217 replies to this topic

[monster2369]

not sure! Depends on what they are offering this year and for what prices.

I second this

[Melissa]

I'll get in line around 5am. There's nothing I want bad enough to make me line up anywhere on Thanksgiving Day!

[nedsw33]

I second this

yeah, i think this is the case with most of us. I know I can't 100% guarantee on a starting time myself until I've seen the ads! But, with that said, I'm still pretty sure that I'll be out there pretty early on BF eve... aka Tgiving.

[bigjimslade]

For Best Buy or Circuit City, you're going to find that 4 or 5 pm is much too late if you want any door busters. You need to plan for around noon on T-Giving. Honest. And it's in the 30s on Thanksgiving here in PA.

And as Black Friday gets more popular as years pass, that time is going to get earlier and earlier.

But to answer your question, we go to Staples, OfficeMax and Office Depot, and I only go 1/2 an hour before they open and usually end up with 90% of the things I want. OfficeMax is the best -- they always have plenty of doorbusters in stock and they're organized, I go there first and I can usually go in and get out with everything in 10 minutes.

Noon is too late as well. Remember last year BB and WM released there official ad on Monday and Tuesday before BF. There were reports on this board and other boards about people starting to line up Wednesday night. In Plano Texas there were already 300 by noon.

[DramaQueenLucy]

Last year my Best Buy already had people on Weds night. We go early on T-Day 6am-8am at the latest we are always in the first 5 of the line somewhere but this year I just don't know because of the people in line on Weds. it may start a trend but I will not go before Thurs am...so I will see what happens...this T-day so happens to be my b-day so cake at BB this year...lol

[freesia39]

I'll get in line around 5am. There's nothing I want bad enough to make me line up anywhere on Thanksgiving Day!

i'm pretty much the same. thanksgiving is a big thing in our family for some reason, plus my brother's birthday is falling on thanksgiving again this year.

....

unless of course there's a super deal on a 32" LCD tv... or a new laptop for the future hubby.

[nedsw33]

Last year my Best Buy already had people on Weds night. We go early on T-Day 6am-8am at the latest we are always in the first 5 of the line somewhere but this year I just don't know because of the people in line on Weds. it may start a trend but I will not go before Thurs am...so I will see what happens...this T-day so happens to be my b-day so cake at BB this year...lol

Now THAT'S what I call celebrating!

Happy Bday!!! (on Tgiving, that is)

[queenki]

I went to the outlet mall last year and left around 10pm and got stuck in a huge traffic jam on the interstate. It was crazy. The line stretched all the way from the mall back on to the interstate for a mile and a half. I didnt get there until 1:30 or so just waiting in my car just to get off the roads. It was insane. I plan on going to the outlets after I get my doorbusters from Walmart, Targets, BestBuys and so on.

[mystikal1]

It seems every year it gets earlier. We went T-Day 10am and was 5th in line @ Best Buy

[misshayley]

Last year I think we got to WM around 4am. We live in a small town and not too many people get into the whole BF thing. We also have a SWM so we are able to get in whenever we want to and wait inside.

[ms_mckenna]

We got to BB about 6 ... I overslept last year! I almost cried when I woke up and figured out what I had done!

[cherry33778]

Last year I went to Super Walmart, so I got there at about 4 a.m. It was nice and toasty inside

[brynnfromtheblock]

Won't know until I see what they have and it there's something worth waiting for... if not probably 4am for the normal stuff... if there's something big I want I went at 10pm last year.. will probably go 8ish or so this year.. would like a better TV so I might be waiting...

[jarerice]

Midnight

[jaymacfla]

That is strictly confidential information!

[setlok73]

What did you do to pass the time last year while waiting in line? We got to BB at noon on Thursday and were numbers 3 & 4. The guy that showed up after us had a generator in his truck and a tv with him so he pulled the extension cord out and we watched the football game. Across the street was a Boston Market so we all took turns going over and getting our turkey dinner. As the night progressed people started pulling up to us and asking what we were waiting for...and I kid you not...one of asked what store we were waiting to open After the 20th time we started sorta messing with people telling them the store was giving away a Geek Squad car, free turkeys, stuff like that. The sad part is they believed us.

