saraczek Posted September 17, 2006 Posted September 17, 2006 Hello everyone. Just thought it would be interesting to hear about everyone's traditions/strategies for BF. I'll start with mine. the whole extended family obviously gets together on Thanksgiving for dinner and such. After everything is cleaned up and the table is cleared off the ads come out. My aunts and I all bring our copies of the ads and we go thru them together one at a time. I usually keep track of everyones "wanted" list. After we go thru all the ads and the list is complete, we decided who the "teams" are. Once it is decided who will go with who, we decide who is going to what stores for the "hot"items. After all that is complete, I make a copy of THE LIST so everyone has one. We only shop for the hot items at our designasted stores. Once we have completed the mission...lol we then go to whatever stores we choose for the secondary items we want. Works out well for us, we usually get everythin on our lists.
cleverbffool Posted September 17, 2006 Posted September 17, 2006 Basically everything you have read previously, Thanksgiving, after dinner re-review ads, make list according to store, get a nap in, leave early. I normally map out the stores a few days ahead, I have even gone as far a making a map for myself. ~*~Jess~*~
ms_mckenna Posted September 17, 2006 Posted September 17, 2006 The kids usually are looking at the ads a soon as they come out here. They know that if they want something big they better hope it is on sale and they also know Thanksgiving is the last day to make major changes to the "list". We go thru the ads for a final time Thursday afternoon. I usually go to sleep about 7 and get up about 1. Get ready stop by the same gas station and get coffee and then head out. I am getting ansy lol.
starshine Posted September 17, 2006 Posted September 17, 2006 I am a loner on BF now since my mom is going to be gone. I make my list and I will go a few days before hand and scope out WM for stuff I want to Price Match on BF. I make my list of stores starting with my first store to the last in order. I make sure that I have all my price matching ads ready to whip out and get plenty of sleep and make sure I have my foot and hand warmers!
saraczek Posted September 17, 2006 Author Posted September 17, 2006 The kids usually are looking at the ads a soon as they come out here. They know that if they want something big they better hope it is on sale and they also know Thanksgiving is the last day to make major changes to the "list". We go thru the ads for a final time Thursday afternoon. I usually go to sleep about 7 and get up about 1. Get ready stop by the same gas station and get coffee and then head out. I am getting ansy lol.Yes, I forgot about the kiddos. They are the first to look thru the ads when they come. They always make me their lists...they look forward to it every year.
Illinoismom Posted September 17, 2006 Posted September 17, 2006 I get all the ads then decide, I am in Walmart about 1:00am for the really good stuff as the walmart here dosnt close, It used to be my oldest and I in our Santa helpers shirts but last year it expanded to her friend My MIL DS and DH, I map everything out and set the game plan, we are done by 10:00 am then we have breakfest and go back to store where we may have missed something
billcsho Posted September 18, 2006 Posted September 18, 2006 I usually formed a shopping team with a few friends. Send people to different stores and one stays home ordering online. I have been getting almost everything on my list in the past couple years. By the way, I checked out the location and stock of stuffs before BF and mark down what can be PM at which store. It is a lot easier to go to the store not advertising the on sale item and have it PM there.
saraczek Posted September 18, 2006 Author Posted September 18, 2006 I usually formed a shopping team with a few friends. Send people to different stores and one stays home ordering online. I have been getting almost everything on my list in the past couple years. By the way, I checked out the location and stock of stuffs before BF and mark down what can be PM at which store. It is a lot easier to go to the store not advertising the on sale item and have it PM there.I've never pm'd on BF..perhaps we'll try this year. Sounds like it could save alot of time and running around.
jellybean051901 Posted September 19, 2006 Posted September 19, 2006 I plan out my trip according to the gottadeal black friday ads. I usually work the night before thanksgiving so I wait rather impatiently for the newspaper to be delivered. Then I check to make sure the ads are the same as gottadeals. Then after we eat thanksgiving dinner we lay out the plans. Usually we hit Walmart first, so my mom, sister, and I make out our lists and then everyone takes a department to hit when the store opens.
