cambo357

I would jump on a netflixable player, BR or not, for less than $100. I am not currently running HDTV, so BR isnt a factor. but I do love my netflix,and tire of hooking the lappy up to the tv. BR would just be a nice early upgrade. ah, the good old days of actual good deals on BF lappys. nobody can argue that last year had anemic deals at best. I really have no clue as to what it will be like this year. I am decent on my current lappy, but would love a netbook that is OSX capable. I currently run OSX on my vostro, but would love a smaller about the house type of thing.

OP, you have done a great service to your country. thank you for your effort. all around the country you can hear a sigh of relief....... followed by a groan of disappointment. yeah, a few decent deals, but nothing spectacular. hell, some are almost a lie. 32" dynex lcd, $400, says regularly $500. right now it is on sale for $450, and is on sale at that price about every other week most likely. you can get a comparable westinghouse, sylvania, etc for $400-450 right now. seems like they are trying to pad numbers by including services and add ons. some of the other TV deals are including the geek squad installation, a $200 value (hey, its what it says). they know that many will just never have this done, and that is just gravy on the sale. on the deal with the 47" insignia, it includes "TV & Video Set Up" and lists it as a $100 value. it says it includes connection of your TV and BR player. to what, each other? and is this an in home service, or an in store service? it doesnt say. if it is in store, wow, I really need to get in on that action. also says limited to warehouse qtys on hand. how is a service limited to qtys on hand? on the computer deals, they including the Trend software to bump up the listed value and make the "savings" greater. many new systems come with trial or 1 year versions of AV software anyway, so this is a bit redundant. camera deals are bundled with the pricey accessory kits or other add ons. the GH3 bundle with 2 guitars is nice, and the 2 extra games on the xbox 360 isnt bad. you could get like $5 each for them at gamestop maybe. all in all, I dont think it is worth my time. lets hope that they throw in some kick ass deals on the secret sale.

please, stop. this is all from last year. all the posts you have made claiming to have the info is old. this is just going to cause confusion.

this deal is from last year, as is your deals you posted in the BB thread. did you buy that list of BF items claiming to be 2008 when it really is 2007 items, on ebay?

HP networked color laser FTW!!!!!

last year was the first time I had ever gone to Frys on BF. as much as I normally love this store, its just not appealing to me for BF. we went later in the day, around noon, so we def were not expecting great selection of what was left. more just perusing for some random stuff. the store we went to is right off the freeway, with the parking lot entrance at the end of the off ramp. traffic was backup on the freeway a couple hundred meters. once on the off ramp, it was total gridlock at the entrance. people were parking on the other side of the freeway, at the next exit, and walking over. at least a 1/2 mile walk. after 40 minutes and finally finding a parking spot in a dirt lot we got to walk in there. for those who have not been to a Frys, it is hard to explain. sort of like a Best Buy, CompUSA, Radio Shack on steroids, PC Club all in one. and the check out process is equally as large. you get in one line, and at the head of it an employee directs you where to go. the stores have dozens of cashier stations, some even close to 100. when a cashier is available to help somebody, they raise a sign with a number on it. then the director at the head of the line directs you which one to go to. it seems complex at first, but it always seems to go quickly. but not on BF. the line stretched around the store, up and down aisles, back and forth. you literally could not go more than 30 feet and not run into the line. although there were still some deals to be had, it just wasnt worth it. I wasnt going to make the gf and her daughter wait in what was a 3+ hour line. sadly, we left empty handed.

last year people werent even waiting until they bought them to put up on ebay. there were listings for items that were pending purchase on BF.

oh, I hardly am the most prepared. Mr. Mayor BigJimSlade here certainly out does me. he has quite a large crew, and does what he can to accommodate them all. my list might seem like alot, but it was fairly detailed and looked much longer. all of it fits in a couple of large plastic tote type boxes. we pack stuff up when it is nearing the time for vouchers/tickets to be handed out. no matter how well people have behaved up until then, this always creates a mob frenzy. we dont want to deal with keeping our stuff safe and secure along with getting our item tickets. it does kind of suck, because once those are handed out, it is usually a 1-2 hour wait before opening, and now everybody is standing and crowing for that entire time.

