Post a Memorable Deal & Win a Target Gift Card [Winners Posted]

[Brad]

Time for another contest...

 

How to enter: reply to this thread with a memorable Black Friday deal you scored in the past. It could be something you waited in line for hours to get, something that was a killer deal, something that was for an important gift - whatever you'd consider memorable. Feel free to include more than one if you'd like.

 

Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm CT on Friday, November 10th. At that point I'll randomly select 3 winners from all eligible entries and you will each win a $25 Target gift card!

 

Note: unlike past years with t-shirt contests, if you won a gift card this year you are welcome to try to win another.

 

Good luck to everyone!

[setlok73]

Back in the days of actually sitting outside the store for BF.  Best Buy had a really great laptop (its been 10 years at least).  I think it was something crazy like $159 but it was a really good one.  

 

That year there were a ton of deals, wish I could remember them all.  We were #3/4 in line.  BB had a great way of handing out "tickets" so there was no racing in to grab it.  We both were able to get a ticket and our 2 older kids that were heading off to college ended up with laptops that got them through all 4 years (I believe).  

 

BB also had personal shoppers that would grab anything not a doorbuster the night before.  Put it in a cart.  We walked in, handed her our tickets.  We got more than just those laptops...don't remember what else.  She took the tickets...got the doorbusters...walked us to the auto sound area...checked us out.  I think once the doors opened we were in/out in 15 minutes.  But man I could use another high end laptop for $159!

[cllehto]

Years ago-before they started handing out tickets- My daughter and I stood in line for hours waiting at Staples for the laptop doorbuster. We were the person after the laptop ran out. Another person standing in line told us about a doorbuster for a few dollars more at Office Max which opened later than Staples. We got there and stood in line until it opened and got that laptop for a good deal thanks to our fellow shopper. 

[Kanyon71]

I think the one I will always remember was our Plasma we got in 06. We waited in line, got in the store and tried to get it and someone had got the last in store one. Was super nice to the person helping me so he said tell ya what you can it delivered and setup on Saturday and they even waived the delivery charge.

[wittenlover]

The 55" 4K TV Target had a few years back that I walked out the door with for $225ish. We were all talking here about whether or not they would allow buy online, pick up in store and then someone (maybe jaymacfla?) successfully did it and so I followed suit. Great TV, still in perfect shape. survived the move to the new house this spring and is still my primary set in my living room. 

[ytmomof4]

Scored many of them. The ones I remember most are the ones I had to camp out for hours to get my kids whatever game system they wanted that year. It’s been PlayStation’s, Nintendo dd, wii, and the switch. Those were the good ol days of Black Fridays past. 

[ilikefree]

My most memorable Black Friday deal happened the first year we started regularly doing Black Friday shopping, I'm thinking 1999, before we had any type of computer. Walmart had a desktop for a good price. My sister and I were going to try to snag one but we were nervous we wouldn't get it so my husband went with us. My sister and I stood in line outside in the cold while hubby waited in the car. As soon as the doors opened, my husband was one of "those" people who darted to the door from the car. This being our first year of shopping, my sister and I stopped for a cart once we got inside because we knew we wouldn't be able to carry a desktop computer. It's because we stopped for the cart that the stack of computers was gone when we found them! However, my husband had snagged one and was waiting for us.

 

I think the most memorable Black Friday experience for hubby was probably the year Lowe's had a good deal on DeWalt drills. He wanted to be sure he got one so he and our oldest son set up a tent in front of the doors, the first ones in line. They waited quite a while, a couple hours or more, for more people to show up. One of the store employees went outside and took a picture of their tent. I'm thinking Lowe's must have never had campers set up in front of their store!

[Kash]

I remember back in 2005 ish I stood in line to get a smaller tv (under 50”) for my father in law. I got his tv and thought that was such a good deal I should get one. So I stood in line again and got another. This was back in the day when stores had plenty of stock!

[dantegirl]

I remember camping out with my youngest for nintendo switch when they came out.  He had a blast in line talking to everyone.   Thankfully we were able to get one and still have it today.  I'm the one who plays it now but love that memory. 

[stina629]

One of my first years scouring over BF ads was, I’m gonna say, 2011?? Maybe 2010, can’t exactly remember. Anyway, I saw that there were going to be $5 kitchen appliances at Target and as a young, poor millennial I was like YES!!!

 

so I waited in line at midnight for a 2:00 am open and bolted for the $5 appliances. I picked out a hand mixer - so proud of myself! And of course no one was making a beeline for the $5 appliances, but I was like, SCORE!

 

Fast forward 13 years - and while a LOT has happened in those 13 years, I still have the hand mixer. I used it to bake cupcakes for my toddler’s 3rd birthday. My MIL uses it when she comes to visit to make delicious mashed potatoes. Who knew a $5 BF hand mixer would bring so many years of joy?

