Share Your Story & Win GottaDeal.com Black Friday Survival Kits! [Winners Chosen!]

[clkc]

Almost got cut with a box cutter at walmart when a pile of boxes was pushed on me by a bunch of aggressive shoppers.

[coasternut]

A few years ago my family and my BFF practically froze to death in front of Best Buy in 20° weather waiting for the $199 Emachines desktops. Her kids really needed a computer for school, and she had never been shopping on Black Friday. We were hoping to get one computer, but we got TWO tickets, one for each of our families! We were thrilled. Those computers are still running, too.

[Yakyma]

A few years ago when the digital photo frames first hit as a Black Friday deal at Wal Mart I was stationed in first in line for them....I was picking up 2 for myself and 5 for other people stationed elsewhere in the store....our store is open 24 hours and has a McDonald's in there also...one of the employee's from McDonald's is walking around and stops and starts talking to some us in line and said wished she had come in earlier those would make a nice gift...Told her for a sausage mcmuffin I could make sure she got one...just a few minutes till the wrapping came off the frames, she showed up with my breakfast....and she got her frame. The lady behind me was laughing and told me you really know how to work Black Friday...she of course had heard me on the phone touching base with all my family and friends that were all over the store and elsewhere...I love Black Friday!!!! I love Gotta Deal!!!!

[alleyc]

I cannot beleive I am just seeing this post..lol.

 

 

My first one is my most memorable!

This is the reason...

I waited in this incrediably long ass line all night cause Me and hubby thought it would be "fun" to see what this is all about hahaha! OMG we lived in New England and it was freaking bitter cold out and we brought NOTHING to keep warm OR busy or to eat! LOL we were soooo un-prepared and even more unprepared for the rude pushy crowd lmaoooo PLUS we werent even wanting anything inpaticular too funny

[Catiyana]

A few years back I had 3 different stores I wanted to be at first thing. I went to Circuit City. My dad went to Toys R Us, his friends went to Target. We all had things we wanted at each store so we swapped lists for the stores and were calling each other while waiting.

 

In Colorado the weather is always cold on Black Friday so I dress in layers and when making my rounds peel them off between stores. Well that morning was extremely cold and I talked to my mom, so about an hour after getting there my mom showed up with hot chocolate and a blanket.

 

It may sound dumb but I really felt happy that my family was helping out too (even on a really cold morning), it made things easier for all of us.

 

Though now my dad lives in a different state now. But every Black Friday my mom meets me and brings hot chocolate. Gotta love moms.

[H_Hancock]

Although last BF was the first we've missed in a couple of decades, we've been regulars for about 5 years outside the Augusta, GA Best Buy. We've developed a friendship with a couple of other families over the years as a result of this.

 

And because I got tired of being back in line and missing out on tickets for the hot items, I started going early on Thanksgiving Day, like around noon. This has gotten me on the news twice, in '06 and '07, because I was first in line those two years. You've seen those interviews....look at the crazy man who sits outside BB just to save a few bucks! LOL! :)

[ACmaster27]

On my first black friday a few years ago, I hit up a few mall stores right away, then crossed the road to go check out circuit city. Needless to say I should've been there much earlier because there was an insane line around the building. I didn't walk away empty handed though...There was a nice chick-fil-a cow dressed in pajamas giving away free breakfast coupons!

[akalboy]

Last year, I was in Target and these two ladies were fighting over some DVD. Forget which one, but it wasn't anything THAT special. However, I was looking for one too. Looked a bit further down behind tons of other DVDs, and sure enough, I found one more copy. Both of them were shocked....and still kept arguing over that DVD, lol!

[CindyIUP]

I only shop online on BF; too intimidated to fight the crowds and the traffic!!

[ownage312]

2 years ago, at bestbuy, guy had a chair in line, next to mine, and so we chilled in his suv, watching transformers w/ heat all night. Oh and they didn't know how to give tickets, so I got a ton.

