It is good to see all of my BF friends out there and welcome to the new members. How long have you been doing BF? What got you started? How did you find this community?

This will be my 5th year of BF and my 3rd in this community.

This is my 4th yr going and my 3rd (maybe 4th even) here on this board, WHICH I LOVE!!!!!!

Julie

This is my 10th year shopping on Black Friday and my 3rd year here.

I've been doing BF for about 5 years.
I've been a member here for almost a year (october), and
am totally hooked. :)

I've been doing Black Friday for 7 years.
This will be my first year as member on here. I can't wait!

I've been doing black Friday for about 9 years. This will be my second year for Black Friday here as a member.

This will be my 3rd year here for BF, but I have always loved a deal so have been BF deal hunting for about 10 yrs now. This site makes it a lot easier!

I have been shopping black friday for as long as I can remember. I love the thrill of the crowds, trying to grab what you need before you race off to the next store for their specials. I can't wait!

I can remember going out on Black Friday for a long time.. 12 years +....
3rd year here.

Im been a BF fan this year will be 14 years!

This will be my 2nd year but I can't belive what I missed out on all those years..I wanted to go in 2005 buy dd was born on the 17th and couldn't walk that much because I had a c section! so that suxed!

Oh man, I remember BF shopping with mom as a kid (along with other midnight madness type sales that Walmart and Kmart used to do a lot more of) I have been a member here for 3 BF's

This will be my 6th year for BF shopping. My 2nd BF here as a member.

This will be my 3rd year shopping on Black Friday, and my 4th year on this site.

This is my 6th year bf shopping, and my 3rd year at this board.

This will be my 14 Black Friday and my second year here...offically....I had lurked in the past...

I think this is m 3rd Black Friday here on Gotta Deal. :D

thsi will be my 15th year shopping and my 4th( i think) year hear. Love it, haven't left!!

I have been on here for 3 years now, but have been a BF shopper since I think 2003. So a 4 year veteran. Wanted to do it a lot longer though.

7 for BF and will be my 3rd season on the board

I have been going BF shopping for over 17 years, and this is going to be my 3rd BF at this site.

Maybe 8 years for BF and 3rd season here.

Off and on for about 12 years (started going with my mom when I was a teenager) and a member here for almost 2 years

5th year for BF, 4th year for GD

I used to think that people were nuts for going out on BF. Then I tried it 4 years ago and got hooked!! This will be my second year with GD and I am so excited!!

This will be my 3rd year BF here on GD

This is my second BF here and 6th to go shopping

I've been a BF vet since 1995 when I bought my 1st computer at Walmart. I've been a member here since 2004.

Lets see, this will be about my 5th year braving BF, and my 2nd year here in the forums. I was just a lurker last year though.

This will be my 9th year doing BF & 2nd year on here....can you believe I just figured out last year that I could find ads online early!?!? like duh! and i needed the news to tell me :o

Since I was 16 so that is 14 years.

I'm 30 and I've been BF shopping since I can remember. My sister and I would go to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving when we were younger and they all went BF shopping so of course we had to go also. I've been here since '04.

This will be my fifth year here with GD..............I am ready...

This is my 4th BF. But last year was the most fun. DH went with me and he loved it because we saved so much money. He's going back this year.

probably 12 yrs :eyepoppin

Lets see, this will be about my 5th year braving BF, and my 2nd year here in the forums. I was just a lurker last year though.

Good thing, being a lurker, it is better than saying something and getting banned for it, because someone misinterprets the intention!:eek: You can get all the info you need without the grief.:yup:

12 years and 1 year on here. I love this site, it has helped me so much!!!

13 years...since I was sixteen. this will be my thrid BF on GD

I got started with the furbies, in 1997 or 1998................hooked ever since

this will be my 4th BF and my 1st year in this community

My mom and I have been doing BF for 13 years with various people coming in and out once in a while, but she and I are the most consistent.

This will be my 2nd year shopping and my first year on the board.