 

a silly thing, really, but a core BF memory for the ages!

[smurfgirl]

Not so much a deal, but I used to love the free toys that Shopko would give out! I still have a Rudolph and Clarice figurine they gave out one year. 

[wonder77]

2006, my first year in the US as an international student and my first black Friday. Coming from a tropical country, the cold in St. Louis area was unbearable, but I waited all night with fellow students to score my best deal on laptop (a Sony Vaio, I think), a Samsung laser printer and a Nikon digital camera. I think I paid something like $300 or so for all of it and my laser printer lasted till summer 2023 and just died. So looking to score a similar great printer deal this year!

 

This has made me an avid black Friday shopper that continues to this day

[kellis4321]

My most memorable BF's are the ones with my mom. She's been gone 11 years now, but she was the one I started going to Black Friday with to score the toys for the kids.  She waited in line outside with me at all different times at night, pull all nighters with me and just roll her eyes when she would ask what time are we leaving!  She helped me score a desktop that we both couldn't carry (lol), a bunch of laptops, sheets, sheets, sheets, and more toys than I care to remember.  We would start out at Walmart, then head to the mall, and then finish up with lunch at the mexican restaurant around 11am. 

 

My daughter used to go with me after that, but since everything started in the evening, then afternoon, then that morning, and then the Monday before Thanksgiving, it's easier now to just buy online.  Not the same feeling of "score" that you get when it's delivered, but hey you got the deal!

[tracy0504]

I've scored so many deals over the years...standing in line and rushing to the counter for Nintendo Gameboys and then Nintendo DS for my two boys when they came out... really too many to name and I can't remember them all, but I think what was the most memorable for me was not having a lot of money when my kids were younger so I wasn't able to buy them things every time we went to a store (like I do now with my grandson ) so I tried to make Christmas extra special every year and go all out... being able to shop for sooo many gifts, both big and small, at a great price during BF always amazed me... it made me feel good after I saved as much as I could that it stretched so far during BF... to see my kids faces on Christmas morning as they took in the amount of presents under the tree is my favorite memory... Even though I have a better job now and my children are all grown I can't imagine not BF shopping and trying to get the best deals...

[Bopeep]

I have so many memories of the shopping. Of the freezing. Of the laughing. I can't really remember what the deals were.  I do remember one year Walmart had 2 different TomToms on sale. I think the cheaper one was like $50. An employee had directed me to the right line, and I stood there for a couple hours. They tore off the paper and it was the WRONG LINE! I was not the only angry person in that line. Of course, by the time we go to the pallet with the correct item, they were gone.

 

OOH, and one year Amazon had a TV or a laptop one, I can't remember, that was sure to sell out immediately. I was sitting on the couch at my mom's with my laptop in hand waiting to add to cart. When I actually scored the deal, it surprised me so much I literally slammed the laptop shut. I'm lucky I didn't lose it. 

 

I remember when I first "discovered" Black Friday. I had never heard of it. I think I accidentally stumbled on it and was like "WHOA, this is so freaking cool!". I told my sister "You gotta check this out with me next year" and I've been dragging her with me ever since (over 25 years now). 

[tinkrbel]

I remember as far back as KBToys and scoring Batman toys for my cousins, Circuit City and the free Cd/DVDs for burning, to some other electronic shop with free/ next to free massive cd binders but my favorite was some 11+years ago preBF weekend event at Walmart where I managed to snag a 46 inch plasma for cheap the following Monday on my way to work and had to get driven back to work since we couldn't unlodge the TV from between back seats where Walmart rep shoved it Fun times were had overnight at Best Buy too though I honestly can't remember what we were in line for.

 

My TV is still going strong

Edited November 2, 2023 by tinkrbel

[Ravenmaniac]

Upgraded our Iphones one year (didn't even have to trade them in) at Target one year for it was either $350 or $500 gift cards each, helped cover Christmas bill for most of the rest of our shopping that year.  Think that was the year I got my wife a Dyson vacuum (which was also a significant sale Black Friday that year at Target) due to the extra $ to spend.

[jade2002]

One of my most memorable Black Friday moments was a few years ago. I was actually working at Walmart at the time and was on register that night. 2 of my customers ( husband and wife ) were at my register checking out. The lady passed out right there while I was ringing their stuff up. They got her awake and she was sitting up asking for some water. Well someone got her a bottle of water and brought it over to her but the husband took it, opened it and gulped down half the bottle before even giving her a drink. I'll never forget that.

 

I'll never forget the year I was almost trampled to death over cabbage patch dolls either. It was a scary moment for sure.

 

 

[AuntieJul]

A long long time ago, Kmart had Black Friday and Saturday deals. The Saturday sale had Christmas trees on sale, in the last days before every tree was pre-lit.  I bought a 6 ft Martha Stewart tree for $50 and it's still the same one I use today... Let's just say it's approaching 20 years of use.

