If the Thanksgiving Turkey was put on the table at midnight, do you think people would be busting through the door to chow down? Probably not. Once again, Black Friday shoppers will hit the mall and big box stores at 5:00, 4:00, and even 12:01 on Friday morning. But will you be one of them? Top Photo Credit.
The Case For Braving the Black Friday Crowds: If you have a plan, know exactly what you want, and have an idea as to how you’re going to get in and out of the parking lot, then it’s worth it. Sure it’s a bit of a game and the Black Friday crazies can take it a step (or nine steps) too far, but hundreds of dollars can be saved on big ticket items. For example, this year Target is doing an in-store special on a 46″ HDTV that was $550, and on Black Friday it’ll be just under $300. Stay focused and don’t buy anything you didn’t plan on getting, and you’ll come out ahead.
The Case Against Getting Trampled on Black Friday: I would rather drive overly salted pretzel rods into my eyes. I’ll gladly trade an extra 10% off or whatever it may be on Black Friday for the extra hours of tryptophan soaked sleep. I’ll also shell out for shipping and handling on Cyber Monday if need be, as long as I don’t have to do battle pre-dawn with every God Warrior lookalike hell bent on getting her rugrat a Furby.
Have you ever done Black Friday in person? Do you stay as far away as possible? Leave your take below. Also, swing back this way on Friday to see our annual rundown of the best Black Friday deals (online mostly), as well as a day long three-part giveaway.
Online maybe. I can’t imagine you get much time in the dressing rooms anyways.
I think it’s worth it for big ticket electronic items, and kids toys, but not much else. I’ve been hooked ever since I had to work every Black Friday as a teenager in retail. The discounts are usually unbeatable, although this year I haven’t looked at a single ad to see if that’s still the case.
The key is to have a plan, and to treat it like a tailgating event. Dress appropriately for the weather, bring friends, food and drink. I’ve always made a party out of it, and always got the item I arrived for.
Aside from the electronics doorbusters (good luck getting those with the weirdos that camp out an entire week beforehand), 99% of the deals are as good or better online. Bless you if you join the frenzy, because you keep my company afloat by doing so…but as for me, no thanks, I’ll pass. My dignity is worth more than forty bucks off the year’s newest equivalent to the Furby.
If they relaxed assault laws so I could physically move rude people out of my way the way I’m always tempted to I might do it for fun, but as is? No.
NOPE.
There’s only one Black Friday store that’s worth it for me. The largest liquor store in the region has it’s penny sale on wines. The first bottle is regular price the second a penny. It is on a huge selection ranging from $10 to some of the premium bottles too. That is worth going out to stock the cabinet for the year.
Not a chance. Hand me the salted pretzel stakes. If you need something like a tv or other big ticket item…. might be worth a shot, for clothes, just not worth the madness.
Absolutely not – it’s a scam. The deals are never particularly good (except maybe on one or two random items that disappear within the first few minutes). Just a marketing gimmick, and people follow.
Small Business Saturday for me.
Bought some Air Jordans on last year’s Black Friday (the Flint XIII’s for anybody that is familiar with those shoes). The only reason I went on BF is because that was the sneaker’s release date – there weren’t any deals since Nike is such a stickler for the MSRPs.
Anyway, my Black Friday experience was surprisingly good. The crowd was robust, but also healthy and manageable. As long as you are okay with a quick walk, the parking was fine. I went to Dunkin Donuts afterward and still got to work in plenty of time.
Thanks to e-commerce options, I think the general Black Friday hysteria has died down compared to say, 15 years ago. That was how I felt last year, at least.
I wait for some things that I want and see if the prices are lower. I’m always in a smaller area for Black Friday. They have most of the stores but really without the crowd. I generally check it out but don’t wake up early for it.
I’m going with my Girlfriend for the first time this year, but I told her I’m not going to “look around”.
If she says “I want to hit stores X, Y, and Z” I’ll go with it. I do want to check for a watch for my mom, and maybe a TV for my dad, if I can get a deal like that Target one.
I have already declared Christmas 2011 the “Christmas of Amazon”. My family knows that if it can’t be found online then it won’t be under the tree. I only need some books and toys to give away. The one exception will be my gf for whom I’ll likely step inside a small biz botique.