This is my 3rd black friday. I didn't get to actually go BF shopping the first year. I had all my plans lined up, and everything, but life got in the way of shopping. Hate when that happens. I did get to go last year, and will get ot this year, though :)

been doing bf shopping for about 10 years- 2nd year here- can't wait

Probably my 7th year as a BF shopper. This will be my 4th year here.

wow, I have been doing black friday for about 7 or 8 years now. I never really knew there were others like me out there! I mean, I would see you in the lines at 5am (a few years ago you didn't line up until then!) but I never knew that there was a community of us until I found gottadeal! I found this site last year via an internet search for bf info. I like the site so much that I visit year round, several times a week.

I began about 5 yrs ago, but didnt sign up here until last year.

This is my 12th year as an adult, but if you count the times from being 16 and going with my mom, it is my 17th year.

I have been blackfriday shopping for 9 years. THis is my first year in south florida.

this will be my 7th year.....I love it

I have been doing BF for as long as I can remember....gong on 10 years I would say. It is always a family tradition. I even have my husband shopping now.

4th year BF shopping, 2nd year (I think) here. I found it just doing a google search for black friday ads. I much prefer this site to "the others." LOL

Oh no, it says I joined in 2005, so 3rd year here. I don't post all that much, but I'm here!

I started really BF shopping when I moved to NC, so that's been about 7 years. Started off with just my sister and I, and since I moved an hour away from her, we can't really meet to do it, so I either shop by myself, or like last year, I'll go with a neighbor.

I don't know if I'll get to shop this year, so I have had to avoid this forum, or I'd get depressed. (I'll be 9 months pregnant, and not sure when I'll go into labor)

I have been doing Black Friday for 6 years but this year I have to face the crowd alone... I think I might have a better time alone..lol..lol

Since I was a Kid at home and I have not lived at home since 1978...lol I have always gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving...My daughters now go also along with husbands, and a few friends...adding a new one this year to the group my youngest daughters Mother In Law, she has heard us talk about it so much that she driving here and spending the night just to join in...I have lurked on the pages here for about 5 years posted a couple of times I think last year and will be posting more this year...I love it here. :yup:

12 years shopping BF and this is year 3 at GD

Interesting question. It all depends on how many years you have to do BF until you become a "veteran", right? :bonk:

I am new here and I have been a BF shopper on and off for a few years. I use to go to my mother-n-laws for Thanksgiving, so BF was alot easier there since it was a smaller city at that time. Some people get out right crazy on that day.

Second year checking out this site for BF but, I've been doing BF since I was a teen with my mom, and then as soon as I had my first son he was out with me too for BF....

I've been going since I was in high school with my mother at the time. This will be the 3rd year she'll be gone. We go in her memory. Her friend took her place as the leader and driver to keep her memory alive. My mom lived for the day. It's definitely been about 20 years.

Not sure exactly how long, but my mom and I have been going for a long time. I remember buying for my now ds17 when he was little.

Just curious, but does anyone know how many years the stores have been doing the early bird sales thing?

I started going about 6 years ago. My family all thought I was nuts and no one wanted to go with me. At the time I didnt even want anything, I just thought it would be fun to see what all the commotion was about. I was immediately drawn in and have since been a BF Addict!

I started BF shopping in the 80's-- not sure exactly what year. THe big stores opened before the smaller stores in the mall where I worked and I would go get the giveaways from them before opening my own store. I know I went to my local KMART for wrapping paper and some other things 1 year as well... But my first exclusive year to do the BF shopping was 1995-- my first year out of the retail rat race. I was at Target with my 1 yr old son in his stroller, sent my husband to Toys R Us for stuff there as they opened at the same time. It was the last time he did any BF shopping, the coward!

I have been BF shopping for 10 years and have been on GD for 3 years

Ten years. I started the Christmas after my daughter was born, and have been faithful since.

I have been going forever. I miss the great "gifts" the stores would give out. Popcorn tins were the best.

I have only been BF shopping about 3 years. Previously, I lived in a tiny town with no where much to shop until I moved. Last year was my first year camping out with the "BF crowd" LOL
Wow was that fun!!!!! I can hardly wait until this year!!!!!!!

