122 replies to this topic

[debmills93]

My favorite memory......NOT GOING! Not fighting the crowds, not standing in line, none of the nonsense!

[wx4svr]

My favorite memory......NOT GOING! Not fighting the crowds, not standing in line, none of the nonsense!

WHAT!! Some people don't go to BF? OMG! Are you kidding?

[luv2shop2639]

My favorite memory......NOT GOING! Not fighting the crowds, not standing in line, none of the nonsense!

What is the purpose of reading and posting in a Black Friday Forum if you don't care or take part in it? I just don't get it.

[heatherkw]

What is the purpose of reading and posting in a Black Friday Forum if you don't care or take part in it? I just don't get it.

Lots of people shop BF but online. Sounds like no fun to me. I go even if I don't need anything!

[angelfly]

Definitely a BF shopper... Heres my story. Standing in line at Kohls...we were 5th in line, my husband and I. Doors open, here come these 2 ladies from out of nowhere...one lady pushes into me. OK, so I didnt say anything. Get to the door and I am right near the frame of the door. Lady starts to shove me again. So, I push back. No sooner do we get in the door, she says to me "you better watch it little girl, or I will pull your ponytail!" What did that b!tch just say? I turn around and this fat little grandma is looking at me. She was ready to fight. My husband grabs my arm, drags me along and asks me why I am so feisty. Why **I** am so feisty. Hmph. He was just afraid grandma would get hurt :-) I got my crap though. Every last thing I went in for, I walked out with.

[anndebru]

OK, I'll bite. In 2006 I went out on a search for a video camera. Started out early at Staples and found out they sold the allotment they had within the first 15 minutes. Then headed to the other side of town to Best Buy which opened an hour later. After standing in very long line to get in when doors open, only to find out all the tickets for the cameras had been dispersed already. I started looking around only to see many people with more than one ticket in their hands. I then approached a manager and told him my anger as the ad clearly[/B] stated one ticket per customer. He of course told me there was nothing he could do. Then a young man about 20 approached me as he waited in line with his sister and mom that he had an extra ticket if I wanted one. I politely told him I would be very happy but only if he wanted to give it to me. At this time his loud obnoxious mother intervened and told me that she didn't wait in line for over 3 hours to just give away her tickets and that if I wanted one I would have to PAY HER. I was flabergasted. I politely told her that in no way would I pay her for a ticket but if thay had one to give away I would take it. (Obviously they were not going to buy 6 video cameras!) The son was the educated one here and said in no way was I going to have to pay for a ticket and gave me his ticket. I thanked him graciously and wished him a merry christmas. The mom who should be the teacher, on the other hand, needs a learning lesson on the spirit of giving from her child!

[bschmiess]

I don't really have too many stories to tell, but I went to Best Buy for BF 2006 and not only did I get everything on my list, I made friends with the GM and another associate. In fact, I thought the young 20 something associate was doing such a great job dealing with the crowd, questions, line cutters, etc. that I pulled the GM aside and jokingly told him that he should give the kid a raise. To my surprise, he pulled him inside the store for about 15min. and the kid came back through the line asking for the guy that suggested he get a raise. My buddy pointed me out and he came by to say thanks, the manager gave him a raise because of me and shook my hand. Anyway, I found out that he actually got a promotion too, because the GM came back out and offered me his old job, but I turned it down because I had just found a new job about a month before and I don't really want to work at best buy, because then I can't participate in BF!

[reido50]

Last year was my first year and I have to say getting the last vouchers on all the items i wanted at CC was an awesome filling. Also enjoyed talking to the people standing in line. This year our group has grown from the wife and me to all the kids. We are getting the direct connects ready and have my brother doing the online thing. Study up on the hints and advise pages, this is good info. Yehiiiiii.

[dee16]

WHAT!! Some people don't go to BF? OMG! Are you kidding?

WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY:yuck:
THAT IS THE FUN:D

[LUCINDA574]

Your stories are all so wonderful, the last few years its always been really quiet when I go, hoping for action this year! LOL

[zxcvbnm]

It was 2005, wow it seems like last year, but my brother and I are at CC and we are about persons 45ish in line. The line is already around back and coming up again around the parking lot. Milwaukee, WI 76th street CC if you know where that is. So, a mother and daughter, maybe 12 years old at the most, come trying to get in line near the time of opening. Politely people inform them, me included, that they should get to the back. I think they were overwhelmed at the people. I talked with them briefly as the mom probably thought she was sweet talking me, but found out the daughter wanted a Game Boy Advance for $50 I believe it was. I thought CC would have lots of them and I was there for one myself. When the doors opened my brother and I parted ways to get what we came for helping each other as we split the store in two. I grabbed a couple game boys and as we were waiting in line I see the daughter without a Game Boy. The daughter was timid, quiet, and shy that morning and mom was being more than what a mother should be. I walk up to the daughter, I am 6'3" so that did not help matters. I hand the daughter the Game Boy and tell her to have a Merry Chirstmas. The daughter smiled and I dont even know if mom noticed me.

