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Share your Black Friday stories from years past


jarerice

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My story happened a couple of years ago (maybe 4yrs) at Walmart when the CareBears were back as a hot item.

There was a big square metal box that held all the CareBears (these CareBears were the bigger one size) and the box taped off until 5am. Once they took the tape off and people were allow to grab and there was literally a stampede (sp?) and my sister was over there to try to get two for our younger brother and sister. She came away without a scratch but she said people were pushed down and stomped on by the crowd and some of the CareBears were ripped apart by the seams by people fighting for them. We found out later when we went over to Target to wait for them to open that a person broke their arm and another one their wrist in "The Great CareBear Stampede" <--which is what we now call it by.

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A few years ago I went to Best Buy with my older DD. We had most of what we came for and got in one of the lines behind quite a few other people. We were in line for about thirty minutes before one of the employees asked me if could help us, to which I replied no I am just waiting in line to check out. He was nice enough not to laugh when he told me that our"line was not a line and was going no where" But every year since then people outside waiting to come in talk about the year that there was a line that was not a line.
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My story happened a couple of years ago (maybe 4yrs) at Walmart when the CareBears were back as a hot item.

There was a big square metal box that held all the CareBears (these CareBears were the bigger one size) and the box taped off until 5am. Once they took the tape off and people were allow to grab and there was literally a stampede (sp?) and my sister was over there to try to get two for our younger brother and sister. She came away without a scratch but she said people were pushed down and stomped on by the crowd and some of the CareBears were ripped apart by the seams by people fighting for them. We found out later when we went over to Target to wait for them to open that a person broke their arm and another one their wrist in "The Great CareBear Stampede" <--which is what we now call it by.

ty for the story that gave me a good laugh!!

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ok this is a story you can judge for yourself what U think of it. Last year my 2 step daughters went with me on there first black Friday ever...and I mean ever because they are from Canada and they have nothing like it up there really.So they get down here Tuesday and I am like ok here are the ads take a look and tomorrow we can go do recon. They did not really understand why they had to go to look at the store before anymore then they understood that when I said out the door at 4 am I meant it. Well it came time to hit our first store Jcpenny for our free snowglobe and all we did was walk in get it and out they were like cant we look around I was like umm no next store opens in 30 mins and it is 15 mins away... well we get to the next store and get in line and we are the last people in line to get the wrist band for a free mp3 player... this was also the store that we did recon on on wensday... the look on there faces when we got out was priceless they said now we know why u wanted to go to the store to try on clothes on wensday.

 

They say they are coming down for BF this year and I hope that we will have even better hunting this year.

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ok this is a story you can judge for yourself what U think of it. Last year my 2 step daughters went with me on there first black Friday ever...and I mean ever because they are from Canada and they have nothing like it up there really.So they get down here Tuesday and I am like ok here are the ads take a look and tomorrow we can go do recon. They did not really understand why they had to go to look at the store before anymore then they understood that when I said out the door at 4 am I meant it. Well it came time to hit our first store Jcpenny for our free snowglobe and all we did was walk in get it and out they were like cant we look around I was like umm no next store opens in 30 mins and it is 15 mins away... well we get to the next store and get in line and we are the last people in line to get the wrist band for a free mp3 player... this was also the store that we did recon on on wensday... the look on there faces when we got out was priceless they said now we know why u wanted to go to the store to try on clothes on wensday.

My family hosts exchange students and the first year that we had one we brought her along BF. She is from South Korea and was blown away by BF and we thought it scared so the year after we were surprised that she asked to come along! She has been along the last 4 years (last year she came down from college to spend TG w/ us and BF), she enjoys it as much as we do!!! Its nice b/c she is small and compact and gets between people and is as agressive as they are LOL!!

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Last year I did BF alone!! I did not want the same fiasco from two years ago! Two years ago, my mom wants to go BF shopping with me, that's all fine and good, so we agree to meet at the Target by my house at whatever time for our first store and then we were going to go from there. Well it's BF morning and I am sitting in the parking lot at the Target by my house and I see nothing of my mother anywhere!!! I get out stand in line (which is around the building I might add) and there is still no sign of my mother. I have stood there for 15 minutes by this time and the store is getting ready to open (after I had already waiting for 5 in my car) and I finally called my mom and asked her where the heck she was at....she says I'm waiting for you at the Target, where are you at? I tell her I'm standing in line...she says there's no line here, they opened early and everyone's already inside!!! I'm freaking out by this time....