I have been shopping for about 5 years, but I missed last year.

This will be the 5th yr that my DH & I have been going out on BF

We started in 2002 and I have been with GD since 2004.

I have been a BF veteran since "96". I was trying to find out what information was out there floating around about BF sales and ads. I think I Googled BF ads and this site came up.

I think this will be our 6th year in a row.

2007 marks my ten year anniversary!!!:D

This is my 12th going, and 3rd on here !

This will be my third year. I noticed each year the lines form earlier and earlier.

This will be my 9th BF and my 3rd using GD

Started BF'ing in earnest in 1986 when the sales were, not secret, but not well attended.

So, guess this begins my third decade of BF'ing. Took 6 years, but finally got the BF bug to bite my wife and now she gets into the preplanning for the "big day," as it were. :)

Oh, and I found this site from Anandtech when GD was opened and its opening was "announced" at AT.

This my 9th year and 4th year as a member

wow .. I feel really old. I've been doing BF for as long as I can remember .. probably at least 15 years.

I found this community from an article in our local paper (the News and Observer - Raleigh NC) a few years ago. I hear one of our radio stations talk about it around mid November too.

For me it's the thrill of the crowds and knowing that I got a good deal. I'm a single mom and if I have to stand in line for a few hours to save money AND I get to get more stuff for my kids - hey - I'll do it!

I have been BF shopping since I was 16 and could drive myself to the sales, lol. So that means I am a BF vet having 14 years under my belt! I have been on these boards since 04 so that is 3 years for GD

This is my 13th yr going BF shopping, my first year my mom & I took my ds he was 7 mos old and he has been going with me ever since. This is my 2nd yr on GD.

I have been a BF shop-a-holic for the past 13 years & this is my 3rd year on GD!! :gdsign1:

OMG, BF has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. Mom & Grandma used to go out every year and left dad home with us. I remember when I was probably 5, they went out to find a Whoopsi Doll for me. Of course I didn't hear the story until I was older. It wasn't until I was 15 when I was finally able to join in. By this time my niece was born and I was introduced to the chase for toys!! I've been doing this for 20 years!! My kids are the youngest, I'll be devistated when they learn the truth.

I have been a frantic BF'er for 3 years, and I cant wait for Year #4! Black Friday 2K7 baby bring it on!!

Well I've been with GD for 2yrs and in total done BF for 4-5yrs.

This should be my 12th BF shopping and my 3rd year with GD.

this is my 12 year... we started doing it when we had our first son.

I had gone a few times when I was younger with my mom. I remember running into Venture and grabbing a Castle Greyskull for my brother, so I was like ??11..12yrs old?

I started when I was young with my mom (15+ yrs), going to walmart and toys r us mostly for toys. We used to be able to line up around 5,5:30 and still get what we wanted; not anymore. :eek: Now I have to line up at 1 or 2. I tried to go earlier last year but my dh didn't think the line would start that early. :sidesplit He knows better now.

I found Gottadeal in 2005 when I was doing a search for black friday ads online, and found my new favorite site for deals. I check here at least twice a week and then every day from oct through the middle of Jan. :cheesy:

at least 15 years started going with my mom day after thanksgiving and also day after xmas

3-4 years last year i went hardcore and camped outside BB =) other years i would stand in-line for 2-3 hrs if that

This is my 12th year.

Stacy

I have been black friday shopping since I was 12 with my grandma. It was a tradition for the girl cousins when they turned 12 to go with all the women in the family black friday shopping. I now go with my inlaws. Haven't missed the sales in 11 years. (I was six months pregnant last year and aggressive as ever...Don't mess with a woman on a mission to get that toy for their kid!!!!. :cheesy: This is my 4th year on this forum, but I changed my name so it looks like it is my first time.

I have been every year since the furbys came out. before that it was here and there

this will be my 10th yr....my sil and her dd had been going for yrs and I thought I would try it with them and loved it ever since.....I then got my other sil doing it....and now my cousin travels from another state to spend Thanksgiving with me to go shopping with me..lol....My mom goes with me too and has for about 8 yrs....I do believe that my grandma will be here this yr ..coming with my cousin so I am goign to get her in on the action...lol...

