--- Black Friday - Tips, Information, and very Frequently Asked Questions ---

[Godrockdj]

--- Black Friday - Tips, Information, and very Frequently Asked Questions ---


It's that time of year again! The time when true slickdealers prepare for the busiest shopping day of the year - BLACK FRIDAY. This subforum that the mods have kindly granted us will soon be flooded with a million questions, many of which will be the same and asked over and over again by different people. We all realize you're just trying to get information - as well you should, info is key for a successful BF trip - but I thought we could try and create a resource of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers here to help unclog the other threads a little. I'll start with a few questions and hope that other seasoned BF Vets will add more to the WIki :hug: If your question is not answered here or in the wiki please ask it in this thread.

What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is a nickname for the day in which most retailers go from being red (not overall profit) in their books to black (profitable!) Traditionally this has happened close to the holiday buying season

When exactly is Black Friday?
The Friday (shocking I know) after Thanksgiving. This year it is November 28th, 2008

Why do people go nuts on Black Friday?
There are many reasons. A lot of people have off of work. Many people are home visiting families and friends and go shopping together. Mostly, as retailers noticed the higher profits on BF they've lowered prices, which increased interest more

When did BF start?
Are you writing a report or something? Seriously if you want that kind of info go to the Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29)

How do you find out in advance what stores are selling on BF?
Again, several reasons. The intelligent companies realize that by releasing their ads early they create interest and greater potential profit. Most of the time, however, the bigwigs are paranoid and try to keep a tight clamp on the ads till the day before Thanksgiving. Obviously with the world the way it is today this doesn't happen - some schmuck in the factory happens upon an ad and leaks it to the interwebs for our perusal :nod:

Where can I see this advance information?
Several websites collect and post the ads every year. Here are a few:
- http://www.bfads.net - Also lets you keep a running shopping list
- http://www.blackfriday.info/
- http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/

This seems like it might be popular!
Yes, yes it is.

When do people get in line for BF?
This depends on many variables, including the specific store, your location, the deals, the weather, local laws and restrictions. Many of the bigger stores (Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc) have people lining up the night before in the bigger metro areas. For your store and area do research on the previous year

Can I pricematch to BF prices?
No. Ok, 99.9% of the time no. It's very rare.

UPDATE: Apparently WalMart is offering a pricematch to any printed ad prices this year! This is really up to you if you want to spend a goodly amount of time in the midst of the craziness of a Walmart BF trying to get a cashier to pricematch your item. But to do so - Go here (http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8818.aspx) and print out the official WalMart news release stating that they are doing so and bring it with you just in case some idiot tries to refuse you. Show your item - it must be exactly the same as advertised in another store. Then show that store's ad with their discounted price and ask for the pricematch.

How can I best prepare for BF?
Plan a strategy out beforehand. Figure out where you want to shop and for what. Confirm when the stores open and plan the most efficient route. Camping out? Get your chair, blanket, warm food, book, gameboy, etc ready for the night. When you get in the stores - focus and be strong! It can be crazy in the big stores and people can be jerks without coffee that early in the morning. Go with a partner if you can. Be prepared! Bring the actual ads (that come out a day before usually) to the store in case some employee gives you the wrong price for your item.

Ok, I'm camping out. How do I go to the bathroom while in line?!
This is tricky and depends on your location and circumstances. The best way to do it - go with a partner. Hopefully there is a 24 hour store or gas station nearby. Take turns alternating in line with your partner to go. Assure the people around you in line that you are only going to the bathroom. They have to go too, after all. If this is not possible come with a tent or some kind of shelter and use a bottle :lol: Ladies, well, if you must, use something wider than a bottle... PLEASE don't forget to throw these containers away immediately. If all else fails find some heavy trees and bushes!

What do you guys do with all the stuff that you bring for the line camping when you get ready to go into the store?
Hopefully run to the car to drop it off. If you are camping out all night you do need to come with the essentials - chair, food, something to do, etc. Some shoppers bring even more elaborate stuff like a tent or video game systems But usually an hour or two before the store is set to open the line will be long and people will be getting antsy - you need to be completely mobile then. So make sure you are friends with the person behind and say "Hey I'm going to run this stuff to my car, be right back". Drop it all off and then you're ready to run through the store unhindered. If you don't think it will be possible for you to go to the car then pack as light as you can - camp chair that folds into a bag, backpack of stuff maybe. Think ahead!