[jellybean051901]

My mom, sis, aunt and I compile our shopping lists and break them up by department. My sis had toys last year. She was getting the CPK that were on sale when she noticed a little old lady trying to get one but kept getting pushed out of the way. She asked the lady what she was looking for then jumped but into the chaos and found what the lady wanted

[AngelF]

2006 or 2005 Meijer had Stingray bikes(only 5) on early bird and we got one decided after pushing it through the store for an hour we didn't really want it found a friend who really did and gave it to him. We saw probably 6 different people with that bike by the time we were in the check out. It was just funny!!!!

[Mugglemom]

My best moment was when I was featured on ABC news! Yup that was me . Thanksgiving night on the national news. Then the second best thing was when I was at Target on BF, this husband and wife team yelled across the store, " We saw you on the news and you inspired us to come out today!" It was really cool. I was actually recognized a few times over the weekend because the local news channel here kept running the clip over and over again. My family said it all went to my head......nawwww, not me!

[Illinoismom]

it was 2005 I think the year of the walmart lap top, I was in the line as our store is a 24 hour one at 1:00am . I was number 5 so i knew i was getting one, made friends rather fast with every one around me as I always do. I've posted before that I take a slew of people with me as runners, That year I had my 17 year old daughter, her BF, my mother inlaw and the one girl who works for me. The two girls mission was DVD players I needed 2 and they were on a pallet, My mother in law was Jewerly and I was after 2 chains the girl who was with me was stationed at the TV/VCR combo's. Now I am proud of my daughter as when they ripped the black off the pallet, there was a mad rush and the Walmart employee was being trampled. She handed the 2 we needed to her friend and then stood there with the employee and Handed out portable dvd players to people. She yelled at these people that if you calm down we will pass them back to you. The Walmart employee was so relieved that she helped her, Well then I used the other people who were with me to get things people in line with me were waiting for, I think we ended up getting 5 people the portable DVD cases, computer cases, Gameboys, Cabbagepatch dolls, while the first 25 of us stopped the rushes for the computers, The only thing good about going to the same store year after year the employees remeber you,and work with every one who is stopping people from rushing. Last year I bought Donuts for some of the employees and handed them out as I cruised around at 1:00 am looking for my pricematching items. Now we have a new WALMART opening closer so I don't know if I will go to that one or the old one or even go there at all

[jax81772]

Last year was the best! Stood outside Ultimate Electronics... with my cranky mom. Once they let us in we headed for the portable dvd players, I needed 2. Well.... little pricing problem at this store..... they put the 9in ones under the $37.99 sign. The lady at the register said okie dokie... and did the price change... the ones under the sign were to be $149.00. We were so tickled after that.... we didnt remember much else from the day. They came with the case, all the chargers, the car straps, and they had the rotating screens. They were awesome.

[chefboyrmike]

last year my wife wrecked her four wheeler after dinner and couldn't go for the first time in years... she tells me to go.. no sooner than i get in the first store, and she's callin saying take me to the hospital.... ankle was broken

[wx4svr]

WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY:yuck:
THAT IS THE FUN:D

lol. The one thing I don't understand: how can people be on this site, but not go BF-ing???

[wx4svr]

last year my wife wrecked her four wheeler after dinner and couldn't go for the first time in years... she tells me to go.. no sooner than i get in the first store, and she's callin saying take me to the hospital.... ankle was broken

Ohhhh! Been there (4-wheeler wreck, put me in the ICU for a week!) But to miss bf! That'd had to hurt (not your wife, you!)

[katiesmommy01]

Hey all. Last year, I went out to my Wichita, KS Circuit City and was able to snag some good deals. But man oh man did I sure have to fight for what I got. It was insane. People were lined up single-filed before the store opened. The employees came out about an hour before opening to hand out flyers for the big ticket items. I was upset though, because even though there was an obvious line, large groups of people began crowding the front door anyway. The employees said nothing about it, and when the store opened it was a literal mad-dash in the store. I would not be surprised if it violated fire codes...was rediculous.

Here is my simple plan, and is it really that hard for these retail stores to figure out. Everyone will line up early days before BF. the stores should rope off the line or maybe give out numbered bracelts. If you cut in line, you are out. Now, people camp out for the ad deals, so why not place all the ad deals in a striaght line down an aisle or two, have it roped off as well, and just as cattle are directed through a pen, have all those in line go through slowly and pick what they want. Everything has a minimum anyway, and the big stuff like tv's, you can grab a purchase ticket or something. For those people not in line for the good stuff, allow them to enter the store as usual, and they would not have access to the ad deals, as that would be roped off for the people in line. There would be no running into stores, getting pissed off and smacking another person. I know this may seem fun and the thrill for many (I don't mind it too much), but it would make everything civil and give those people who deserve it the most (the people willing to give up a day with family) the fair, unhasseled opportunity to get their deals and continue shopping.