This will be my 6th year out on bf and 3rd year here on gotta deal

About 20 years. Started after the kids were born and needed to stretch a dollar. Now that the kids are older had to camp out for the first time 2 years ago for the laptops.

I've been going since my son was 1. So 12 years now. Loving every minute of it too!

I've been going out for about 6 or 7 years on BF. A friend lnked me to this site last Oct/Nov, and I think I checked the ads every single day. lol This year I decided to check out the forums.

this is my second yr, but i did my BF shopping on line during the night taking advantage of brads postings :yay: thanks brad keep up the great work! your the best :clapping:

2nd year on the board and off and on for the last 13 yrs for BF shopping.(more on than off )

This will be year 11 for me......And I have loved every minute of it!!

I have been doing black friday as long as there have been black friday sales in my area. I think around 13 years. hehe

I've been going out on BF on and off since I was 16 so about 8 years.
I remember coming to GD last year to help with my BF shopping but I wasn't a member until this year.

Been doing BF for years (favorite day to shop). This is my 2nd year here. I love it- look at site year round.

I have been shopping on BF for 9 years. This is the first year that I have used this site and it is awesome!!!! I wish I knew about it before now.

I've been shopping on BF for as long as i can remember but doing the early bird thing for about 3 or 4 years. i love it!!!!

I am a 13 year BF veteran. I am 23 years old and I have been BF shopping since I was 10. It has always ben a family tradition to map out the best sales and strategiclly plan which store to hit first. My mom, dad, and I started going together when I was able to drive so we could hit multiple stores first. I love BF and even now that I live 3 hours from my parents with my husband daughter, step-daughter, and 2 step-sons, my parents come down for Thanksgiving so that we can go BF shopping the next day. GOTTA LOVE THE SAVINGS!!!!!:cheesy:

This is my first year... in fact I just registered about 3 min. ago. I'm a little lost right now, but excited to be part of the BF family :D

Edited to add that I have been DOING the BF thing for probably 15-20 years..but just found this board

Well, my BF memories start back in my teen years when my mother, my sister (a year younger than me) and myself would trek off to the stores searching for bargains for my three much younger sisters (they are 12 and 13 years younger than me). This was during the 80's, right in the heart of the Cabbage Patch craze. I don't recall ever buying them any CP dolls but some things I do remember getting them: Pound Puppies, Rainbow Brite dolls, one of my sisters was really into the Ninja Turtles, one of my sisters had an Alf doll and slippers!

One fond memory was going to a Hallmark store with my mother on BF and seeing this really cute Santa pin. Santa sits on a snowball and has googly eyes. When you pull the candy cane string, Santa and the snowball roll around and around. I kept playing with it in the store and when we got out to the car, my mother handed a bag to me. Inside was the pin. I still have this pin today and it still works. I wear it every holiday season.

Another thing that stands out in my mind with BF with my mother was always having lunch at Friendly's.

My mother's been deceased nine years but my sisters and I (yes, the other ones are old enough to participate now!) carry on the tradition. The only thing that has changed is eating at Friendly's--I think we kind of grew tired of their food!

One final memory is a BF shopping excursion with my husband. It was in 1998, just a few months after my mother passed away. We had decided to get my sisters a computer and Walmart had them on sale, of course. Well, this was also the year of the FURBY! So we're standing in line at Walmart, it's five in the morning, it's cold, and just about everyone in line wants a Furby. My husband and I are laughing to each other because all we're there for is to buy some videotapes and of course the computer.

The line moves. My husband decides to charge ahead of me, saying he'll go grab the computer and I can get the videotapes. He told me that as soon as he entered the store, a Walmart employee jumped on to a table located in the little eatery they have and hollered "FURBIES ARE GONE!". :eyepoppin You'd think the world had just ended because before he knew it he was being pushed and shoved, he witnessed a fistfight between two women and he couldn't get the hell out of there fast enough!