 

As it turns out, she went to a different Target! Another Target that is by my house but not near as close as the one I had gone to. So I had my mom picking up the items that I wanted and I hopped out of line and quietly went to the Target that was already open (there was only a few more minutes before they were supposed to be open, but I didn't really need to stand in that line anymore).

 

That is the funny part!! The part that's not so funny is that it took me literally TWO HOURS to get my mother out of that Target and onto the next store. So never again will I do Black Friday with my mom becuase she does not know the meaning of the word HURRY!!! :)

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We always go to the outlet stores at midnight first. Well last year my niece and her boyfriend decide to do BF with us (me, my sister, my aunt and cousin). We got to Commerce, GA around 11:30 p.m. and was looking for a park. It was really crowded and people were standing in parks for other people. So my niece and her boyfriend finds a park and stands in it while we drive around to the other side. This man and woman almost hits them with their car trying to get our park. They just let them have it. When we picked them up the people wanted to fight us. Granted no one in my family is over 5 foot tall, we decided to stay in the truck until they went into the store.
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Hmm...Let's see...

 

I was at Best Buy with family/friends. So when it was around 1-3AM...When everybody was all quiet, because it was pretty cold outside. So these "Hooligans" were driving by...And they threw about 2-3 water balloons at the people in line! :no::mad: I was so glad I didn't get hit, because I was 15-25 feet away from them. :eek: So after they threw balloons at them...The "Hooligans" were all screaming, "You f!@#$ing nerds!" They were doing that as they were driving away...:mad:

Oh ya...btw, Since I was 13 years old...I was all screaming, "You motherf!@#$ers! Come back here you son of a b!@#$es!" ...Give me a break people...I was 13...:tongue1:

So after all that mayhem...I went to go check the people that got hit...I found this other guy about my age telling me what happened. So while he was telling me what happened, I see this woman calling the cops! :shock:

So about 30mins-1hr....The cops show up! They didn't actually do anything...All they did was do a "driveby" and just made sure everything was all good. So then they left 5mins after they got here... :(

So after they left...This car drives by and drives all the way to the front of the line...And BLARES HIS HORN! I was like "WHOA! Please tell me they're not back!" And actually, they were back...But in a different car. So I couldn't have recognized them. So he was screaming at us again, "You f!@#ing nerds and blah, blah." :mad::mad:

So after that...It was all good, because they never came back(Thank God). So after that, it was just a typical Black Friday....Grabbing tickets, running to the electronics, and doing anything to get your product. :cheesy::P:cheesy::P:cheesy::P

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Hmm...Let's see...

 

I was at Best Buy with family/friends. So when it was around 1-3AM...When everybody was all quiet, because it was pretty cold outside. So these "Hooligans" were driving by...And they threw about 2-3 water balloons at the people in line! :no::mad: I was so glad I didn't get hit, because I was 15-25 feet away from them. :eek: So after they threw balloons at them...The "Hooligans" were all screaming, "You f!@#$ing nerds!" They were doing that as they were driving away...:mad:

Oh ya...btw, Since I was 13 years old...I was all screaming, "You motherf!@#$ers! Come back here you son of a b!@#$es!" ...Give me a break people...I was 13...:tongue1:

So after all that mayhem...I went to go check the people that got hit...I found this other guy about my age telling me what happened. So while he was telling me what happened, I see this woman calling the cops! :shock:

So about 30mins-1hr....The cops show up! They didn't actually do anything...All they did was do a "driveby" and just made sure everything was all good. So then they left 5mins after they got here... :(

So after they left...This car drives by and drives all the way to the front of the line...And BLARES HIS HORN! I was like "WHOA! Please tell me they're not back!" And actually, they were back...But in a different car. So I couldn't have recognized them. So he was screaming at us again, "You f!@#ing nerds and blah, blah." :mad::mad:

So after that...It was all good, because they never came back(Thank God). So after that, it was just a typical Black Friday....Grabbing tickets, running to the electronics, and doing anything to get your product. :cheesy::P:cheesy::P:cheesy::P

That is horrible!! If anyone threw water ballons here it would turn into ice before it hit anyone!! How long ago was this? Has it happened since?

