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

[123scarlett]

My worst experience on a Black Friday was a trip at 5 am to Best Buy for a wireless modem from linksys. I waited in line, ran in the store, and literally watched the person in front of me get the last one. I didn't get one that Xmas, but bought one in January for $10 more.

[amez74]

my husband came with me shoppping one year. he embarrassed me so bad--gulp-he actually lined jumped. We were at Target and he was of the opinion that no one else wanted the item he was picking up so that made it okay. I'm embarrassed to even type it out. And yes, I went to the back of the line any way.

 

Amy

[Donnask8pro]

2 years ago I was standing on line at Radio Shack with my GF at 5:00am. We started talking to the women behind us. Realizing while talking to them we were both going to the same places we made a deal. I stayed in line with one of the woman and my GF took the other woman to our next stop so we could divide and conquer. We helped out each other the next few hours and made a killing on deals helping each other out..

 

Moral of the it pays to be nice to others..

[DexAZ]

A coup;e years ago, my wife & I stopped at Fry's Electronics for BF deals. Found what we needed and few things we didn't know we needed. The whole point of sales...right? We arrived just as they opened and there was a midget dressed as one of Santa's elves. He was holding some balloons holding up a "LINE STARTS _HERE_" sign. He was walking away from the checkout area as fast as he could go. People just filled in in front of him. In no time at all, he and the line looped down one side, across the back of the store and almost back up to the entry. The end of the line was clearly marked, most everyone was polite and a few coming in the entry saw the huge line and said, "OH you have got to be kidding me! No sale is worth that wait...WE'RE _OUT_ of here!", and left.

 

Have a GREAT BF everyone!

[leefamily23]

In JR High I dated a boy for almost a year. He was the first love of my life. Though we were young and split ways the year we entered high school when he moved from our Buffalo NY suburb to the Pittsburgh area to live with his father.

 

Fast forward to Black Friday morning, 1997. My sister and I were at the local Walmart trying to get the hot toy deals for my then 4 yr old son. We both took a different strategy for getting through the store. I was weaving in and out aisles trying to make my way through the crowd to the toys. It was complete mayhem around me, and like many other shoppers I was not fully watching where I was going. I ran full force into somebody (in the storage bin aisle) and looked up to say I was sorry. I intended to keep making my way towards the toys, but when I looked up I could not believe my eyes. The person I had run into was "my first love" from jr high who I had not seen in years. It had been so long since I had seen him or thought of him, but I would of known him anywhere.

 

We caught up for a few minutes and parted ways. The rest of that day and weekend I could not get him out of my mind. So that following Monday I took a gamble and called information to get his mothers phone number. I struck gold when he answered the phone. We talked a little longer and made plans for later that evening.

 

We began dating again that week and got married in August 1999. We just celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary this year.

 

Who would of thought that of all the people at Walmart, first thing in the morning on BF, I'd of run into the guy who was my first love and we'd reconnect right there in the middle of complete chaos. That store was packed to the brim, and yet destiny somehow put him right in path.

 

People ask me all the time if I'm crazy to shop on BF morning. I always tell them you'll never know what you'll find. He was the best find of my life!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[lonerangerone]

What always amazes me is the disrespect some people have these days. Two years ago, I waited in the chilly air (50's - chilly for SW Florida) in front of a Target with about 200 other people. As the doors were just about to open, a fireman pulled up, parked in the fire lane, then he and his female companion walked right in front of 95% of the people as the doors opened, glaring at everyone who dared to complain about it. Target's crack security, of course, did nothing, but there was a real cop there the following year.

 

Wal-Mart 3 or 4 years prior of course lets all shoppers in, but Electronics was blocked off until the store's sales started at 6am. Of course, there was a line to the entrance of the Electronics department, but at 6am, the Wal-Mart employees actually opened the side opposite of the line first, allowing people just wandering by to swarm into the section while the people who had patiently waited in line had to wait until things cleared up some so there was room to go in.

 

Best Buy is, by far, the most successful Black Friday host, in my opinion, followed by Circuit City. The first year Best Buy was here in our area for Black Friday, the line to get in extended two football fields into the parking lot. I was lucky enough to be the 100th in line, getting the last Price Tag Plush Mascot the store was handing out. They also brought around donuts and cookies, which I saw repeated the next year at Office Depot and Circuit City. Their new ticketing system, which I haven't used, seems brilliant. Circuit City is well-managed in letting only a few people into the store at a time, but also, the always have large quantities of the items on sale (unlike Best Buy, which seems to sell out early on a number of items). Too bad CC won't be around this year.

[lonerangerone]

That's an awesome story!!!

[lonerangerone]

leefamily23's, I mean.

[jenn10]

All of my friends think I'm nuts. I love Black Friday. To me it's even more of a holiday than Thanksgiving! Every year I look forward to getting up all to soon after I go to bed to stand in line in the cold for a chance at some of the best deals out there. I think the worsening of our economy has really brought out the worst in people though. When I used to go years ago, everyone was pretty upbeat and relatively well mannered. Last year was the worst year I had ever seen. People were tense and stressed and rude. I saw more pushing and shoving and rule-breaking than ever before!