 

But what makes it memorable was that while waiting in line, a lot of people were confused by the Friday/Saturday sale - because items were one day only (Friday only OR Saturday only). I lived close to Kmart so I didn't mind going back two days, but people definitely left their full carts when they didn't get the sale price on a different day. Ever since then I've been hyper sensitive to fine print on BF sales. 

[BFgrl79]

Mine isn’t one specific single item but just the many great deals on dvds/blu-ray discs that I used to be super excited for. I mostly got them at Wal-mart but sometimes grabbed a couple from Best Buy before they left town. There was nothing more exciting than walking around the big cardboard stand boxes containing the movies and figuring out where the specific ones I wanted were located, then staking out a spot to jump in. Of course that plastic shrink wrap tearing sound will live in my mind forever. And always just a bit before it was supposed to start lol.
 

Now I don’t even have a disc player hooked up due to streaming, but grabbing those physical copies back then will always be my favorite deal memory!

[Rose0426]

Not so much a deal, but I remember getting up early and standing in line at KB Toys when my kids were younger with a list of what they wanted. Those were the days before online shopping. I remember having them look thru all the ads on Thanksgiving and letting me know what they wanted from Santa. When my daughter didn't believe anymore and was old enough, I taught her everything I knew about finding great deals for Christmas. Those were the days.

[wittenlover]

15 hours ago, Ravenmaniac said:

Upgraded our Iphones one year (didn't even have to trade them in) at Target one year for it was either $350 or $500 gift cards each, helped cover Christmas bill for most of the rest of our shopping that year.  Think that was the year I got my wife a Dyson vacuum (which was also a significant sale Black Friday that year at Target) due to the extra $ to spend.

 

Oooh yeah - I did an iPhone deal at Target when I got my XS(?), I think. Got a $250 gift card out of it that really helped me stretch my budget over the next few months when things got tight. 

[Doresia]

I've always heard horror stories about BF shopping with people pushing and shoving and being particularly mean but I've never seen it myself.  One year I was looking for a mattress topper at Walmart (for my sister I think).  There were a lot of people standing around the pallet and I was thinking oh no, this is going to be the year.  When they took the paper off the pallet, everybody started asking what size other people were looking for and handing them over to the other side.  Everybody got what they wanted/needed.  Was very grateful for the area we live in and the people we share our space with.  

[rwking75]

2008 or 2009, Walmart had a "secret" pre-BF sale on HDTVs. My (at the time 17 year old nephew) and I walked into the Walmart several times the night before to scout what TVs they had, inventory, etc but the store manager refused to acknowledge the sale. I kept on coming here to read updates on the sale. It was a 24 hour Walmart with a McDs inside of it in Tampa so we deciced to go up again around 11PM and wait it out. Finally at midnight, the mgr came to us and told us all of the details but warned it was first come, 1st served and no reservations. Sales begins at 8am.

 

They only had 4 in stock....so my nephew and I literally "camped" inside walmart all night. We even grabbed folding chairs from sporting goods and hung out all ngiht and just ordered McDs. After we bought the TVs, my bank called me to verify these strange charges at McDs throughout the night. I explained to the bank rep that we camped inside of Walmart and she literally laughed at me. Such a funny moment!

[angelbabymommy]

I don’t usually buy “big ticket items” on BF but my memorable BF deal was a PS NFL Madden video game for my brother …can’t remember the year but it was at Walmart …the pallets were still wrapped and I was just waiting for the clock to strike midnight grab it. That same night I got a couple good toys deals and the $3 kids pajama sets. I was ecstatic. It was like my first official BF where I felt like a pro lol … I had conquered Walmart

 

EDIT: the game was $29!! I forgot to mention that lol

Edited November 4, 2023 by angelbabymommy

[lilwywy]

I think my memorable deal was actually last year at Walmart I got a Primo bottom loading water dispenser that is regular $214 for $79. 

[tjredsox4]

A few years back my nephew wanted a 32 inch tv for $98 at Walmart and we were able to snag one for him while we were in line for the registers. Also the kids clothes and dvds at Walmart were always my go to deals when my kids were young.

[momlori]

I remember one year Walmart had a nice Tv on sale but I couldn’t be there right at opening so I figured there was no way I was going to get one.  By the time I was able to make it there about an hour later they were gone do I finished getting the other items I needed and headed for the register. In the middle of an aisle was the TV I wanted. Someone had abandoned one and I was able to get it after all

[len_mullen]

$128 TCL Roku 55" HDTV at Walmart reigns king.

[mgreen]

On 11/2/2023 at 9:37 AM, kellis4321 said:

Not the same feeling of "score" that you get when it's delivered, but hey you got the deal!

I couldn't have worded it better myself!