shelter/quarters: sleeping bag air mattress tent (never used it, but prepared just in case of untimely cold/rain) blue tarp (utility, can be shelter, ground cloth, make shift bathroom, etc) lounge chair(s) clothing: shorts (about daily wear for me) long pants 2 t shirts fleece top nylon shell 2 pair socks comfy shoes/trainers sunglasses hat gloves (mechanix style, good for random utility use that might arise, and can provide warmth if needed) caloric ingestion: sandwiches chips, dip water tea soda maybe some, ahem, adult beverages. granola bars we have line crew and support crew, and live close enough to somebodys house that its easy for support people to bring us down some great TG dinner. those who are dealing with Jack in the Box are quite jealous. tech: lappy/power supply evdo modem ipod external speakers ipod cable usb cable mini usb cable phone/charger inverters (multiple for use in different vehicles as needed) 12V/usb adapters power cords/splitters digital camera web cam (might do a broadcast this year) printer (make updated plans/routes) some other stuff that Im not thinking of right now utility/other stuff: 550 cord duct tape leatherman tool paper/pens/sharpies ads/magazines/books jumper cables plastic bags (typical shopping bags as well as trash bags) toiletry kit might bring a generator this year, but i really do hate the noise and carbon impact of them. this is just what I can think of right now, have the master list at home.

yes, I usually do plan as soon as the ads allow. we usually do BB, but are able to adapt as needed. even without planning, we already have measures in place. everybody in the group has cell numbers and emails at the ready. line waiters and support crew have already been determined. we have "go bags/boxes" ready. these have our basic supplies in them, are ready to grab at a moments notice or are already in a truck. we are flexible, and capable of adapting to the situation as dictated by the latest intel and developments. this means that though a major part of the plan is in place, we are actually reworking details of it the entire time, up to and including the line wait.

yes, this would be awesome. I remember a grocery store where they gave you a slip of paper and you wrote down your items and price as you shopped, then they just totaled that up. however, we know that there would def be those less than honest who would put items in the cart and not scan them. with the future of RFID, this could very much be likely in the future.

Brad, thanks for the reply. I knew there were issues, just not the intricacies of it. you def have to walk a fine line between giving the site members what they want and keeping your affiliates happy as well. so you do have to remove all reference to the ad? what if somebody posts saying they have it and to PM or email them? I know this happens, just wondering how it comes down on the end of the admins.

so we know the retailers clamp down on the leaked ads. C&D orders, blah blah. they still get out anyway. torrents, email, etc, they can still be found. I have a couple of questions. first for the admins here. so you have a C&D about it. if somebody posts it you are required to remove it. after you do that, are you still under the gun of legal action? I thought there was some sort of case that forum admins cannot be held responsible for what others do, provided they do the best they can to rectify the situation. similarly, are you prevented from say linking to or listing where somebody could find the ads? as in a torrent, or if somebody set up an email just for that. second question. does anybody know if there is a free email service (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc) that can do multiple/different types of autoresponders?

well, this is hardly a surprise. C&D happens every year, this time they were just proactive. in any case, the as will still get leaked. only takes a single instance of it and its out. at least Walmart is open to it being released on that monday before. alot of other retailers wont even tolerate that.

there is a big difference between pepsi and other doorbusters. it is a lower priced item, with plenty of stock, even though there may be limits on how many a person can buy. even supermarkets will put limits on soda and such when they have a killer sale, not just BF. its those who have 5 kids each buying the high ticket items. kids that young are not each buying a laptop, a desktop, portable DVD player, Zune, and LCD TV. this is just pure greed, either for scalping, ebaying, or for others who didnt want to wait in line.