[GymMommy]

I just started doing the Black Friday thing a couple of years ago, and I'm planning on doing it again this year. Last year, my problem was that I wanted a couple of relatively small things from a couple different stores. But the lines were sooooo long, that it just didn't seem worth it to save a few bucks!! Although this year, money is tighter (for everyone I know), so I may be willing to wait longer for those few dollars!!

[ellen zachariia]

Last year I made Wal-mart my 1st stop for the first time instead of toys-r-us and I could not believe the way people acted. They laid across the pallets of leapster max's and sweatsuits in the kids department and would not even let you look at the colors until they where picked over. I was very lucky last year a women ahead of me for a leapster started a line down the aisle and made sure no one cut in line and when the pallets opened her husband started handing them out in order of the line we called out what color we wanted . Also when we where waiting in line to check-out I had some hsm dolls in my basket and the women infront of me asked If I was buying all of them because she could not find any. Well I let her pick-out which dolls she wanted and she was so happy then in the parking lot I saw her getting into a car with the two people who orgainized the leapster madness. Totally makes me believe in Karma .

[katsrus]

About 3 years ago we decided to go to Circuit City and Best Buy. Never again. LOL. We got what we wanted right away at Circuit City & I was the 4th in line. Well I was there for 30~40 mins because they needed to know all your info on the computer like name, address, etc. Then we got to Best Buy & I got what I wanted but; when we got in line it was all the way to the back of the store. And not a straight line~it was half way around. And an hour later we got to the check out and they were asking people if they wanted to get a free magazine for 3 months which meant they also needed all your info which held up the line. WTH??? I was so mad by the time I got out of those stores I never went back on Black Friday. Last year we went o Menards first (one of the older ones & it wasn't so busy) & then our new Super Walmart(I missed the rush by then). So it was a fairly pleasant experience.

[spartanstew]

Two years ago I wanted a laptop at Walmart, but had to go to Circuit City first. By the time I got to Wal Mart, all the laptops were gone. As I was walking through the store to leave, I saw an employee pushing a cart. Inside it was one of the laptops. I said "what is that stuff for?". And he said, the line was to long, so someone abandoned it. I grabbed it. Score.

[Brad]

2 hours left to get those entries in!

[casbug10]

One time when I went to Walmart for BF people thought I was pregnant. I just had a baby 11 mos prior and hadn't lost the weight yet. I'm a big gal anyway. It was great though. People felt sorry for me and let me have things first. I believe that has been the only year I have gotten things first. So, for once in my life it was a good thing that I was overweight.

[stacya]

My sister and I always do BF, and when she started dating her husband, we initiated him into his first BF, and this will be his fourth one coming up. We split up our lists and head out each to different stores. Last year, my sister and I were pregnant, and she was VERY pregnant, so she and her husband went to Wal-Mart, so that she wasn't there battling the crowd on her own. For whatever reason, that Wal-Mart didn't do maps last year, and so she had to walk around the entire store, asking people if they had seen the item that we were both looking for. She was directed to the appropriate pallet, and stood nearby, waiting for 5 o'clock. They had one staff member guarding each pallet, and a fight broke out at a pallet nearby, so the staff member at the pallet she was waiting at, had to leave to help out the other staff member at the other pallet, and the second the pallet my sister was at was unguarded, the crowd rushed the pallet, pulling every last one of those items off of it, and my sister never stood a chance! Very frustrating, to say the least!

[4xmom]

I sat out at Best Buy last year for 15 hours to buy a laptop for my parents to give my niece. All I got out of the deal was a bad cold!

[bblisec]

My hubby and I drove 67 miles down a mountain pass to Walmart in a city in Colorado. It was still dark, and the deer kept getting in our way, then it started to snow, it was taking way too much time! Nothing could keep us away from BF! Got to Walmart just in time to see the doors open. Rushed in for a computer, but all were gone in seconds. Went to the other Walmart on the other side of:) town, and low and behold, there stood a cart in the middle aisle with one computer! Everything happens for a reason, so on the way home we threw out some feed for the deer.

[jmjj]

Last year - while waiting outside the LNT I leaned against the wall. It was about 5:00am and I was first in line. All of a sudden there was a flurry of workers coming to the door. They waved at me, and I waved back. Suddenly the door opened and one of the women asked if I would please stop pressing their employee call button. Seems I had inadvertently leaned on it and it was going off in the store! Hee, hee.

[Klang50294]

I have shopped on Black Friday a few times. Though I have not had anything particularly bad happen, I am always amazed at the rudeness of people on that day, especially sales people. Pushing, shoving, total disregard for everyone but themselves. The sad thing being, at your first stop, you have spent hours talking to these same people, laughing, joking and thinking everyone is so nice. I do plan on going out this year because of money issues but, I do not go every year because it can be total aggrivation. Especially if the store has run out of what you came to get.