Any other long line/campout strategies?
- Make friends with the people in line around you, especially if you are there by yourself. Thus you can help each other with bathroom breaks, snack runs, and defending your spots in line. It never hurts to be friendly!
- Scoping out your stores a few days before BF is a good idea as well. Know what you are going to buy and find out where that section is in the store. That way on the big day you won't waste precious time trying to find your items! See any big, conspicuous, empty areas? These will likely be filled with BF items that are currently hidden away in back storage! :nod:

Are any of these deals online?
Usually no. But there is a growing trend for stores with larger online presences to offer deals on Cyber Monday, which is - you guessed it - the Monday after Thanksgiving

I don't see the ad for store XYZ! Where is it already?!
Be patient. Sometimes the bigger ads won't leak until a week or two before BF. Lately there has been a lot of commotion with stores like Walmart and Macy's who have sent Cease and Desist letters to the BF websites asking them to remove the leaked ads. Most of the bigger websites, fearing legal retribution, have done so. BUT if the community knows the ad is out already (and believe me you'll know by reading) then you should be able to find it if you are a savvy user of teh interwebs ;-)

Hope this helps! Please feel free to add to the wiki and ask questions if need be :nod:

[wikipost]

Updated 11-24 - 559 page PDF document. Over 100MB size. ALL BF Ads!
http://rapidshare.com/files/166847629/BlackFriday-Complete-11-24.pdf

[ir1337]

Tip!

This is a trick I used the year PS3's came out and it worked. I had a friend who worked in the mall, they let me in with them and I was able to actually be IN the mall before any doors opened. Many stores had PS3's on a first come first serve basis. So I went to Software Etc. and sat in front of the store till they raised the grate when the store opened. I had another friend with me who I gave money to purchase my second PS3 which I placed on E-Bay for amazing profit.

If you have a friend who works in a mall see if they will help you out. You may want to check your local laws and make sure you aren't actually trespassing because you don't want to get into trouble, but this is one way to guarantee that you are at the front of the line :D

[cambo]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

[Phrozt]

TIP: Laptop / Desktop deals / coupons.

I see a lot of questions out there on notebooks and deals. When looking at BF ads, do NOT forget about this site, which often has the best and most up to date coupons for laptops:

http://www.notebookreview.com/deals/
http://www.notebookreview.com/dellCoupon.asp

[jeepdog]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

Wow. That was a hysterical read. If it was not meant to be, it was one of the saddest stories I have ever heard.

[soccermomx3]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

That was a fabulous story! I also read it and laughed heartily out loud. It was funny because I saw myself in the story. Thanks for the extra tips. I'm going to check out the night before to see where items are located.
Thanks!

[joel2007]

can mod stick this thread?

[cambo]

Wow. That was a hysterical read. If it was not meant to be, it was one of the saddest stories I have ever heard.

yes, most def injected with humor, glad people can get a kick out of it. lets be real. BF should be a good fun time. sure most of us here take it seriously, but if we take it too seriously, then we will just frustrate ourselves and ruin it for us and others. that was a BF of 3 or 4 years ago, but it is as close as I can recall now. some things may have been forgotten, or left out in order to protect the not so innocent. I think I posted a detailed AAR (After Action Report) on here afterward, it might be archived or something.

though it is a fun read, there are some real suggestions and tips in there. I dont think any of it is new/never mentioned before. and there are certainly more ambitious, experienced, prepared and knowledgeable people out there, so bring on the info!!!

-Cambo

[Godrockdj]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

This could be a textbook for BF Strike Teams! :nod:

[doak6021]

The toughest part for me is knowing when the lines are going to start forming. I am willing to wait long hours I just do not know when to show up. Most of the stores I plan to show at are about 20min away. So I would not be able to drive by that often. Does anyone have any tips from experience to know when the approx time people will show up at these stores?

[Godrockdj]

The toughest part for me is knowing when the lines are going to start forming. I am willing to wait long hours I just do not know when to show up. Most of the stores I plan to show at are about 20min away. So I would not be able to drive by that often. Does anyone have any tips from experience to know when the approx time people will show up at these stores?

There is no set time - it depends on many variables, such as the size of your towns, the specific store, what kind of deals are being offered, the weather, etc etc. The best thing would be to ask people in your area their experience from last year. And the only other way would be to drive by once an hour or so

[david84]

The toughest part for me is knowing when the lines are going to start forming. I am willing to wait long hours I just do not know when to show up. Most of the stores I plan to show at are about 20min away. So I would not be able to drive by that often. Does anyone have any tips from experience to know when the approx time people will show up at these stores?
I dont know about this year, but last year i went to the Bestbuy( CA) on Wed night, and i was suprised that i was the 30 people waiting in line ( BF is opened early morning on Friday.