Seems like such an easy plan. Oh well, I guess they work in retail for a reason...

I think your idea is genius!!!! Especially the handing out of braclets...this should occur at like 2am or something, before the terrible line jumping occurs. If a store followed your method, dude, i'd so be lined up there this bf....fairness!!!

[coleman4905]

2005...my daughter and I went shopping on BF as usual. This was her first trip she was 14,..ok so WM had the dvds on sale as usual,..poor girl got knocked down to the ground and couldnt get up,..a friend of ours grabbed her hand and pulled her up,..an associate of the store felt so bad they made sure she got all her dvds and made sure she was alright,..she thought it was funny,..thank goodness she didnt get hurt....then a few minutes later she ran for a uno attack which was on sale,..i stayed with teh cart and we took turns running for different items,..so she ran for hte uno attack and got the last one just as she started walkign an old lady like 70 grabbed it out of her hand and ran away with it,..we laughed so hard we couldnt get it from her,..it was so funny,..

[immortaljackwest]

My favorite memory last year was walking in to my WM at 11:30 pm Thanksgiving and wandering checking around. I talked briefly to a stocker there. I told him I was there for BF. He told me they sale doesn't start until 5:00am and I told him "I know".... He just looked at me oddly and walked away. The look alone was Priceless, kind of the "You are nuts" look. If I decide to do the WM thing again this year I hope I get the same look.

[willowlane]

I also love BF......but its not for the weak at heart...LOL Last year I got into a little dispute over a basket at bath and body works. Another lady wanted the last specific scent basket I picked up. She went as far as to scream at me, curse me and cause one h*ll of a scene. I couldn't help but to smile so sweet and say "Merry Christmas to you too honey". She yelled F*'n B***h all the way out the door...... poor thing, I think she may have had issues.

[jaymacfla]

My last BF shopping experience was very good. I finished placing all the Staples online orders by 5am and then took my neighbor (a newbie in BF shopping) to CompUSA. We were around the 30th in line. I got the $20AR 160GB HD and FAR BT headset and walked out in 5 minutes after the store opened.

This reminds me why compusa failed so miserably last year. The ads looked good, but in reality, the total cost out of pocket was far too great with the multitude of rebates that you had to endure.

[jaymacfla]

I also love BF......but its not for the weak at heart...LOL Last year I got into a little dispute over a basket at bath and body works. Another lady wanted the last specific scent basket I picked up. She went as far as to scream at me, curse me and cause one h*ll of a scene. I couldn't help but to smile so sweet and say "Merry Christmas to you too honey". She yelled F*'n B***h all the way out the door...... poor thing, I think she may have had issues.

That is exactly why walgreens and cvs do so well, for they sell tissues for the issues, and mouthwash for the potty mouth.

[soonernstlouis]

My favorite moment: Only going to 1 store (Sears) where I had called ahead, found out they carried the same camcorder on Best Buys BF ad,waiting a short time in line, gettting a $10 gift card & 110% price match. $142 camcorder that retailed over $300. Was at work by 7:00am.

[wx4svr]

My favorite moment:
Only going to 1 store (Sears) where I had called ahead, found out they carried the same camcorder on Best Buys BF ad,waiting a short time in line, gettting a $10 gift card & 110% price match. $142 camcorder that retailed over $300. Was at work by 7:00am.

NICE!

[blackngold]

Not a good moment but a memorable moment ... My 2 year old split the bridge of his nose open on the fireplace the night before. We didn't get home till 1:30 am and I had to leave our house at 4am for Black Friday shopping. After shopping till afternoon I was totally exhaused and had to clean up the dried blood that was all over the carpet because DH didn't know how to.

[Msoar00]

Last year I was 5th or 6th in line at Walmart for the opening. I had my eye on the big TV BUT I didnt plan very well figuring I wouldn't really get it. I ran and actually got the last one in the store. Problem was my mom ditched me to go to BB and I didnt have a truck to take the TV home. I was frantically calling every person I knew who could have had a truck to help me but it was 5am and nobody was up :-( I clutched the TV for at least half an hour trying to figure out what I was going to do. A lady ended up coming up to me asking if i was really getting the TV. I told her I wasn't sure because I had no truck so I was waiting for someone to call me back. Well she asked me if I would consider giving her the TV for $75......I......so I did! I figured I might as well since I had no way of getting it home. I love telling the story of selling a TV that wasn't *technically* mine at Wal-Mart.

[jellybean051901]

One of my favorite things last year was watching the cops stop people from cutting in line when the doors opened. People that just walked up there and thought they could go right on in. It was really funny to see their expression and watch them try and argue their way in.