mausibaer

Best buy just posted a comment: "The sale will post later this morning - Keep an eye on your Best Buy Facebook and/or Twitter feed for the announcement!"

At 12:30pm on Thursday afternoon, it was 76 degrees with high humidity and a "Feels Like" of 82 degrees. Five hours later, it was 47 degrees with a cold rain, 20mph+ winds with a "Feels Like" of 37 degrees. Almost nobody that was in line from the beginning was prepared for such a dramatic shift. I know that those numbers are laughable compared to our brothers and sisters to the North. But watching 100 people realize that they were woefully underprepared to deal with the elements made my wife understand why the first App that I ever downloaded onto my iPod was The Weather Channel.

This one's not about what I bought, but what someone else wanted to buy.... Those of you who are camping veterans are very used to having people drive up in the days and hours leading up to the store opening and asking one of the same few questions: "Are they open?", "What time did you get here?", "What are you waiting to buy?"...etc. Today, someone got me with a question that I've never heard in 10+ years of doing this. A guy gets out of his car, surveys the Best Buy entrance and then scans the sidewalk that is jammed with every piece of camping gear imaginable. He walks up to me at the front of the line and says..."Are these tents for sale?" I was dumbfounded. I honestly thought that I misheard him. When he started to clarify, I realized he thought that we were having some kind of community garage sale...on the Best Buy sidewalk...in pouring rain with 20mph+ winds...ON THANKSGIVING! ...which is why this craziness never gets old.

Best Buy in Katy, Texas. 1st in line...rockin' the GottaDeal T-shirt and picking up limited WiFi by the front door.

Does anyone remember what the timing was on the release of the "unadvertised specials" for Best Buy last year? Thanks!

#1 After years of unsuccessful attempts to minimize congestion in the shopping aisles, Target has implemented a mildly unorthodox solution. #2 The producers of "My Name is Earl" finally solve the mystery of the cast members missing from the set. #3 The crowd gets whipped into a frenzy when the staff announces the local in-store special: The 1st 100 customers will receive a limited edition copy of MTV's Celebrity DeathMatch 20th Anniversary Special DVD featuring such classic matches as Yanni vs. Michael Bolton, Zsa Zsa Gabor vs. Tammy Faye Baker and a never-before-seen bikini mud wrasslin' throwdown between Liberace and Richard Simmons.

Big fan of the Amazon pre-order program with guaranteed release date delivery. The "hot" releases almost always are on sale and qualify for PRIME shipping. About half of the time I actually get the book a day earlier than the official release date.

Anticipation Keep feeling trepidation GottaDeal Nation

How about providing wi-fi access?

I just downloaded it and it works great on my iPod! I'm even sending this post from it

Most comfortable night's sleep ever on a hard sidewalk!

This package doesn't appear to be a doorbuster...which means they most likely will not hand out vouchers for it. I bought last year's version of this package and had to make the mad dash around the computer department to find all of the components to create it. Since the guy handing out the computer tickets at 3:00AM was from that department, I asked him where the individual components were, so at least I had an idea. Despite the fact that I was #3 in line, I barely managed to get everything. If you're serious about getting it, I recommend a recon mission to BB on Wednesday and see if you can at least find out where you'll need to go.

Too much hot cocoa... In line for thirty hours... Must find a bathroom.

Even though it is one of the least glamourous of the preparations, you definitely want to bring up some personal safety issues....Keeping track of the kids, Credit/Debit card theft, pickpockets, etc. We've all heard too many horror stories about people who get taken advantage of because they were so wrapped up in the excitement of the big day.

Sleep....maybe not so much. But, I at least get a few snoozes in here and there. One of the reasons that I get to BB on Wednesday night is so I can get settled in and relax for the next 30-ish hours. I usually am by myself with the exception of an occasional visit from the wife cover my spot for a potty break. By Thursday morning, we've all told and re-told our previous years' war stories to our new neighbors and all shrink back to our caves (tents). I spend most of the day just relaxing...at least until the crowd starts to show up after dinnertime. After that, having every newly arrived person ask you what time you got in line pretty much prevents anything further.

Raspberry Desert Sauce 2 bags of frozen raspberries 2 cups of sugar (feel free to start off with less and add to your taste) 1/4 cup each of rum and amaretto (can be exchanged for other liquors or omitted altogether) 1 cinnamon stick Fresh Ground Nutmeg Raspberries go a very large heavy-bottomed pot with enough water to cover them plus at least one additional inch. Don't worry about over diluting the flavor as the sauce must be reduced. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a rolling simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The raspberries should break apart and bleed out their color juices. Separate the liquid from the remaining solids using whatever strainers and filters you have. The goal is to have a relatively clear liquid. I use a 3-step process: Large mesh strainer, fine mesh strainer, then a coffee filter. Return the liquid to a pot and bring back up to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to reduce to a light syrup. Check the flavor several times to ensure that it is sweet enough. You may also add some fresh orange peels during the reduction process to give it some extra zip, but they will cause the syrup to get a little cloudy due to their natural oils. I use this as a topping for ice cream dishes, fresh fruit...even pancackes and waffles.