[silz86]

anybody got some ideas on how it was last year in the alhambra, rosemead areas? trying to decide on which to store to go to, went to target last year, and there was never a line till like 2 in the morning, missed out on the walmart, forget about best buys, those people camp out like a day 2 days before its ready

[MoonSprite]

I have a question. This year will be the first BF at our new 24 Hour Walmart Supercenter. So, will the store be open on Friday at say 3:00 AM? Can I shop in the store and wait for them to open up the BF pallets of doorbusters? Or does the store remain closed on Thanksgiving and doesn't open up again until Friday at 5AM??

[Tiffofirechick]

As I have found with my many years of hitting a 24 hour Walmart Supercenter, they will let you in and you can scope out the store. Most of the sale items are on big pallets that you wait next to. When the appropriate time comes.... BAM! You grab and go. I've been to Walmart in Michigan and West Virginia and they both used this approach to great success. They are my favorite place for BF.

I must add, since this is a FAQ post place, we must discuss the very hot topic of line jumpers... and even the violent ones. Horrible time at a Target in Charleston WV up at Corridor G where over 100 people didn't get in line but instead lined up across from the entrance. Once they opened the doors, even though it was only two on one end to cut down the mayhem, the jumpers waited 5 minutes... then bum rushed the doors. IT WAS HORRIBLE! People were throwing things and fighting. My husband threw me against the building when it started, and that was the smartest thing! We inched our way along the wall and got inside where it was safe and out of the melee... with the cops now involved.

Now, I've never seen it happen like that before. But I have seen line jumping in varying degrees. So... what do you do?

[Godrockdj]

As I have found with my many years of hitting a 24 hour Walmart Supercenter, they will let you in and you can scope out the store. Most of the sale items are on big pallets that you wait next to. When the appropriate time comes.... BAM! You grab and go. I've been to Walmart in Michigan and West Virginia and they both used this approach to great success. They are my favorite place for BF.

I must add, since this is a FAQ post place, we must discuss the very hot topic of line jumpers... and even the violent ones. Horrible time at a Target in Charleston WV up at Corridor G where over 100 people didn't get in line but instead lined up across from the entrance. Once they opened the doors, even though it was only two on one end to cut down the mayhem, the jumpers waited 5 minutes... then bum rushed the doors. IT WAS HORRIBLE! People were throwing things and fighting. My husband threw me against the building when it started, and that was the smartest thing! We inched our way along the wall and got inside where it was safe and out of the melee... with the cops now involved.

Now, I've never seen it happen like that before. But I have seen line jumping in varying degrees. So... what do you do?

This can definitely happen in higher population areas, big stores, and places with a hot item. The best thing to do is plan ahead - when in line, get to know the people in front of and behind you. Count off your numbers and confirm everyone "Hey, I'm number 6, you're number 7, etc". The bigger more organized stores will have a formed line outside with employees helping. To be sure talk to the employees and say "You guys are going to be watching out for line jumpers, right?" They'll reassure you that they are and perhaps take some extra measures to make it all go smoothly. If someone starts inching into your line...just say something like "Hey are you with these people? Cause I'm number 6, he's number 7. The end of the line is down there *point*" If they don't budge you and your friends should make a ruckus - an orderly ruckus. Obviously be aware of your safety though. If you are afraid of something bad happening don't hesitate to call the police over. But at one point these people will just make their way in and there's nothing you can do about it - just do your best to ensure that it's behind you :nod:

[TheTo3]

With all the focus really on the excitement of finding good deals/camping ect. I really feel as though this is worth a mention.

Watch out for pickpockets!

It's easy to get rolled in a big crowd of people during that kind of hysteria. Take some precautions. Maybe put your wallet in your front pocket or on a chain. Hopefully this wont be a big issue, but just as sure as we know this is the best time for deals, less than savory folks out there also know that there will be a lot of vulnerable people. Yall watch yourself!

[benjie]

Go with a full gas tank. There have been stories of people going with less than 1/4 tank, and traffic being so bad that they run out of gas before they get home (or occasionally before they even get out of the parking lot).

[WBBell]

Now, I've never seen it happen like that before. But I have seen line jumping in varying degrees. So... what do you do?