security: there are several issues with the stores trying to make the chaos more secure. in most states, security officers have little or no more authority than anybody else. if somebody cuts in line, they cannont physically remove them. same goes for the store employees, security personnel or not. if they do, they open a whole can of worms of civil and criminal liability for both the individual, and the companies involved. it sucks, but in todays litigious world its a big issue. some retailers have really limited what their AP/LP people can do. some have been instructed that if they are making a bust on a shoplifter, and the person becomes physical in any way, they are to just let them go. in a BF scenario, store or security personnel can call the police and have the person removed from the property. short of that, not much can be done. as for police being there, that could help. usually just the presence of LE will do wonders to keep things civil. and if not, then they could get hooked up for several charges. however, police often times have better things to do than babysit a bunch of line sitters. it can be very logistic/manpower heavy as well. take a local shopping area near me for example. all within a short (5 min) drive there is a Costco, CC, Target, Sears, Mervyns, Walmart, BB&B, LnT, BB, Staples, Sams Club, Old Navy, Lowes, Home Depot, and a handful of other smaller places. not all are likely to have line up chaos, but certainly some of them. would be difficult for the police to station themselves around it all. with the agencies being cash strapped, they wont want to put more officers out there on overtime. and if a store specifically requests it, they might be financially liable for the extra cost. it is a circus that culminates as the doors open. humans are just that, human. greedy, stupid, irrational, unpredictable. we cannot control the actions of others. just do our best to stand our ground, then get on with our business of BF pillaging. hopefully, those who have not been such a kindred spirit will be taken care of by karma.

we keep these in the car most of the time, forget to on occasion. we use them at the grocery store, target, CVS, etc. if I only have one or two items, I tell them I dont need a bag. we actually walk to the grocery store alot of the time. I will sometimes even take a small backpack (REI Flash UL) in addition to a few reusables. for BF, we will use them at any place that has small items. for larger items, no bag needed. hard to fit my 87" DLPlamaLaser TV with built in corn dog cooker in a bag, :)

1. no tickets for kids. I have seen families try to say that each of 5 kids is getting a laptop, a desktop, camera, pet duck, etc. usually the employees were good about it, and said no. teenage is one thing, 7 year olds is another. 2. no rebates. CC is one of the worst for these. 3. dont list items as "instant rebates". for the items/stores that do price match, the term rebate usually negates the PM. if I pay for it now, pay tax on it, and get money later, thats a rebate. if the price is just lower/on sale, and I dont pay tax on it, then its not a rebate. 4. no bundles to get the deal. no Vonage, AOL, Nutrisystem, anti venom of the month club, etc. to subscribe to in order to get the price. 5. no "bundle only" sales for game systems. bundles can be a good deal, but dont make me buy if it I only want a system. 6. no carts. if the carts are outside, dont let them in with the initial rush. it clogs the ingress something fierce. even worse, people get crazy with them as a battering ram, and others get hurt. if the shopper wants to bring a cart in, then they should wait a few minutes for the first rush to go through. pushing a cart through there is going to slow them down enough that they cant get all the super hot items anyway. gather what you can by hand, secure it, get others to bring a cart later, etc. if the carts are inside the store, they are right up front, and then totally block the way inside there. maybe corral it off so those without a cart can get on their way and bypass them. if you want a cart, get one, and go another way.

the sample ticket here has NOT been standard at all BB stores for all years. here is what I have seen: 2004 and 2005: cheap photo copy slips, on both white as well as colored paper. it had maybe a poor quality image of the item, a text description, price, and a line where an employee initialed it. this was for all vouchered/limited qty items. once vouchers were had, you could do as you wanted. some people sold/traded them. most just stayed in line until the start of the race. and yet once inside, there was more wait. you had to to go the computer area, wait in a long ass line there, to get your comp. then they had a consultant try to upsell you on everything. even after that, somehow, they were "out of the cheap ones." but they somehow had plenty of them that had been pre optimized, securitized, unintalled, virus proofed, etc, for only $200. they said the voucher actually meant nothing. in total, my crew was getting about 6 laptops and 4 desktops. after much fighting, we finally won. we know it was just a scam, as the add ons are very profit padding. 2006: employees came out with a clipboard, and had the qty of the items. going down the line, they took names of those who wanted a particular item. no tickets were handed out, or at least not for the really hot items. what they did hand out to everybody was very similar looking to the ticket here, but it was more of a flyer. as in, hey, you can add these items to it for really cheap. but since names were taken, it was not going to get you anything. doors opened, you shopped for your other things, then went to checkout. at checkout, you told them you had your name on the list for whatever items. somebody came over, verified your name, and brought it to checkout. no being out, no upsell, nothing. this was nice, really cut back on the scalping of them. I think it might have slowed down checkout some though. 2007: not sure, would have to ask my friends. I got detoured by a girl, and that story is not for the tender virgin ears we might have here. suffice it to say, I missed some deals, but had a much better time than in line. this was at BB stores in Riverside and Corona, CA. -Cambo