the box breaks easily ::see:: (picks up the box with the handle and handle breaks off) This nice girl offers to go get me a cart, if I will wait with the trees- Sure, NP! Get the tree in my cart and off I go- decide to look at some other things while I am there, afterall I have a 20% off coupon too. Pay for the tree and boy am I excited! HA! I try to get the tree in the trunk of my car, NOPE, the box won't go. Mind you, I am trying to do this myself. Next thought, okay it will have to go in the back seat. While I am trying to get it in the backseat, there is a line starting for people who want my slot.
WHEW the tree is in the car at last! I decide since it is only 5:30am, I will go see what KOP (aka King of Prussia) has to offer.Jump on the highway, and any other day this would take me an hour, but it only took me 15 minutes. Get to the mall, find a slot (LOL! at watching people fight for slots at 5:45am!) (Very nice totes for the first 1,500 customers in the mall at 4am.) At this point Macy's isn't open yet- those of us that are standing there are betting that the older security guard man is going to get mauled/flattened. 6am doors open and people fly inside.....I make my way to the housewares for a skillet. End up getting a Circulon 12" skillet with lid for $42, retail $100.
There were a ton of people in there, so I left.Decided to see what else the mall had to offer, got three shirts at Express, 20% off before 11am. Waited until 7am to see what Lord and Taylor and Nordstrom had, nothing much. Got a smoothie, went to Sears to see about more housewares. Went back to Macy's to get something for the BF. Ended up with two dress shirts and two ties (Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors) for $54.
Went home, showered. Went to meet the fam downtown for cheesesteaks. Walked around, fell asleep in Borders, had dinner at Hard Rock. Went home, organized some things and went to bed early. Whew!
This is my fourth black friday and I love it, it's a thrill adventure to me and you don't know who you might meet along the way.
PS When I went by Kohls at something like 4:10am, there was already a line! And I could see people double parking. O_O
Great haul FlungFlung83!!!
You're mad. I could not be bothered with that, did sound like you made it fun though.
I've never heard of Black Friday before, sounds like you get some amazing deals, but why is it called Black Friday?
the term started because before the holiday season retailers profits would be in the 'red' meaning they were not so good or in the negative. so the day after thanksgiving is such a huge shopping day that it makes their profits increase bringing them back into the 'black'
in budget terms, red means you're in the negative, and black means your profits are not in the negative.
some stores have started calling it 'green friday'. i think because of how much money is spent.
before i learned that i always wondered why they would use such a term on the best shopping day of the year
always seems so dreary!
I'm back finally! Haha, just have been quite busy!!!!
Okay :drum roll::.....
I drove back to my house after working on Thanksgiving and decided that since it was 12am and I was going to get up in three hours it was not worth it to actually get ready for bed. I just snoozed on a couch until it was time for my departure- "overslept" a bit and didn't leave the house until 4am instead of 3am as I was planning.
First stop Linens N Things for the advertised tree on the front cover of their holiday brochure, (7.5 foot Christmas tree for $99.99 with free 18" wreath). Made it there at 4:20am. Get out of my car and think I can go to Circuit City when I am done at LNT- for $3.99 dvds. I look across the parking lot and the line to get in CC was down the side of the shopping center!
Doors open, I want my tree! So I walk to the back of the store and there is a clerk there to assist you with the trees. Well being me, I thought I could carry the tree and the clerk goes, "You need a cart because the handle on the box breaks easily ::see:: (picks up the box with the handle and handle breaks off) This nice girl offers to go get me a cart, if I will wait with the trees- Sure, NP! Get the tree in my cart and off I go- decide to look at some other things while I am there, afterall I have a 20% off coupon too. Pay for the tree and boy am I excited! HA! I try to get the tree in the trunk of my car, NOPE, the box won't go. Mind you, I am trying to do this myself. Next thought, okay it will have to go in the back seat. While I am trying to get it in the backseat, there is a line starting for people who want my slot.
Jump on the highway, and any other day this would take me an hour, but it only took me 15 minutes. Get to the mall, find a slot (LOL! at watching people fight for slots at 5:45am!) (Very nice totes for the first 1,500 customers in the mall at 4am.) At this point Macy's isn't open yet- those of us that are standing there are betting that the older security guard man is going to get mauled/flattened. 6am doors open and people fly inside.....I make my way to the housewares for a skillet. End up getting a Circulon 12" skillet with lid for $42, retail $100.
Decided to see what else the mall had to offer, got three shirts at Express, 20% off before 11am. Waited until 7am to see what Lord and Taylor and Nordstrom had, nothing much. Got a smoothie, went to Sears to see about more housewares. Went back to Macy's to get something for the BF. Ended up with two dress shirts and two ties (Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors) for $54.
Went home, showered. Went to meet the fam downtown for cheesesteaks. Walked around, fell asleep in Borders, had dinner at Hard Rock. Went home, organized some things and went to bed early. Whew!
This is my fourth black friday and I love it, it's a thrill adventure to me and you don't know who you might meet along the way.
PS When I went by Kohls at something like 4:10am, there was already a line! And I could see people double parking. O_O
Great haul FlungFlung83!!!
i love how u fell asleep at boarders.. and how other than meeting ur fam for some cheesesteaks you only got a smoothie. my type a girl! i rather shop than eat. AHHAHAHAHAA!!
I usually do not do the whole "Black Friday" thing...but this year I decided to give it a try. I stayed up all night, woke my 21 year old up at 4:00 AM and off we went to the closest mall (35miles). The interstate was like rush hour traffic..tons of cars. We finally arrived and actually scored some good stuff. We each got new Columbia jackets for 50% off, some makeup at Sephora for like 60% off, a pair of Ugg Boots (paid normal retail for these..figured what the hell..I'm using the credit card..may as well go full tilt) and some other little things we really didn't need. It was crazy..by 8:30 AM I was spent. We returned home and slept the entire day. Have to admit..it was kinda of a rush finding things so cheap!