Last year, my best buy had used plastic pallet wrap on the round barriers in front of teh store, which created a very narrow entrance and that ensured that only the people in line were able to get in the door. They also had several staff out there watching to make sure. I was very pleased with that effort they made to preserve the line. I hope other stores will follow the example.

[imhzgrlnotu]

i also wanted to mention, as far as walmart...a lot of the smaller items (toys and whatnot) are on pallets in the aisles, but theyre also on the shelves where they would normally be. the 24 hour stores stay open all night, but you cant break into the pallets. nobody said anything about getting the stuff off the shelves though :) you can go early and get that smaller stuff, then stand by what you want but know will be gone in minutes.

[Click4Deals]

I just want to say thanks for all the tips. I was planning on going to Best Buy, but after reading about how people showing up 2 days ahead of time is just crazy. I am shooting for the mothership... Fry's Electronics, and yes I will be there possibly with snack, a book, a lawn chair, and a blanket. California can have very cold nights sometimes.:D

[jazzyrhythms]

California.....Try Western Washington.....Best advice for people in cold places: Ware lots and lots of layers, scarves, and something for your ears. It's usually my feet and fingers that get really cold. It sounds strange but 3 pairs of socks is a good idea and carry hand warmers too. Where I live, it's an average high of 48 and an average low of 36 degrees on black Friday. With a record high of 59 and low of 0.



Also, on the subject of weather.......did you know that there's going to be no moon on Black Friday this year? Hopefully your store has lots of lights. :)

[ed0687]

i cannot wait for BF. Its going to be amazing this year.

[Click4Deals]

I got a quick question to those that have Fry's electronics and Best Buy around them. Which one should I really go to? I am looking to buy about 2000 dollars worth of goods (haven't brought anything for an entire year). I was thinking about Fry's since they have more selection of goods, but just checking their price against newegg right now... it is not looking too good.

[OMFG]

Wow. That was a hysterical read. If it was not meant to be, it was one of the saddest stories I have ever heard.

Word.

[MsLissa]

Does anyone know if you can buy an item you want in advance of BF and return it at the store and rebuy it at the BF price since you will have the item? I have a toddler and probably won't be able to wait in the BF lines at wee hours of the morning with her. Plus, she'll slow me down! :)

[gogocoyote]

here are my hints
iv done BF 2 years this will be my third, ( i have bad grammer i warn)

year one i went alone , it was at a walmart in the san fernado vally in cali,
the prize a laptop , from what i heard there where only 20 in the whole store ,
i was number 19 in line . it was cold!! i had just taken a sweater and some jeans.
so warm cloths is good! so 6 hours later it was almost time! i had made some friends in line, but as soon as the doors opened it was everyone for themselfs! so if you do make friends , they wont be your firends once the doors open, so after everyone jamed in the doors i got my lappy :D, as i was walking out a walmart employe told me to "watch my back" that he had heard that ppl where lurking in the dark parking lot waiting to jump and or rob people who had gotten a lappy! ie ME!!! me being in my 20s walked to my car and no problams, so i went home booted up my lappy and sleeped in till noon

so my tips , be warm , bring a friend and people in line will turn on you when the doors open ,

[Johng123]

I have a question:

What exactly are these tickets everyone is talking about?

Do they give them to you in line?

Do they work for more than one item?

[Vegas Slim]

I have a question:
What exactly are these tickets everyone is talking about?

Do they give them to you in line?

Do they work for more than one item?


some store like best buy will outside to the line before the store opens with tickets
each ticket is good for one doorbuster they ask if you want a item if yes you get a ticket if no they move down the line
when you go in the store you exchange the ticket for the item so nobody can cut in front of you after waiting for hours

[jbloggs]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

Sounds like an episode from Mission Impossible. :D

[bort99]

Ok since i am nice i will give out my TRADEMARK secret for hitting all the stores that you want to hit with a small group. Ussually when i go it is my ans my sister. We like to hit the popular stores (bb, staples, Menards, the mall ect.) But since it is such a small group we cant wait in the checkout line for very long or we will miss the next store opening. I have done this the past few years and had no prob. Grab everything that you need or are looking for (everything that will fit in a basket) and stach it in the store. Last year i wanted some xbox games so i stashed them in a refigarator in bb and went on to the next store. This also works for the tickects at best buy. If that is the only thing you wanted as soon as you get the ticket you can leave and come back before 11 and get it when it is less busy. After i have been to the 4 or 5 stores i wanted to go to, we went out for breakfast at IHOP and then went back to the stores when the checkout lines were smaller.