For me, it's all about the culmination of a long, hard-fought process. Black Friday officially starts for me in December of the previous year when the Excel program for the following year's work schedule is created. Getting 1st dibs on time off to camp out and shop is the beginning of the process and breakfast at Denny's is the end. All of the effort to budget money, organize the camping logistics, prioritize and re-prioritize as the sales ads come out....and everything else that comes in between is the enjoyably stressfull part. I think I most enjoy the "calm before the storm" on Thursday after all of us crazies have settled into our respective place in line and told (and re-told) all of our war stories from years past and our goals for this year to our newly-formed best friends around us. The nerves don't start to come until the 1st BB employees show up. And then...it's GAME ON.

Silas Marner by George Elliott

I've been on both sides of this argument in the past, so I'm a little torn myself. Although I've never sold BF tickets, I've waited in line overnight on several non-BF occasions to buy high demand items (like the Wii) and then sold them to make a few bucks. On the other hand, I've waited all night long in lines far shorter than the supposed number of items that should've been on hand only to find out that all the tickets were handed out to the minority at the front. Here's my thought when it comes to BF items: Many (if not all) of the really great deals are being sold at prices that either drastically reduce or completely eliminate the profit margin. The idea for these sales is to increase overall customer traffic, both on BF and throughout the X-mas shopping season. The more people that come through the doors...the better. From the retailer's point of view, it might make the most sense to limit the ticketed items to one per person. Granted, this would reduce the benefit for someone who really wanted two or more items. But, it would spread the wealth to more people and bring more people into the store. Ultimately, the register totals on those hot items would be the same, but the chances of greater overall sales would increase. I think that "scalpers" would be less likely to wait in line for extended periods of time if they knew they were only going to get one ticket to sell. I've seen some retailers use this policy in the past, but it's never been consistent or well published. If this becomes the norm, some of the craziness that occurs at 4:00AM would probably subside.

Wow! I've read through all of the posts and there is some great advice out there. This will be my sixth BF adventure and each year I learn another trick or two about making the time more comfortable and productive. Here are some of the biggies: 1. It seems obvious to anyone on this site, but planning several days in advance based on the ads is crucial. If you plan on making more than one stop, you need to chart out which stores open at what time and try to plan your choices accordingly. For example, last year I wanted a item that was selling at both Best Buy and Target. Target was cheaper because I had a local coupon, but opened an hour later. I also wanted something from Home Depot. For me, it made more sense to spend the extra $20 at Best Buy just to make sure I could get to Home Depot in time. 2. Scout your locations in advance. Know where the items are going to be located inside of the stores. Many BF items are not located in their traditional departments that morning. I always call to ask about locations and quantities. 3. I don't care if it's forecast to be 85 degrees and sunny...bring a tent. First, if you've been standing in the warm sun all day, even 65 or 70 degrees with just a wisp of breeze can feel mighty cold. Also, it helps to define the boundaries of "your space". The line will start bunching up as time goes on. 4. Always have at least one person who you can call to bring you things when needed. 5. When deciding which stores to go to, keep in mind what "facilities" are going to be available during the overnight portion. If bathrooms aren't going to be readily available, control your fluid intake. Usually, I've had great cooperation from my fellow BF-ers about taking turns to go to the bathroom and get snacks. But, I always bring an empty 2-quart Gatorade bottle just in case. (Yes, I know it's a little gross. But this is War!) 6. Make friends with your neighbors in line. Not only for the ability to have them hold your spot when you need to jump out to go to the bathroom, but also for cooperation in getting your items. Only the really big ticket items get tickets or vouchers, but many others are just as highly sought after. For example, the lady I sat next to a few years ago at Wal-Mart was after a TV and some toys. I wanted the same TV, one toy item and something from housewares. The three items were on opposite corners of the store and the TVs were on pallets in a first-come, first-serve area. She was an older woman who would've had a hard time manuevering around with that big box on a normal day, let alone in the riotus conditions of BF. So, we agreed that I would grab a TV for each of us and she would get the smaller items that I needed. We met up in a quieter part of the store to exchange items and went to the checkout. 7. I always have a plastic tarp to go over the tent and another one for underneath if needed. Some rope and duct tape for securing everything if conditions turn sour is also a must. 8. If you're doing the really long wait, bring a small table. 9. Baby wipes and paper towels. Hands wil get dirty and messes will happen. Plus, a couple of plastic bags for the trash you're going to create. 10. I have a change of clothes in the car for emergencies anyway, but I always make sure I have extra socks. If you're out there all day and your feet sweat (even just a little), you'll appreciate the dry pair when the temperature starts to drop. Then, you can put the stinky ones by the door of your tent and people will be less likely to bother you. I also bring my cheap fuzzy bathroom slippers (the ones that look like loafers). Combined with good socks, they really keep your feet warm. Besides, this isn't a fashion contest.