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Hmm...Let's see...

 

I was at Best Buy with family/friends. So when it was around 1-3AM...When everybody was all quiet, because it was pretty cold outside. So these "Hooligans" were driving by...And they threw about 2-3 water balloons at the people in line! :no::mad: I was so glad I didn't get hit, because I was 15-25 feet away from them. :eek: So after they threw balloons at them...The "Hooligans" were all screaming, "You f!@#$ing nerds!" They were doing that as they were driving away...:mad:

Oh ya...btw, Since I was 13 years old...I was all screaming, "You motherf!@#$ers! Come back here you son of a b!@#$es!" ...Give me a break people...I was 13...:tongue1:

So after all that mayhem...I went to go check the people that got hit...I found this other guy about my age telling me what happened. So while he was telling me what happened, I see this woman calling the cops! :shock:

So about 30mins-1hr....The cops show up! They didn't actually do anything...All they did was do a "driveby" and just made sure everything was all good. So then they left 5mins after they got here... :(

So after they left...This car drives by and drives all the way to the front of the line...And BLARES HIS HORN! I was like "WHOA! Please tell me they're not back!" And actually, they were back...But in a different car. So I couldn't have recognized them. So he was screaming at us again, "You f!@#ing nerds and blah, blah." :mad::mad:

So after that...It was all good, because they never came back(Thank God). So after that, it was just a typical Black Friday....Grabbing tickets, running to the electronics, and doing anything to get your product. :cheesy::P:cheesy::P:cheesy::P

that is absolutely horrible. i have a really short temper when it comes to ignorant people. which probably would have proven to be quite bad in that situation. luckily last year when we had an altercation with a few "hooligans" the cops showed up and escorted them off the premises before things got to bad. having to wait almost an hour for cops to arrive seems kind of ridiculous haha. hopefully it doesn't happen again this year.

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A few years back, I was working in a retail job on Black Friday that I hated. I had been told I would not have to go in at 3am and set the ad as I had done for the 3 years previously. The store where I worked offered an amazing discount to employees who worked on Thanksgiving day, so I told them I would work Thanksgiving to be off on Black Friday. Of course, the schedule came out and I was off on Thanksgiving (no great deals for me) and working at 3am on Black Friday! I must add that the store that I worked for never had good deals on Black Friday and the merchandise that was on sale was store-brand merchandise under a different label, so pretty much, it was junk.

 

Anyhow, I was ticked, but I didn't show it. I just smiled and told everyone I worked with how much I was looking forward to working on Black Friday because it was so "exciting". At 3am being a loyal dedicated employee, I showed up to work with a gigantic jacket on (I live in South Florida and it was about 75 degrees), my hair a total mess, white powder on my face to make me appear super pale, and cherry red lipstick (just enough to make me seem even paler). I set the ad while walking around the store at about 1 mile an hour and took my sweet time (the store didn't open till 6). After finishing the ad, I sat down next to the store manager who told me I looked terrible and should go home....

 

I made it out of there by 5:30, met my boyfriend and was down to the nearest city by 6am (didn't want to be caught by anyone I worked with) and shopped my heart out on Black Friday. :) It made it even better that I got all of my christmas shopping out of the way for my family. I picked up all kinds of smaller, cheaper gifts like dvd's and cd's at fantastic prices. It didn't matter too much about the deals to me, all that mattered was during 7 years of retail work, I never once got to go Black Friday shopping and I had finally gotten my chance! :0) Of course, I didn't like my job and quit for something much better shortly after that Black Friday, but while I was shopping, I made a promise to myself to never work Black Friday again...and I never will. :)

 

Every Black Friday I also make sure to bring candy canes for the cashiers who are much more loyal workers than I ever was. I know that it couldn't be Black Friday without them! :) So, please be kind to your cashiers and the store employees. They probably wish they were out shopping too!

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  • 4 weeks later...