ChristmasShopping Posted September 19, 2006 Posted September 19, 2006 We don't wait until after dinner to rip into the ads. We do it over breakfast as we are getting food ready for the big meal. We leave them on the kitchen table all day for people to look through and we also leave a couple pads of paper on the table for people to mark down what they want. Later that evening when all is calm and the kids are watching the first Christmas video of the season, we go through them again and rank them in importance. Then we break it up into those going out really early (Best Buy) and those going out a little later (Wal-Mart, etc). Everyone gather's their lists and groups and makes plans. This year, I will be hitting Wal-mart (if they have anything good) with my best friend. We are sending the men to line up at Best Buy! I can't wait to see the ads! I am so excited. This will be the first year my best friend goes out on BF. She worked in retail management for years and HATED BLACK FRIDAY (is that allowed to be said here! LOL!) So this year I am taking her out and showing her the other side of the day.. the fun part!
cleverbffool Posted September 19, 2006 Posted September 19, 2006 We don't wait until after dinner to rip into the ads. We do it over breakfast as we are getting food ready for the big meal. We leave them on the kitchen table all day for people to look through and we also leave a couple pads of paper on the table for people to mark down what they want. I can't wait to see the ads! I am so excited. This will be the first year my best friend goes out on BF. She worked in retail management for years and HATED BLACK FRIDAY (is that allowed to be said here! LOL!) So this year I am taking her out and showing her the other side of the day.. the fun part!I may just have to use your idea of leaving the ads for everyone to write down what they want.BTW You can not say "HATED BLACK FRIDAY" on gottadeal. ~*~Jess~*~
NeepNeep Posted September 20, 2006 Posted September 20, 2006 Our strategy was to find a Best Buy next to *any* store that was open 24 hrs, to be able to use the restroom... Luckily, located a Best Buy next to a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Nothing worse than, after waiting in line for hours, having your first stop once you get into *insert store name here* be the restroom!
saraczek Posted September 22, 2006 Author Posted September 22, 2006 We've been discussing BF w/ the family. A couple of us hope there is a really AWESOME deal somewhere so we can try camping out this year. We figured we aren't experienceing BF to the fullest without camping out at least once...lol:cheesy:
ajrowe Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 My sister, and her son and daughter come with me to kick off the season. We start at Walmart and work our way to Target, Kmart, etc. The best thing ever is sometimes cell phones don't work in Walmart, we have four walkie talkies and communicate through them!!! It is hysterical because my nephew is in charge of the toys and he always says got the goods over and out and then he goes where ever we tell him to hit next!!! Overall he have a total blast!!!!
elena_398 Posted September 22, 2006 Posted September 22, 2006 NO real strategy. All I do is on Thanksgiving, my mom/sister/ and I go through all the ads. Write down what we want. Decide who goes where to get each others stuff so we make sure we get it all. (we seperate to help ourselves out) then meet up for lunch to give our purchases to each other. Works out great. Last year I got Walmart, my sister went to KB Toys, and my mom went to Toys R Us.
dn325ci Posted September 23, 2006 Posted September 23, 2006 I have been doing this successfully for 5+ years. I've never missed what I've sought. I usually am going for 1 or 2 high value electronic items. Last year I was primarily after Circuit City's $199 laptop. Usually I'll keep it to one store, two tops, since I'm a man and my shopping skills are stunted. My preferred strategy for the primary store: 1. Keep it very simple - 1 or 2 key items. 2. Scope it out the day before - know where things are. If you can find the key items, count them to know how many there will be. 3. You DO NOT have to be first, but be one of the first 10 in line outside. At Best Buys here, that means being there about 3AM. At Circuit City last year, it meant being there before midnight. The $199 laptop was a huge draw. All the first ten people were there solely for the laptop. 4. You DO need to be first at checkout. If you are not in the checkout line within 3-5 minutes after store opens, you will probably be there for hours. Especially at electronics stores. Margins are very thin (even negative) for the loss leader items, so sales persons are commanded to try to upsell warranties and services to improve margins. This practice takes a very long time - maybe even 15+ minutes for each customer. For this reason I prefer to go alone to make myself lean & mean and in line first. I am usually checked out and back outside within 10 minutes. That's it in a nutshell, though there are some trade secrets I'll keep to myself! See you in line... Don
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