[ckayh]

Hello!!!!!!!! I go usually every year to the Black Friday sales in Elkins, WV but one year I went to Clarksburg and believe me this was a unusual sight people where throwing things and also running over you with the buggy... Although when I go it is so amazing to see the people there,,the way everyone is dressed..My thought for Black Friday Sales is that you just have to keep going and put up with just about anything if you want to get the deals...BLACK FRIDAY SALES ARE AMAZING.......... :razz:

[crazylady579]

Two years ago we (my mom, two aunts and myself) were standing outside of Kohls waiting for a 4:00 opening, and it was freezing out (being in Michigan). Everyone was being very gracious in line, and saving spots for people as they would run to their cars to warm up a little. It was probably around 3:00 a.m. when we heard this group of people yelling "Hot Chocolate and Donuts". I thought the crowd was going crazy and wising for hot chocolate and donuts. It wasn't long when this cart rolled up to the front of the line - and sure enough a church group was GIVING away hot chocolate and donut holes to us crazy people sitting in the cold. Come to find out, this was a fairly large church - and they were covering every main entrance to the TWO malls in our town. We didn't have to pay for it, they just wanted to keep us warm. It was a drastic comparison to our first experience of that weekend where outside a discount store at midnight we were trampled by people that didn't stand in line. I remember thinking earlier that it didn't pay to get to a store an hour early to get ran over by people that walked in from their cars five minutes before the doors opened. The incident at Kohls made it so much nicer, and more memoriable.

[love2beurwifey]

Last Year, Thanks to GottaDeal, I was able to get everything that I was looking for within a timely and orderly fashion. I got to a 24 hour Wal-Mart where they let us stand at the items we wanted. I took 6 people with me and it was a very smooth speedy process because they each grabbed the assigned item they were supposed to be looking for. We were in line maybe 5 minutes in Walmart and then we were off to Target, which they were just opening . Got to get everything I was looking for in there. Then went to Toys R Us and 5 an Below across the street. Sent some of the people in 5 and below and everyone else went in Toys R Us. I sent someone straight to the line and everyone went looking for the things I needed. So yay no one on my list was missed. I found everything and got the best deals. I love Gottadeal

[chichimo]

My best black friday was two years ago. It was the first time my husband ever went. We got to Kohl's around 3:30 a.m. He was AMAZED at all the people there. I told him this was nothing - wait till you see Wally World. So I had the Kitchen 250 watt stand mixer in my sites. It was $124!!!!!!!!!! I told him I was going in and for him to wait until everyone was inside first before he even attempted to go in the doors because he would get killed. And for once in his life he actually listened.Now mind you, I've never run for a sale in my life, but as soon as I cleared the threshold, I took off like Sea Biscuit! I got the mixer, ran up to the register, and the cashier said it was the wrong one!!! So as the guy is telling me which one to pick up, I'm backwards sprinting while taking all the information in. I got my mixer and was headed out to the car when in walks my husband. He was shocked that this all took place in a matter of 10 minutes. And the looks that some people gave me were priceless - like how they heck did she get in and out so fast. Then the police pull up - the store has officially been open 10 minutes (this had to be some kind of record 20 minutes is usually the norm) - because one woman punched another woman over a $25 comforter set! Last year thanks to the good people who post on this site, I realized you could actually shop online on Thanksgiving Day- so I did that, but I still was out at 4 a.m. just to see the craziness on Black Friday. You gotta love it.

[katkat777]

Ahh soooo many stories but two that really stick out:

 

Three years ago my friend wanted to go BF shopping with me. My friend is notoriously late for everything. I told her that I am like a machine on BF (the Terminator is more like it! LOL.) I said if she wasn't there by the time we agreed upon, I was moving forward. On BF I called her 15 min. before I arrived at Target, no answer. I arrived at Target no friend. I went in got what I needed and moved on. I was at Bath and Body Works when she called. She was at Target looking for me. I told her I had moved on. She was pretty upset with me but, I told her "Hey this is Black Friday, I warned you I am a pretty agressive today, your late.. I moved on." Needless to say she hasn't joined me since.

 

My favorite story is actually coming home after shopping one year. My dad was up and I showed him all of the goodies I snagged. We had coffee and chatted. We really bonded that morning. He recently just passed and I think of that morning with much happiness.

 

 

P.S. Looooving all of these stories!! Sure is getting me in the mood for BF!!!

Edited October 11, 2009 by katkat777
misspelled words! Uggh where is my dictionary?

