mcwalker

I rather like the Lego games that are mentioned in the CNN piece as they combine putting something together with game play. The ones I like create 3D board games. (Some others have game pieces, but no board.) Four examples: Lego Bazaar [ATTACH]5546[/ATTACH] Lego Minotaurus [ATTACH]5549[/ATTACH] Lego Hogwarts (Harry Potter) Lego 3D Race [ATTACH]5545[/ATTACH]

Great idea Brad. I agree with the press release. I know there has been some debate on this, but I think it would be appropriate for stores that hand out vouchers to ask that people to write their name on the voucher in front of the person handing them out and only that person (with ID) can use the voucher, to prevent "voucher scalping." I also remember an issue where the people handing out some vouchers were not careful to identify the voucher they are passing out and ask each person in line if they want one. I recall a situation where someone was talking to one person passing out vouchers and another person with a voucher they wanted passed them by. Stated generally, "make a plan for everything and do everything in a systematic and orderly manner." (The customers will be disorderly enough.)

From each stores's standpoint, the best postion is to open before your competitors, second best is to open at the same time as competitors, and the worst position is to open after competitors, when many people have already spent part of their budget and are starting to ask "do I really need this?" Since they can't control what other stores do, they all push earlier and earlier.

I agree with all the comments--the lists are just fine to the extent that I want to check a reference. I used to keep the pdfs, but have deleted them. On a related note, I am somewhat curious to see every time I come on the forums, that there are more people viewing the Black Friday Archives (28 as I write) than are looking at the current Black Friday Discussion (currently 11). I know that there are great "how to" references, and I know that the balance will change dramatically soon as BF draws closer and the ads start coming, but I find it curious anyway. Are you shopping last year's merchandise, reliving memories of sugarplums and great deals, or just living in the past?

Harbor Freight - October 19 -------But that would make your job even more frantic in November!

Ditto on the clearance sections, for example: On Target's main page hover on any header in the row that shows "Women, Men, Baby, Kids, ...etc. and you will see an associated Clearance section and the bottom of the pop up. http://www.target.com/ On Sears site, Clearance appears at the bottom of the list of departments on the left. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/sbh_10153_12605_Clearance?adCell=WH On Toys R Us home page, the Clearance link is on the right side in bold red next to the Cart button. http://www.toysrus.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3999911

Fantastic contest, Brad. I am going to look for a deal to post right now!

OK, its not the highlight of BF , but I have gotten some very nice little deals at Ace on BF (or through the weekend), if you use (or know someone who can use) some basic tools.

I often buy a few unique things as I travel during the year (especially some location-specific stocking stuffers), but I did't travel much this year and didn't do it during our summer vacation trip. In the past I mainly bought things I wanted, shared home-related items such as HDTVs, toaster, etc, or things for my wife and daughter on Black Friday. Then finished the rest in December. I plan to work with wife and daughter to put together both wish lists (for ourselves) and shopping lists (for others) in advance of BF and see what we can get that day.

That Westinghouse 32" HDTV is one of my favorite deals, as well. Was concerned that they would be gone by the time I got in, but there were enough and they ran out soon after--well before I got out of the store. Another was the Sony Bluray player I got two years ago at Sears--the only one they had in stock and I got it the day before Thanksgiving and did my only price adjustment so far. Percentage-wise, some of my best deals were probably smaller / cheaper items. Both the prime iitems and the smaller ones are fun.

Your time zone difference could be an advantage as you can do things while others are sleeping. Except of course that Gottadealers never seem to sleep.

Regarding price adjusting, I did this at a small Sears store two years ago. I went into the store late Wednesday just planning to scope it out. They had just one of the doorbuster Sony BluRay players I wanted, so I asked if they would price adjust. The Manager said sure as long as I returned during the doorbuster hours, so I bought the item and returned on BF before the doorbuster hours ended for a refund of the difference. I was free to focus first on other stores on BF.

I got a DSi bundle with games last year at Target: $169.99 with $20 gift card AND additional $10 gift card with $100 purchase. (I think the latter was actually $10 for every $100 spent, but can't remember.) Again, expect the gift cards and extra discounts to be the main opportunity this BF compared to current prices.

My schedule has varied somewhat as I was traveling when I did two of my four BFs to date, but the general timing is about the same: Prepare shopping list in advance on Gottadeal, but recheck and revise up to Thanksgiving afternoon. Buy the paper Thanksgiving morning. Depart home or hotel around 3:00 AM BF and in line within 15 to 30 minutes. Continue to visit multiple stores until late morning, then pick up wife and return to some stores (usually Kohls) for her to make some purchases, before doorbuster prices expire if possible. Wife might go out for early line this year for the first time.

From my daughter: My daddy goes out early and buys me toys!

Nothing yet--except starting to look at this site again in anticipation.

Oh, and this year I will be wearing the GottaDeal T-shirt I won last year. (And one for my nephew.)

I take the adds in my car, and carry the one for the store I am in. As noted by others, this is a bit of a hassle and I try not to waste much time looking at ads at that point. Most important, I carry a printed copy of the shopping list that I create here on GottaDeal.com. My list includes items I am definitely interested in, other items I might be interested in, and some notes on which stores have things like discount DVDs or BluRay disks. I keep a spare copy in my car. Three of the four years I have been, I have taken my nephew who is now 18. Last year for the first time we split up and I went to a Target and he went to an adjacent Best Buy, then we stuck together the rest of the morning. As I have done BF in three different cities, I also print out a Google map with the location of various stores I am interested in so that I can get to them quickly before the morning prices end at some stores or later in the afternoon. This is especially useful for finding smaller stores like a Radio Shack or Ace Hardware.

I started just four years ago, after many say the "really good deals" stopped happening. I would still say I have gotten some really good deals, but the deals alone aren't enough justification and I enjoy the "crazyness" of the early shopping. I go around 3 in the morning (never actually camp out) and haven't been at the very front of any line (where jostling is likely to be worse), but I have also been rather surprised to actually get most of the deals I was looking for, including some of the "headline" deals.

I have acquired various TVs in recent years so I am done with that for now. Don't really need a computer or laptop, but I might consider a netbook (but unlikely to get in line early enough to actually get one if there is a great deal). I think I will be looking for both a digital "point-and-shoot" camera to replace one that was dropped last month and a digital SLR to upgrade from my digital "pro-sumer" camera.

All credit cards all the time. And pay them in full each month. I expect to spend about the same as last year, though.

Hey BigJim, I was just wondering, since you are the "Mayor of Black Friday," do you give out "keys to the city."

I won two GD shirts last year in separate contests, but both arrived just after Black Friday, so I will use one this year and share the other with my nephew who has been my BF buddy for some years. Sorry to those who never won, but hint: be sure to enter every time Brad runs a shirt contest. Brad, I like the new design, but consider: the shirts are very Black Friday specific and don't make as much sense on other days of the year. How about a shirt that mentions BF, but points out that GD is a year-round site (as you often do). Something like "Gottadeal.com - Black Friday shoppping All Year!"

It was Target for me. I got one of the 32" Westinghouse HDTVs and it is doing great in our bedroom, and various other items.

2006 Chicago IL (First time) 2007 Long Island NY 2008 Weatherford TX 2009 Long Island NY 2010 Probably Long Island NY