jaymacfla

Like the post above, my birthday is usually the week of Black Friday. This year it will be two days before. I can't remember a time when I didn't get something for myself since I started lining up at CompUSA.

2014 Best Buy, Walmart, Tiger Direct, Target. 2004 CompUsa, Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City.

Nothing beats Black Friday for electronics deals. Many talk of year round deals, and though there are some to be had, they are generally not in the same category or model for me to bite on them. I have seen many chinese knock-off TVs being sold at historically low prices, but you do get what you pay for, and in the 4K market, that can spell disaster when you understand their limitations for launching so early.

I host a huge dinner....on Saturday. My family thanksgiving is not lost, but evolved to a Saturday feast, celebrating all of the Birthdays (3 of us in November) and the stories of Back Fridays past as well as the present. The data is proving us right. Saturday is the new Thursday, and more people actually prefer the safer, earlier hours to the old "Stay up all night, then drive home drowsy" experience of old. I applaud anyone whjo still holds to their traditions, but in the electronic age, weekends are becoming the convenient alternative for friends and family to meet.

Online shopping has been slowly catching up since 2010, when I found a better deal online for my Birthday TV (on Black Friday) and skipped the Best Buy offering that year. With that being said, the online experience is still not what it should be, and can be a button mashing, frustrating experience for some, and cancellations still abound for others. I have always contended that the online services will benefit those who would never camp or stand in line anyway. Think of it like a football game. Many stay at home, and few tailgate, but the numbers remain pretty constant no matter what the offerings are at either venue.

Nothing beats the hard copy. We complain when the price gouge sets in, swearing that we will not pay the price increase, yet many of us still cross that line to get the ads in our hands, even though the digital editions are made easier with the advent of the tablets. It is almost as if a tradition is lost if we don't buy at least one or two papers. We are to remind you to check those papers and buy early. Some unscrupulous person may take the circulars and only buy one paper in the process. The paper is still the most popular item on the line. The only problem is that shoppers may not have as much decision making time due to earlier store openings.

Camping is not for everyone. The worst part is the lack of preparedness from chair sitters who have been in past years kicked off the property for their own good. If your plan is to sit in a chair for 8 to 10 days, you may as well recalculate your strategy. In the old days, one could conceivably sit for up to 24 hours without many problems. I have seen young college kids do this and it was not always the wisest thing to do. Beyond a 24 hour period, you begin to realize that the elements play a major factor and must be dealt with. You will also have competition from others who are willing to go the distance with you, even if it means an entire week. A large part of camping success is friends and family who come to take part in the experience. The rest is prior proper planning and supplies to make it a safe and enjoyable experience.

Some of the worst stories have come out of Kmart and Sears. I have been courted by Sears to camp but luckily decided not to. The multiple entrances were not monitored and those who waited in the correct line found their items gone, since you had to race to the upstairs electronics department.

Ace Hardware 10/27

If early predictions for store openings hold true, your best option would be for online shopping.

I see a shopping cart with a ticket or doorbusters in it, intersected with yellow "Crime Scene" tape with the phrase, "Another Doorbuster stolen by an informed Gottadeal Member"

Being able to chat/joke around....

Remember 2004? Deep cuts on projection TVs @ 50 inch. Remember 2006? $500 cut on 42 inch 720p 2nd tier HDTVs. Remembering how far we have progressed and how low prices are now helps us to keep the proper perspective when dealing with the newer generation of HDTVs.

Where's my camping gear?

Sounds great! Perhaps this will be the year that I can overcome power and internet connection problems at the campsite. Any ideas to make Brad's idea of a camp show a reality this year jim?

Jingle all the way....."It's Turbo Time"!!!!!

I would have to say that without going out to be in the mix, something is irretrievably lost. I enjoy both parts of the fight. the online fight, and the traditional line wait with expected reward. It is hard to replace that as a tradition.

The trick is in the timing. Stores are already open on Wednesday night, but could do earlybird wave shopping anytime from 6pm to midnight, thus saving the balance for Friday and leaving Thursday alone alltogether. This would satiate most businesses desire to run the table, yet preserving the tradition of Thanksgiving.

FULL is the key word here and cannot be stressed enough. The RT was a crippled mess, so hopefully there will be full OS tablet offerings this BF.

Perhaps your payday does not fall into line with BF this year....

Great commercial, but It is still the place which holds the record for having the most visible amount of blacktop real-estate as seen from space award.

So true!!! Credit card companies are going to like the fact that no matter how far in advance people are warned, the plastic will still make an appearance.

There is a prediction out there that states that you should see the S5 for under $50.

One that could double as a poncho and have the GD logo all over it, almost like spots.... What part of Florida was that? Here in North Florida, we had one of the coldest BFs since 2009.