[doctorofautos]

well last year i was in line buying stuff and i very nice women ask me if i worked there and where something was. i said no and she said well i thought you did sence you have on the black friday tee shirt i won last year. so i went into great detail about your site to her and she wrote it all down. so we may have a new person on her this year i do not remember her name but i thought this is neat

[onry13]

Last year I limited my shopping to two stores, staples and walmart. Surprisingly, I was in, out and home in less than two hours. This was my first year shopping without my mom as I didn't go out the year before and she passed away in July of 2007. It was an annual outing just for us and still feels weird without her. I'm hoping this is going to be a good year for sales as hubby is unemployed for the second time in a year and a half. UGH. Anyone want to give me a wii with the wii fit :)

[mosdata1]

Oh wow, I have not been out for a Black Friday shopping experience in quite a few years. DH & I went out 4 years ago, sat outside of Circuit City - we were far up enough in the line to think we were going to get the item he really wanted. I can't even remember what it was, but they had no sense of organization. They gave numbers to people who were behind us in line, and none to the 2 couples ahead of us. When we got into the store, although we had a number, they had no more of whatever it was he wanted.

At that point I had had enough!

 

I left the store & unless I see something absolutely GREAT this year, I will wait to go out until later in the day on BF.

 

Thanks for the contest & good luck to all.

[Docdurr]

I think one of my most memorable black fridays was the first one that I got my husband (boyfriend then) to join me. We flew 2800 miles to visit my family (his 1st time meeting them) for Thanksgiving and I drug him, my mom and brother out the next morning. He originally thought I was nuts. However, after the day was over, he was hooked! Now 8 years later he gets just as excited as I do!!

[michaudrd]

I started shopping on Black Friday three years ago. I had a great time the first year. The later years, I noticed so many more people out there that some of the fun was gone. Because of this web site, I am now better able to plan my Black Friday shopping. I realize that I will likely only get the most important item on my list for electronics, a good chance for most items for DVD's and no problem for clothing items. I shop by myself, as the rest of my family sleeps in, so I am usually finished with the best "stuff" by noon. So I go home and take a nap, then go out for more!

[otter_sh]

A few years ago in Tallahassee, I learned the lesson of read the fine print. Stood in a line at Office Depot to get a low priced laptop, only to find out they needed to be configured and shipped to you for a small shipping fee. Ended up buying a different in stock for a much higher price.

[addh2o]

Hi Brad-

I have to say that my best BF experience was a few years back when I first started following this message board and got all the great tips you provided. We started at Wal-mart, went to Best Buy where we had family waiting in line, and then we split up "the team" and half went to Radio Shack and the other half went to Staples. Once we were finished there, we went to Target. With the exception of Target, we were at the doors prior to the opening time of each store and we got about 75% of the stuff we were trying to buy. We had a great time and were about 50% done Christmas shopping by 9am! We all went home for a nap and later had a great family brunch - all in all it was the best BF experience I have had. Thanks for giving me a chance to relive it for a moment!

Happy Deal Hunting!

Cristi

[sbsahm]

I had the unfortunate experience of working at a large Toys R US one black friday. Fortunatly I was in as a vendor and not a store employee so I got to pass many of the crazed shoppers of to the people in "the blue shirts" This was my first black friday experience. There were lines at the door when I got there, people tried squeezing in when they opened the doors for me to get in. There were line markers all over the store. I remember once the store was open it was a line around the entire store, I had never seen anything like it before.

 

But my favorite time on Black Friday is about 8am, I go to the Wal-mart in my small town, the craziness is gone, and all of the doorbusters are still available with the exception of sometimes the big tv or computer discount, which I usually do not buy those stripped down models anyways, but the $25 printers, the big toys, the clothing sales. I have never waited in a line to get in or to checkout for any black friday's in my dinky town. I love it!

[sevirj]

My best story - A few years ago I stood in line for at Best Buy for a flat panel monitor for my daughter's computer. After finally getting into the store, I ran to the computer area. I looked around for a display, nothing. I stopped an employee and asked where they were, and to my dismay he told me they were all gone. Broken hearted, I walked away from the area and headed toward the exit. But something told me to go to the Nintendo game aisle. I walked over there, stopped and said a little prayer. When I looked down, to my surprise, there was the monitor I was looking for. Apparently someone had walked away and left it there because there were other items there with it. I stood there for a couple minutes, watching and praying that no one would claim it. No one did, so I picked it up and headed straight to the register to buy it and then out the door I went.

[digbugsgirl]

My husband and I have been doing Black Friday for the past two years. This will be our third. We always start at Target, although last year I went to Target while hubby went to Sam's Club. I was wanting the Wii Fit so badly but nobody had it. Target wasn't advertising any, but I thought I'd check anyway. When the doors opened I made a bee line to the Wii section and sure enough there were two Fits on the shelve. I grabbed one right away. Some lucky person and I were the only ones to get the Wii Fit!