It was the year of the Furby madness. Wal-Mart had advertised that a limited number of Furby toys would be available on black Friday. My mother and I wanted to go to Wal-Mart first that morning for some other advertised items. We were not wanting a Furby. Anyway, we arrived shortly before they opened. There was a huge line. It appeared some people had camped outside all night. There were a couple of police cars parked near the doors. It looked like it could get ugly so we decided to wait in the car until the line went inside.

 

Now, I had a relative that worked at this Wal-Mart. She said that the Furby's were stacked in a pyramid on the customer service counter which was right inside the door. They had assigned a couple of workers to ask customers if they wanted a Furby and were planning on handing them out as the line progressed through the door.

 

Anyway, here is what happened as I was told by my relative who took it in from inside the store. The manager unlocked a door only to have the line stampede through it. They broke the door and mobbed towards the Furby pyramid. The workers were so afraid they jumped behind the customer service counter and began lobbing Furby's into the mob. Very quickly they were gone. Two women had grabbed the same Furby and were rolling on the floor pounding on each other. One even bit the other woman's arm. People were actually arrested over Furby toys.

 

It was the most shocking thing we have ever encountered on black Friday

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I have probably the best one!!!!! I met my husband in Walmart on BF. REALLY!!!!

 

I had dated my husband for nearly 18 months as a teenager. He was my first boyfriend and first love. He ended up moving in w/ his father in another state and we lost touch.

 

Fast forward 9 yrs- and I was at Walmart for the opening on BF. I was trying to make my way to the toy department for some toy or another (I honestly don't remember which one anymore). In the midst of the crowd I had back right up into someone pretty hard. I turned around to apologize and I came face to face w/ the person I walked into. It took a second for us to each recognize each other- but it was pretty much "I'm sorry.....oh my.....oh my god Chris I haven't seen you in forever....." We only talked for a few minutes.

 

3 days later though he called, we got together, and ended up dating- moving in and getting married.

 

That is my best BF story!!!

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I have probably the best one!!!!! I met my husband in Walmart on BF. REALLY!!!!

 

I had dated my husband for nearly 18 months as a teenager. He was my first boyfriend and first love. He ended up moving in w/ his father in another state and we lost touch.

 

Fast forward 9 yrs- and I was at Walmart for the opening on BF. I was trying to make my way to the toy department for some toy or another (I honestly don't remember which one anymore). In the midst of the crowd I had back right up into someone pretty hard. I turned around to apologize and I came face to face w/ the person I walked into. It took a second for us to each recognize each other- but it was pretty much "I'm sorry.....oh my.....oh my god Chris I haven't seen you in forever....." We only talked for a few minutes.

 

3 days later though he called, we got together, and ended up dating- moving in and getting married.

 

That is my best BF story!!!

Ahhhhhh.... :hearthrob:gdlove6::2couple::gdlick:

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Way too many to list. I could write a book. I was an employee once at toys R Us for holiday help during Furbymania and got into a scuffle with a customer. I mean who shows up at 10am and expects a Furby? Then has the nerve to call me a *@#!ing liar and throw a board game at me. So I threw the game right back at her! Yes I was young and it was my first BF experience!

 

Last yea was funny as I was inline and people had their tents on the grass surrounding the Circuit City. Well the automatic sprinklers go off and I hear screams and the sound of the sprinklers going off and hitting the tents I found damn funny. The sprinklers go off and the masses start moving the tents to the curb/sidewalk. Well one chick who said how the sprinklers wont go off again stayed put and sat outside the tent as she had the whole grass area to herself. Well sure enough the sprinklers go off again! She screams and runs into the tent.

 

Oh I forgot I had my Japanese gf (at the time) join me one year and she was surprised! She loved the deals but was sooo funny apologizing to everyone for taking the items on sale.

 

And to the poster above that does sound like something Canucks would do. We are in no hurry and Boxing Day is the closest we have to BF and that is very very tame.

Edited by JohnnyLaRue
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  • 2 weeks later...