[tomgreag]

I dont know about this year, but last year i went to the Bestbuy( CA) on Wed night, and i was suprised that i was the 30 people waiting in line ( BF is opened early morning on Friday.

[DoYouRemix]

Does anyone know if you can buy an item you want in advance of BF and return it at the store and rebuy it at the BF price since you will have the item? I have a toddler and probably won't be able to wait in the BF lines at wee hours of the morning with her. Plus, she'll slow me down! :)

Sure you can. I did it last year at BB. Got a printer/scanner for $90 on that Monday and did a return/rebuy for $20 on BF. The ignorant CSR girl kept telling me that they weren't doing price matches. I kept telling that fool that I wanted to return/rebuy, not price match. After 10 minutes of that and my face starting to look like this :mad: a manager came over and handled it.

It took a little effort but it worked and I didn't have to wait in line. The return/rebuy thing doesn't usually work with doorbusters. BB's doorbusters ended around 11am last year and they didn't open the CS area until 12pm so there was no chance to return anything before noon.

I will be sound asleep this year on BF. I haven't seen one deal that looked like it was worth almost catching pneumonia for.

[rebelx]

After a conversation with my manager, apparently Fry's (at least CA locations) may have better items the day after Black Friday (Saturday) than BF itself. Take heed of the Saturday ad.

[meeksmen]

in my experience with these mega stores like Wal Mart they will remain open if they are a 24 hour store, but they form lines within the store, if you are interested in electronics find out when and where the line will form for that area, they dont want people knocking eachother down, so they try to keep it as orderly as possible

[WinkyDaAtomizer]

I'm thrifty and Metal so my tip is to go out looking as brutal as possible. This will not effect true SD'ers as we are totally focused on the score. However, every jack-off who's not as hardcore as us will move out of the way, allowing for a smoother traversing of aisles.

I'm thinking my Skeletonwitch t-shirt this year...

[grainsofrain]

I was wondering.. for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 notebook, right now it has a $40 off special, but it expires on Nov. 27th (thanksgiving). Should I wait till BF to get it in case the price is lower than how it is right now or buy it now cause the price won't change on BF?

pm if possible thanks!

[genmo]

Reminder/Suggestion...

Last year I thought I would "travel light" & put my debit card in my pocket & stashed my purse in the glove box (locked).

I went to WM first & got a couple bigger ticket items. Tried to use my debit card for a 3rd item & it was denied. I didn't realize I had a $500 per day limit for usage on my card.

So, check to make sure you don't have any limitations on your debit cards before you go! My bank told me I could go in & have the limit temporarily lifted if I'd done it in writing several days in advance. So that's what I plan on doing this year!

[Click4Deals]

As I have found with my many years of hitting a 24 hour Walmart Supercenter, they will let you in and you can scope out the store. Most of the sale items are on big pallets that you wait next to. When the appropriate time comes.... BAM! You grab and go. I've been to Walmart in Michigan and West Virginia and they both used this approach to great success. They are my favorite place for BF.

I must add, since this is a FAQ post place, we must discuss the very hot topic of line jumpers... and even the violent ones. Horrible time at a Target in Charleston WV up at Corridor G where over 100 people didn't get in line but instead lined up across from the entrance. Once they opened the doors, even though it was only two on one end to cut down the mayhem, the jumpers waited 5 minutes... then bum rushed the doors. IT WAS HORRIBLE! People were throwing things and fighting. My husband threw me against the building when it started, and that was the smartest thing! We inched our way along the wall and got inside where it was safe and out of the melee... with the cops now involved.

Now, I've never seen it happen like that before. But I have seen line jumping in varying degrees. So... what do you do?


Should I bring weapons in case of this happening next week? I really dont' want to resort to violence, but at the same time I don't want anyone to cut in last minute and put all my effort of waiting in vain.

[Brassmonkey]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1227479/2008_san_diego_day_after_thanksgiving.html?cat=3

[Daniellect]

I am happy to come out without bruises. Thats all I ask. I dont want their "hot" items so I try to steer clear if I can. My son got a concussion one year, a crazy lady whacked him with a tv (he was sitting in the cart) that she was carrying while trying to run around 100 people.

I think best of all is to remember safety. Criminals know this day, they pry on the fact that they'll be tons of people, lots of shoving and use it to pickpocket people, rob cars, etc..