That was the last time my husband ever stepped foot into a store on BF! lol!:)

I've been BFshopping since the year Tickle Me Elmo came out and this will be my 3rd year here.

I have been BF shopping since the very first year that KMart had their day after Thanksgiving Sale. I was lucky enough to find GD in October 2005.

I have been shopping bf for nine years I can still remember the year I started my son was a toddler and wanted the battery operated jeep and whoo hoo walmart had one on bf. I was hooked. I have been lurking around these forums for about three years. This site is the reason I get on the internet.

I've been hooked for around 10 years. Every year when I get home and collapse in a heap, I swear I'm not going to do it again...but I do. :)

I cant remember how long but my kids (they all have kids now) always got the lattest and hottest and hardest to find things for Christmas.:smart: :smart: :smart:

I have been a BF shopper since my son was a baby, I can remember one yr, my husband and I were at Toys R Us at 5 am my son sleeping in the car and I was shopping my tail off...then off to work!! I have been doing this for about 15 yrs and I found this site in 05 and check it DAILY!!!

I've been going since...birth! Maybe not birth, but since I can remember! I'm 23 now so I'd estimate around 17ish years?

I have been doing BF since 1996, the year of the great Nintendo 64 throw down. I was hooked. I have friends who ask me how I can still do this. I tell them that I can knock out most of my shopping on this day for just a fraction of the price. The secret is to take someone you can lift just in case. lol. I found this site last year. How I wish I had found it earlier. Last year, I stood in wal mart for 2.5 hours w/my hands on 2 computers for my boys. They had the cops standing their w/all of us at the computers. I felt so sorry for the guy who had to come out and cut the plastic on the pallet. He practically had to run for his life to get out of there. The cops were of no use once that plastic came off. They just stood and watched the melee (sp?).

BF shopping is an annual tradition for me and my mom and my mom. I believe that this is at least my 19 BF shopping day and this is my first year on this site.

ever sinec I was around 8 when my Mom took us with, I will be 40 this Dec so a longggggggggggg time~

I have been doing BF since 1994. Went to TN to visit my Aunt and her and cousin were talking about the sales. So my XH(hubby at the time) and I went to the nearest big town...half an hour away. We didn't even have to get up early...got there about 10 or so and got some great deals. Even got the stuff they gave away(miss those days) that morning.
As for being on this board I joined for BF. I have been coming here for 4 years I believe. Last year I came and looked but due to marital issues didn't post...nor did I go out for BF last year until late in the evening(I did still get a few items though.)

I didn't really know what black friday was all about in 2003, but I saw the Circuit City add and hubby and I decided to go. We figured if we got there just when the store opened, we'd get everything we wanted (so naive!) But the worst part is, we brought our 5 month old baby in his baby carrier. I was Stunned at the people and commotion. I was a new mom and new black friday shopper and let me tell you I was scared!
Now BF is the one day of the year that my hubby and kids designate to me. I get up when I want, leave the family, come home when I want, and sleep when I want. Black Friday, I love you.

Since I had my DD, so 7 years. When I started, would really only go to Toys 'R Us and K-mart to get presents for my DD. Now I do all of my Christmas shopping (and yearly major electronics purchases) on BF. :-)

Ive been doing it for about 11 12 years now.My first BF experience was when those dumb furbys came out.Waited in line all night freeezing and prego.(didnt evenknow it).Ive been doing it ever since and LOVE IT.Even as the kids get older theres not to much i wait on line for but none the less im there.My DH thinks im CRAZY but thats what christmas is all about to me.I love the rush and i LOVE shopping.We just moved to Myrtle Beach form NY a few months ago so i cant wait to see what goes on down here.At least i wont freeze this year.

This will be my 9th year. I missed 2006 morning but was able to go out at 9 am. I started hitting the forums back in 2003 / 2004.

First year here.......BF vet for seven years now!!!

:thumbsup: :beer:

My cousin was a big BF'er...when she passed away in 2004 (about a week before BF, actually) I sort of took over. This will be my third season on the forums here!