Not so much funny as sad. My mom and I worked at a Wal-Mart close to my house and I didn't have to work on Black Friday (my availabilty kept me from working the am) but knew almost everyone else there. My mom actually got off early to shop, she had gone in overnight to help set up the items. This was the year that they had the really cheap laptops. A friend of mine had been assigned to stand right in the front with tickets for the laptops to hand out to the customers. He was standing in front of one of those metal clothes racks (the long metal ones on wheels) when the doors where opened. He got mobbed so bad that the crowd actually pushed him into the clothes rack and broke it. He took a pole in the middle of the back and had a huge bruise. I had wanted a laptop but didn't get a ticket from him because I wasn't going to get injured for it. My mom also wanted the laptop and managed to get a ticket before the rack broke. A little later a woman came up and gave my mom a ticket for the laptop. She had accidentally gotten two tickets and knew that my mom wanted one. Since my mom had been telling people around her where things were in the store she felt that she derserved the laptop. My mom gave me the ticket but I felt horrible for the guy who got hurt.

 

I'm always nice to the people at my store because I know so many of them.

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Last year was probably the most memorable. At Kohls my friend and I got yelled at for line jumping (although I promise you we did not and would not ever do that), next some lady accused me of stealing her cart at Wal-mart (again not true), then my friend lost me at Wal-mart and had me paged. Very embarassing. I'm hoping things go smoother this year.
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Way too many to list. I could write a book. I was an employee once at toys R Us for holiday help during Furbymania and got into a scuffle with a customer. I mean who shows up at 10am and expects a Furby? Then has the nerve to call me a *@#!ing liar and throw a board game at me. So I threw the game right back at her! Yes I was young and it was my first BF experience!

 

Last yea was funny as I was inline and people had their tents on the grass surrounding the Circuit City. Well the automatic sprinklers go off and I hear screams and the sound of the sprinklers going off and hitting the tents I found damn funny. The sprinklers go off and the masses start moving the tents to the curb/sidewalk. Well one chick who said how the sprinklers wont go off again stayed put and sat outside the tent as she had the whole grass area to herself. Well sure enough the sprinklers go off again! She screams and runs into the tent.

 

Oh I forgot I had my Japanese gf (at the time) join me one year and she was surprised! She loved the deals but was sooo funny apologizing to everyone for taking the items on sale.

 

And to the poster above that does sound like something Canucks would do. We are in no hurry and Boxing Day is the closest we have to BF and that is very very tame.

 

I think many if not most of us would have thrown the board game back at her too! I think its a natural response. Somebody throws something at you, then you throw something back. :yup:

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My husband and I started doing BF while we were dating. At the time I was pretty amazed that he even wanted to go, but we had a blast and this started a long tradition in BFs. After our children were born and a "little" order, probably 7 and 5, they decided they wanted to come with us and we thought what the heck lets take them and see how they hold up.

 

Now this was the last year that Target had the really, really big BF ads. The last one before they started doing any of the ticketing to get your items. We were standing in line and this older woman in front of us turns around to my daughter and says, "Honey, when they open that door you hold on to your momma's hand and don't let go. It is going to be crazy." So my daughter looks up at the lady with these big eyes and asks her what's going to happen? The woman tells her that when they open the door, hold on to me as tight as she can and to run as fast as she can.

 

Well my husband takes my son, I take my daughter and we run into the store. My husband and I had our assigned spots and I through my daughter on to the front of a buggie and take off to the electronics dept. They had these neat little stereos. Well Katie and I cut to the back to go around the mob and they had the stereos in 2 different places. I grab one turn around and there is my husband so I toss it to him. Both of our children start yelling and cheering.

 

It was, and still is, one of our best memories to date. We all had a great time and even got what we were shopping for.

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My Black Friday Migraine - For years I would go out shopping on Black Friday, and whether I had left the house at 3:30am or 9:00am I would always have a major MASSIVE headache by midday and would have the spend the rest of the day lying on the couch. I always assumed it was from having to wake up early, rush out the door in freezing temperatures, the stress and excitement from the day - I even thought it was from low blood sugar or too much caffeine! My Black Friday headache was so bad three years ago that I had lost my vision for a few minutes before I retreated to the couch in tears from the pain. I worried that the price I was paying for the excitement of deal hunting was taking too large of a toll on my sanity. That was until one day in March, when my mother-in-law invited us over for a turkey dinner on a Sunday afternoon. Wouldn't you know it, but the next day around mid-morning, noontime I had developed a Black-Friday-like Headache, complete with seeing spots and pain so bad I became nauseous. I went to the doctor and discovered that I was getting full-blown migraine headaches from the turkey - and since I don't eat turkey a lot, when I did eat it the effects were that much worse. So now every Thanksgiving it's one thin slice of turkey for me and a happy Black Friday shopper all weekend long!!!