[mum2luke]

I had a very good experience last year and a very bad experience my first year out. I'll tell you about my good experience though. It seemed everywhere I went last year everyone was kind and was smiling. I didn't go out extra early because I had planned to get there just 1/2 hour before store opened. Went to Kohls first and the line was long but they opened up extra early so I had time. Next went to Home Depot and only had to wait 15 minutes for them to open. Lines were VERY short and got everything I went in to get. Next went to Sears and waited about 20 minutes for them to open and got what I needed and was home again and went to bed for a couple hours before the kids woke up. It wasn't raining or snowing last year so that was an extra plus

[princez916]

Years ago dh and I were lined up outside WM (it wasn't a 24-hour store). The store finally opened and we got what we wanted. On the way out we were behind this person who had a big tv box on the cart, trying to get it to their car. I knew it wasn't a good idea. Dh and I looked at each other, waiting for the inevitable. Sure enough, they hit the edge of the parking lot and the box flew off the cart onto the ground. It wasn't a good sound. They must have been a bf newbie

[samster35]

One BF i was at kmart with my mom, our mission was to get a ps2 starwars game for my brother. After waiting in the outside line, we were pushed into the electronics department, where it seemed everyone was. We stood for about an hour in a line that snaked around the entire electronics department. Finally we got up to the desk and asked for the game only to be told that they had no more. That was probably the worst experience I've had, all the time we wasted there for nothing. You would think they would make an announcement about it. Now my mom and i get up around 12am to go shopping. Last year was pretty great i got everything i needed, we used a four person tactical mission squad now and assigned everyone an item to get.

[cherry33778]

One of my favorite Black Friday experiences is last year when Walmart had blu-ray players for $128. It was a FRENZY! I was like the 5th or 6th person behind the stack and in like 20 seconds about 50 players were almost gone! Luckily one of the first people in line asked me if I needed one so being a very good citizen he passed one back to me. Whoever he was I send him a million THANKS!!!

[KimberlySA]

Two years ago I took my then 9 year old daughter out for the very first time. I'll never forget the look of sheer terror in her eyes when the plastic was pulled off the pallets and the frenzy started. She was a champ though, after the initial shock, and jumped in and got herself and her little sister a doorbuster Barbie. Last year she was a seasoned pro running all over the store getting dealbusters while I waited in line for a camera. We started our tradition of hitting Walmart, then going for breakfast and eventually ending the day with a movie at the theatre. She loves it and is counting down the days til this year. Since she's getting a laptop this year, maybe next year I'll introduce her to Gotta Deal.

[okannie]

Most of the time our experiences are good but 2 years ago my daughter-in-law and I were at Toys R Us, of course we got there plenty early so we were 8th in line. The closer it got to the time to open the store all these cars started pulling up expecting to line jump:(. All the early birds gathered close and let the employee know what was happening but one man tried to pull my daughter-in-law backwards out of the line as we were going in. I grabbed her hand to pull her with me and told him to let go of her. Needless to say he ended up not getting in the store and all the line jumpers were made to go to the end of the line...:) I was proud of the people we had been in line with as well as the employees as the Fayetteville,AR store.

[harrispizza4]

My story.....Last year Wal-mart was our last stop and because it was our last stop just about everything I wanted was gone!! I really wanted the $29 printer which was also out! After about an hour of shopping we got in the checkout line with about 5 people in line in front of us. As we got closer to the chechout I noticed a pile of stuff on the floor next to the end cap we were standing by......stuff people decided they no longer wanted to buy. So, I noticed a toy I wanted was in the pile so I went to take a look at what was there. Everything I wanted was in that pile including the printer!!!!! SCORE! I was so happy I did a happy dance right there in the store! BTW, I LOVE my $29 printer!

[amykay9377]

I have an "IN" on BF because my hubby works at our local (non-Super) Wal-Mart and every year around February he requests the day after Thanksgiving off. The managers think nothing of it b/c BF is so far away they don't even know when the date is. So, when we get there, we are cartless (we don't get big ticket stuff anyway), he leads the way and we grab what we want and head an outlying register (jewlery, garden center) and we are out the door within 30 minutes! Then we are on to the next store!

