Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance For all the avid shoppers and planners, I thought I'd pass along this neat website I found that shows the Black Friday ads out in advance of when they come in the paper on Thanksgiving. A few are already posted, like Sears, Kohls, Lowes, etc. You can even put your e-mail address in to be notified of new ads posted. It's awesome! Last year, I had all my shopping planned out well in advance of the big day after Thanksgiving!
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance <a href="http://www.black-friday.net/" target="_blank">http://www.black-friday.net/</a> Why, do I always forget to include the link?!
Originally Posted By Labuda I use that, and also use <a href="http://www.blackfriday.info/" target="_blank">http://www.blackfriday.info/</a>
Originally Posted By hopemax I use <a href="http://bfads.net" target="_blank">http://bfads.net</a> But so far I haven't seen anything that I really need. I am waiting for the craft store ads.
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD I use all of those too. It is great to plan Black Friday out in advance. That way I don't spend the entire Thanksgiving pouring over the ads.
Originally Posted By DAR What being in a crowded store having people pushing and shoving because a dvd player is $20? Not being able to find a parking spot at the stores? Having to get up at 3:00 am to be in line before the store opens at 5:00 am? Not my style.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I shopped Black Friday once. A couple of years ago, my son wanted to try it. I said that if he got up that early, I'd take him, certain that he'd never do it. He did. : ( So we got to our local Kohl's around 4:00 am (I think the doors opened at 5). Huge line stretching around the building. Kind of a fun atmosphere, sort of like back in the olden days when I used to get in line overnight for concert tickets. People laughing and joking and taking pictures of the ever-growing line. My son and I had no shopping agenda, no list of people to buy for, merely observers from another dimension. The doors open and the line starts streaming into the store. They had long tables set up with their doorbuster specials piled on them. Most people stayed in the long line, snaking through the store past each table. A few people went rogue and sprang out of line and darted in different directions. Caught up in the frenzy, I found myself suddenly cradling an electric griddle, a GPS system, 2 boxes of slippers and an electric coin sorter. As the tables cleared of these treasures, latecomers circled and glared at me, waiting for me to momentarily set one of the items down. I made a frantic call to my wife: "Do we have anyone we buy for that needs a clock radio that works with an iPod???" She reminded me it was 5 in the morning and then said some very un-Christmasy things before slamming the phone down. I was on my own. We lined up for the cashier. This was a Space Mountain sized line. It was going to take forever. As the sun came up the frenzy picked up. People with bedhead and wearing bathrobes staggering into the store shouting "AW CRAP! ARE ALL THE BLENDERS GONE!??" One by one, I realized I didn't need most of the things I'd impulsively grabbed. I sat the coin counter on one of the now empty tables. In seconds 15 people had pounced from behind clothes racks and began arguing over who saw it first. Then the griddle. And all the rest, except for the GPS. $39 for a GPS was worth waiting in such a huge line. My son, whose big idea this whole thing was, retreated out top the car to sleep. I got to the register 45 yawny minutes later, and the cashier said "Just this?" dismayed that she had met The Cheapest Man in The Universe. "Yep, just that!" I said proudly. She scanned the GPS and said "That'll be $279.53." I gasped. "Heh, heh, no, see that should be $39. It's a doorbuster," I said proudly. She scanned it again. "Oh, no. I'm sorry, but this isn't the doorbuster model." "B-b-but I got it off the table, just like all those other people!" My voice now sounded like a three year old girl. I could feel tears welling up. "No, see, what I think must have happened is a customer grabbed the wrong one and then saw the table and left this one there. So this one is $279.53." I walked slowly out of the store, empty handed. Blackest Friday EVER.
Originally Posted By Ursula Oh, bummer, 2oony. Clearly you have not had experience; most professional Black Fridayers would have had the store manager involved plus five of their closest relatives up in arms. I'm going to Target. At 4 am. WHEEEEEEE!
Originally Posted By hopemax I did see the Michaels ad. I wasn't all that impressed with the prices for what I want: Cricut cartridges. You can get them online for cheaper, if you know where to look. Target seems like the big winner for me so far. There are 5 or 6 things I need to pick up there.
Originally Posted By Labuda Oh, wow, 2oony - sorry you had that experience! Anyhow, I usually hit Target - get in line around 3 or 4 am, get in, go straight to what I want, and am one of the first people in line to check out.
Originally Posted By Labuda Oh, and typically the line is still coming in when I'm leaving. I go in with a list, know what I want and where it is.
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD Oh no 2ooney. What a sad story. I have a sad Kohls story too from last year. I had never shopped at Kohls for Black Friday before so I didn't know what to expect. I got there about 20 minutes before opening and there were two entrances and they both had lines going, but not too bad. I had scoped out the store a couple of days before and knew exactly where the Barbie airplane I wanted was and I waited at the door closer to the toys and that line was a little shorter. I was about 5th in line and everyone in my line was getting something else so I thought no problem. It was time to open and we watched the employee walk to the other door and open it first. He then proceeded to walk towards our door. He then just stood there. Then he talked on his phone. Meanwhile we are watching all of the people streaming in from the other door. He then slowly walks over and unlocks the first set of doors and again talks on his phone. Finally, he opens our doors. It took about 10 minutes. I walked straight to where all the planes had been and there was something else there. They had reorganized the store the day before and put the doorbusters in the aisle. I saw them at the back of the store and headed down and literally as I reached them, the last one was being grabbed. I was so ticked as if I was there one second earlier, I would have gotten it. It ticked me off so bad I just left the store even though there were other clothing sales I wanted to look at. I do not plan on going back to Kohls for Black Friday. I love Black Friday shopping, but I know how to do it for what works for me. I generally avoid all electronic stores. They are just crazy people there. I have never been to Walmart first thing in the morning as I have heard they are crazy. Generally I hit a mall that isn't too crowded. All the stores have great sales going on. I get a front parking space at 4 AM. Generally I don't experience lines. I went to Toys R Us two years ago and that was pretty crazy, but an organized crazy. While the line was all the way around the store to check out, it moved rather quickly and people were nice so if they had something I really wanted, I might try that again, but don't plan to this year. They already had the bike I wanted to buy on sale last weekend so I bought it then. It is somewhat easy to fall into the frenzy and want the great deals that everyone else is getting even if you don't need that item. That is why you look over the ads before you head and and have a basic plan and list. So how are the craft stores on Black Friday? I have never been, but I am thinking about it this year.
Originally Posted By TXDISNEYNERD Target dces have a pretty good ad especially with the $10 off $100.
Originally Posted By hopemax > So how are the craft stores on Black Friday? I have never been, but I am thinking about it this year. < Michael's opens on Thanksgiving, so that is where the big lines are. Mad dash to the display with the Cricut carts, but if you want other stuff it's not too bad. I am usually out before the huge checkout lines form, so I don't know how bad it can get. I've been at M's Friday morning too, and it's less chaotic. JoAnn's, depends on the store. Last year, at mine they were only letting people into the store 5 at a time, so not to overwhelm the Cricut display. But it meant the first 5 people got everything they wanted, and there was less available for everyone else. Other stores it's a mad dash. Checkout snakes around the store, and always takes forever. Oh, and if you want fabric, you will spend your whole morning in line, I think, based on the lines.
Originally Posted By DAR Because of my schedule I don't work Monday's. So usually the second Monday of December is when I do my Christmas shopping. I have a list of what I'm going to buy and know what stores to go to. Last year I didn't have to deal with any crowds and I completed it in 90 minutes. It was great.