 

(Thank goodness I don't get migraines from chocolate - then we'd be in trouble!)

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My Black Friday Migraine - For years I would go out shopping on Black Friday, and whether I had left the house at 3:30am or 9:00am I would always have a major MASSIVE headache by midday and would have the spend the rest of the day lying on the couch. I always assumed it was from having to wake up early, rush out the door in freezing temperatures, the stress and excitement from the day - I even thought it was from low blood sugar or too much caffeine! My Black Friday headache was so bad three years ago that I had lost my vision for a few minutes before I retreated to the couch in tears from the pain. I worried that the price I was paying for the excitement of deal hunting was taking too large of a toll on my sanity. That was until one day in March, when my mother-in-law invited us over for a turkey dinner on a Sunday afternoon. Wouldn't you know it, but the next day around mid-morning, noontime I had developed a Black-Friday-like Headache, complete with seeing spots and pain so bad I became nauseous. I went to the doctor and discovered that I was getting full-blown migraine headaches from the turkey - and since I don't eat turkey a lot, when I did eat it the effects were that much worse. So now every Thanksgiving it's one thin slice of turkey for me and a happy Black Friday shopper all weekend long!!!

 

(Thank goodness I don't get migraines from chocolate - then we'd be in trouble!)

I have chronic migraines and have had EVERY treatment in the book. I've never heard of this. wow. You have to let us know how it went. Let us know if this little experiment worked or not. lol.

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My most memorable experience was last year's sale at the local Wal-Mart. They advertised that they would have the Guitar Hero bundle (The one that has the first 2 games together) on sale for $40, so I saved my money up for the sale.

 

Once I got there, the crowd was tame at this point (I got there as the doors where unlocked, but before the sale actually began). Thus, I went to the Electronics department, asked if they have the Guitar Hero bundle, and was told it wasn't over there, it was over with Crafts (Where the Game Boy Micro systems where the year before). I head over there, and I'm told by an employee there that it's up front with all the HDTVs. After about 10 minutes of getting the run-around due to a lack of communication between employees, I discovered that they had already sold out (One of the managers confirmed this, because he handed out the last copy). Thus, I settled for a copy of the first game by it's self.

 

The organization for the items was superior to the year before (Where the Game Boy Micro systems where stuffed in a back corner with craft supplies, among other oddly-placed sale items), but they seemed to neglect to tell employees where everything is (I wasn't the only person who got the run-around).

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Ok so last year was my first BF experience. I live in New Hampshire and it was about 42o last year at 9pm. My SIL needed to of the $199 laptops from BB. So we got to BB about 8:30 Thanksgiving night and the line was already down to the end of the plaza! There were people with tents, recliners, propane heater, guitars, you name it! Since I knew they were only going to have about 15 laptops I figured it was pointless so we decided to head to Circuit City because they had ones for $249 I think. Anyway so we were there from about 9pm till 4:30am when they came out with the tickets. Wouldn't you know they were out before they got to us! I was soo mad! We left and hopped around a few more stores and ended up going home with the free snow globes from JCP...and that was it!!! There needs to something very specific and a GREAT price for me to go through that again!!!
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My experience with Black Friday was always a great time for my sister and I, it was our way to have fun and spend quality time together. We started this tradition long before so many stores started this practice.

 

We would get up early and when I say early I do mean early so we could be at the stores when they opened. We would probably leave the house at 5:00 in the morning and not return until 9:00 - 10:00 o'clock at night. Wasn't aqlways sure we woiuld have room for one more thing. We could then always sit back and enjoy the rest of the holidays because we have our stuff done. Family had to fend for themselves on that day.

 

I lost my sister this year so it will be difficult to do it this year, but I will try to make her proud and remember all the fun and laughs we had.

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