[Kimsshopn]

Several years my sisters and I decided to meet at Walmart because they had TV's on sale . We arrived at 4:00 am on black friday and the line must have had 200 people in it. We got into the back of the line and when the doors opened up it was like a marathon. People were scrambling in as if they were giving away money. We got inside the store and found the TV's. Well there was a little girl maybe 10yrs. old standing in front of the TV's(her back leaning against the boxes) with her arms spread out as far as she could holding back 9 tvs so no one else could get to them. It was like her parents put her in a combat zone. People were grabbing what they could but she was determined not to let no one touch those 9 tv's. Just them a sales person brought out another cart full of tv's so I did get 1 but I often wondered where were her parents. Was she a tv natzi? (LOL). Anyway as we got out to the parking lot with our treasures there was nothing but empty tv boxes all over the place because people could not fit the many tv's in their cars. It looked like LA after the riots. I was in shock from that morning events. We did have a good time although it was alittle scary.

Well this year I found a job after 9 months of being laid off and I am scheduled to work. Since BF is my favorite holiday of the year I requested off but I did not get approval yet. I am afraid I may go into withdrawl if I dont get to go. So keep your fingers crossed cause if I have to work I pitty the people I work with(LOL).

[ibuyrex]

I remember one year at Walmart, they had the doors locked. It was about 3:00 am, freezing cold, everyone was jam packed against each other. When they finally opened the doors, people began screaming (no words, just screaming like a horror movie) and pushing and shoving. People were falling down and others ran over them. My mother and I just tried to get to the side, out of the nonsense. I have never done Walmart that early again.

[turner577]

Every year I'm up and early with the best of them, so last year I started online at midnight (told my husband I would wake him if I didn't get what I wanted) by 4am I was sleeping soundly in my bed. No lines or cold, visited many stores in a short time and around 8 we got up and went shopping for the other little things. But thanks gotta deal because I was able to fill my shopping cart from each store due to your information!

[rangkiko]

I always stay home and buy online. Can't stand camping out wasting my time, I'd rather relax drink coffee and wait till the sales hit the web.

[becca0884]

Last year my sister decided we should camp out all night at Best Buy for a laptop. It was kinda chilly that morning and rainy so we went to Walmart and bought a tent.

 

Got to best buy and set it all up. It was still cold and rainy, but we were happy in our tents sleeping....until the sprinklers came on and shot up INTO the tent. Needless to say we were soaked and cold, but she still got her laptop and we were on our way within about 15 minutes of the store opening.

[MusicMama]

Black Friday is a Family tradition with us - my 3 sisters and assorted daughters/nieces. My brother always works on Black Friday. We used to invite my sister-in-law, but she was always already done shopping and never seemed to have a good time.

 

It all started with my parents, back when we were little and our mother would go out on the "morning after Thanksgiving" either alone or with my nana or my aunt, or later with my dad as I babysat. They would just say "Christmas secrets" and no further questions were asked. Somehow, magically, the things that we asked for always showed up under the tree.

 

As we grew older - toward high school age - we were allowed to tag along. But this was in the days that the stores opened maybe at 8am or so. Then I went to college and my younger sister got married and had 2 little kids, and my little sister was in high school - and our schedule changed. My dad liked to go by himself because he hit the stores like Radio Shack and Sears that we preferred to avoid for Toys R Us, KB Toys and KMart. However, once we were done shopping we always all went out to breakfast somewhere, and talked over our "scores".

 

As time went by, we all had kids but we still celebrated Thanksgiving together and then read the ads. Black Friday became a girls event. We were early in line for Furbies, we got great 'spend x get a Game Boy' deals, cheap kitchen appliances, super-cheap DVD players and mp3 players -- all the cool stuff. (I fondly remember pushing my now 16-year-old daughter around KB Toys in an umbrella stroller at 18 months, laughing and smiling as I got the nastiest looks from other parents. She's gone with us ever since and she's as persistent as I am.)

 

Black Friday is still a family event. Even though we no longer have our parents, some of our kids insist upon coming. We still discuss who needs/wants what on Thanksgiving, but now we leave earlier, and we have more friends who come along. We hit lots of stores together or separately and meet up and run off again - thank goodness for cellphones!! And eventually, we eat and laugh and exchange items. What fun.

[Tree Elf94]

Last year I was at walmart, and people were actually laying on top of the tvs waiting for 5:00 to come around. You could here people ripping away the paper and rushing for the tvs, some guy with his arm in a sling ran past us with an XBOX 360 in his cart, and as we were leaving we noticed there were zero carts left. IT WAS A MADHOUSE!