[Grants Dad]

The way my wife got me into line was to tell me, "It's just like tailgating". I'm a die hard tailgator, so we'll setup the grill, the canopy for some shelter, the radio, and if the generator isn't in use at the cabin, we'll bring it in to run some DirecTV to watch the game, or, if enough womenfolk gather around the back of the 'burban, whatever programming they'd like. I also reccomend playing cornhole, blongo-ball/Ladder Golf, Washers, it's a great way to gain friends, fend off the cold, and strategically form allies for making sure you each/all get the stuff you want once the doors open.

[jarerice]

The way my wife got me into line was to tell me, "It's just like tailgating". I'm a die hard tailgator, so we'll setup the grill, the canopy for some shelter, the radio, and if the generator isn't in use at the cabin, we'll bring it in to run some DirecTV to watch the game, or, if enough womenfolk gather around the back of the 'burban, whatever programming they'd like. I also reccomend playing cornhole, blongo-ball/Ladder Golf, Washers, it's a great way to gain friends, fend off the cold, and strategically form allies for making sure you each/all get the stuff you want once the doors open.

Wow thats sounds so cool. Can I go shopping with your family?

[purdywis]

I'm from WI so it gets pretty chilly around turkey day. I go deer hunting the weekend before and come in insulated coveralls and a 5 gallon pail to sit on. Then I can store a few beers, some snacks and a blanket in there. (dont let people see you drinking, a group got asked to leave by the cops last year) then I just talk for a while then end up napping for a couple hours then wake up at like 3am ready to go

[ms_mckenna]

Thankfully we do not have to very long to wait. DD and I usually just spend the time chitchatting and going over our "game plan".

[lucyismycat]

I take my pda so I can play some games and, if I happen to be somewhere like BB or CC who has free wifi, I can check email and surf. Mostly I just try not to freeze.

[tdanette]

I just chat up the people around me in line- it's the best way to pass the time while protecting your own interests. I've found that making a few friends in line can really help about 10 mins before the doors open.

[Grants Dad]

Wow thats sounds so cool. Can I go shopping with your family?

C'mon up, the more the merrier I say; Course, we're about 1300 miles north of Birmingham up here, and ya might want to bring some warm clothes ;-)

[ohitsunshine]

I usually get there between 4 and 5 - but it depends on what it is I'm waiting for. I also lived in NY my whole life and froze my you know what off until the store opened. We just so happened to move to Florida this year so I could probably suffer in the 60 degree weather longer than the sub zero temps.

[mgmckny]

It depends on what I need and what's in the ads. Last year I didn't do Best Buy so I really didn't have to spend my night outdoors. I waited outside a Walgreens for about 15 minutes with some other people and then went to another Walgreens (m&m's for goody bags...) and then I did Harbor Freight for my brother (the lines inside were bad, but I was the only woman shopping and chivalry is not dead in the south) and then another Walgreens on the drive home. My brothers picked up my stuff in Staples for me. THe rest I had done online or came home and completed online.

[Bestbuy7]

Probably 12 am.

[rldelo]

No overnight waiting for us...... We try to be in the shopping area by 6 am, which mean getting up at 4:30-5am. Depending on how hard that 4:30 wake up is, we might start out a little later .

[mccabefamily29]

I got in line at WM last year at 1030 pm on Thanksgiving to be first...so this year I will have to up it a little.

[sns128]

I'll get in line around 5am. There's nothing I want bad enough to make me line up anywhere on Thanksgiving Day!

That's me, I might show up around 3 am to my local Wal-Mart (which just became a Supercenter so no freezing my buns off this year, woohoo). I don't normally go for the big ticket items, unless you count the toys for the kids.

[jaymacfla]

I'll get in line around 5am. There's nothing I want bad enough to make me line up anywhere on Thanksgiving Day!

check those great black friday videos to find out just where in line that will be!