And I don’t bash others who do partake in Black Friday, because if you happen to want/need a 42 inch tele because Friday is the time to get it. The huge volume of shoppers are the only reason the prices get to drop like they do, so in a way, if it weren’t for Black Friday, there’d be no Black Friday. And it’s all about attitude. In the past I’ve found that most of the people who end up roaming the aisles and parking lots are quite considerate and are not as slit-throat crazy as the hype would have us believe.
Regardless, my Friday will be spent shopping online while brewing beer all in the comfort of my home.
Just an FYI The 46″ LCD deal from Target can be easily had. I got my 40″ LCD from Target last year for $300; picked it up a week before black friday and went in the day of to get it price adjusted.
Which liquor store is this and where, please?
I’ve noticed most people have commented that its generally worth it only for electronics or toys, but what about clothes and shoes? I’m thinking stuff like Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren at Macys or Nordstroms. How do you even find out what prices they will be selling it at?
Black Friday is for people who haven’t discovered that online shopping is faster, easier, cheaper, and more convenient.
I may be spoiled by my family’s Thanksgiving weekend tradition, but I’ve always thought If you don’t have something better to do at 5am Black Friday (for example, hunting delicious deers) than camp out in front of a Best Buy, your Thanksgiving is broken.
I’ll be there only because my girlfriend is working that morning and we figured that if she wants to be on time, I’d have to drive her. So because I have to get up that early and am at the mall I’ll wander around. No sense breaking my neck over a TV though.
Black Friday should really be called Bait & Switch Friday. Impulse shoppers only. People who know ahead of time what they want to get can find the same deals (or cheaper) online or in stores. They don’t need to rely on “Black Friday.”
careful with the TV deals though. they may not be all that great. I think it was consumer reports who two years ago pointed out that the off-brand TV on sale for $299 or something like that also had an extremely high failure rate and a short warranty period. the cost to fix the problem cost cosiderably more than the difference between getting that TV on sale for $299 or paying $450 for a similar name brand TV that was much more reliable, and had a much longer warranty period in the less likely event that something did go wrong.
I won’t stay up, all night, for Black Friday but I do like a leisurely stroll through the stores. Most of the clothing stores will have nice sales around 40% or more. Gap had 50% off, last year, and that was great.
I would rather die in a fire………
I tried to get a doorbuster deal on a TV, had my hands on one, and then was informed that there was some other “line” we were supposed to have waited in for it. I was reluctant to do try it in the first place, but I won’t be out there again. Though I will say that hanging out with my brother, a pack of smokes, and a hip flask while inducing cognitive dissonance in the missionaries was fun.
Am I weird if I say I want to go to watch? Unfortunately, I have to work on Friday morning, but maybe I will be able to see the chaos ensue next year.
Godspeed man. Stay safe. And stay the hell away from crowded doorways.
My friends and I did a lot more people-watching than shopping at the Mall of America when I lived in the Twin Cities.
I don’t need more material items that badly.
oh helll naw
I agree it is worth it as long as you don’t buy something you didn’t plan on buying. With many big companies you can count on a Black Friday sale, so it can make sense waiting for it…
having just worked my first black friday shift (10 hours) i have to say no.
seriously though, you really have to have a plan. and you have to not be dissapointed if you don’t get what you want. as far as clothing goes, often times they will have those same deals closer to christmas.
This was the worst year for in store clothes deals. Last year there were a lot of 50% off in store including sale items. This year was worthless. Non-clothing, I did get some good deals on Christmas presents
I bought a $40 Courdoroy sportcoat!
Eight years ago when I was 25 I was third in line at Best Buy for a killer deal on a laptop. I got in line at 10:00 PM on Thanksgiving after I left my parents house. People where sane and formed groups so someone could leave the line to get coffee or go to the bathroom. I just drank coffee and played football with some other guys there.
Plus was I got a steal of a deal on a laptop. Downside I chipped a bone in my finger playing football.
Last year at our best buy I saw people lining up as I drove by at 2:00 PM thanksgiving day on my way to thanksgiving. I don’t care how good a deal is in person i’m not missing time with my family for a TV