[slicksleuth]

Good reminder...thanks for the tips about the criminals. And sorry to hear about your son. Crazy!

I am happy to come out without bruises. Thats all I ask. I dont want their "hot" items so I try to steer clear if I can. My son got a concussion one year, a crazy lady whacked him with a tv (he was sitting in the cart) that she was carrying while trying to run around 100 people.

I think best of all is to remember safety. Criminals know this day, they pry on the fact that they'll be tons of people, lots of shoving and use it to pickpocket people, rob cars, etc..

[daikkenaurora]

when do physical ads come out to the general public? I really dont remember since every year BF comes around, I'm broke. this year I have a little cash and want to get something.

[GodBlessTexas]

when do physical ads come out to the general public? I really dont remember since every year BF comes around, I'm broke. this year I have a little cash and want to get something.

They come out in the local major Thanksgiving day paper. If you want one, you need to buy it as early as possible, as they go quickly. Good places to get them are Super Wal-Marts. My local one stocked tons of them last year, and was the only place to get them after 10:00 AM.

[henny]

Tip: If there's a killer price on an item on BF and if the item is normally stocked/priced prior to BF then put it on "layaway". Grab the item prior to BF and hide it somewhere in the store where you'll be the only one to know it's location. Then on BF take it out of "layaway".

Obviously this does not work on items that are only avail. on BF.

[Maleficent]

Grab the item prior to BF and hide it somewhere in the store where you'll be the only one to know it's location.

:eek:


That's so sleazy! I can't believe people actually do that. :shake:

[daikkenaurora]

They come out in the local major Thanksgiving day paper. If you want one, you need to buy it as early as possible, as they go quickly. Good places to get them are Super Wal-Marts. My local one stocked tons of them last year, and was the only place to get them after 10:00 AM.

Thanks

[ChEstd]

I have a few comments. I've done black Friday 2 years in a row, along with waiting in line for the xbox360 and the PS3. There are a few things that I would recommend. Again know your place in line, and make friends with the people around you. I've had people do things like try to secretly hold a spot for a friend that wasn't going to show up until right before the store opened. When I figured this out I had to call the store manager over to sort out the mess because the first 12 people in line were all in on it. I felt like a db but I wasn't going to wait in line all night for nothing. Another problem is people who get in line, only to leave and go home and come back later. I had 10 people show up 1hr before they were going to hand out tickets and get in line ahead of me. Apparently 5 of them had held their spots while they went home to sleep. I watched as 2 year olds go tickets for 42" plasma TVs. If it's going to be cold bring a sleeping bag and a folding chair. It's really the only way to go and will make a huge difference. Oh and once the doors open get your stuff and get out of there before all hell breaks loose (bestbuy experience). About 15minutes after the store opens it is so packed it'll take you 20 minutes just to go from one side of the store to the other, and I don't even want to think about how long it takes to check out.

[slickFLA32955]

last year on BF i went to CC - it had a better deal on laptops - that i never ended up getting - why? i was somewhere near #50 in line, not bad, but not great.
i walked the line looking for anyone i knew.
made friends with a 'cute' guy he was somewhere near #10.
we exchanged phone #s.
i went back to my spot.
closer to store opening, managers came out to pass out color-coded pieces of paper to those who wanted a specific item - and apparently, they did not pay attention to how many you got - if you wanted a tv, you got one ticket for a tv, if you wanted a desktop, you got a ticket for a desktop, TOO..
although other stores limit your 'ticket' to ONE item in total.
anyway.
cute guy called to ask if i got what i wanted; of course i did not.
said he'd SELL me the ticket for the item i wanted.
of course i bought it, for 20 bucks. (fool)
got inside to get my item, also had another item ticket and went to get it.
called my uncle to confirm that he still wanted this purchase.
said no, they changed their mind.!!!! (after all my waiting,?? thanks a lot~!!)
since they didn't want it anymore, and neither did i, (it was too much $$ for me), i went to the back of the store where a line of people formed to pay, and tried to "quietly" re-sell the ticket for the now-unwanted item.
some Prick-customer standing in line told a manager that "I had more than one ticket and was now trying to sell it..."
Mgr said i had to get out of their store~!
I freaked out, loud enough for all to hear, and told them, no way~!! Excuse me but you have people in line at 3am taking all the da&m tickets they can get and selling them in line~! i'm not leaving this store and i'm getting the item i want and THEN i'll leave~! Thank you very much~!!

what a pleasant day.
called the cute-guy back to get my 20 bucks back. said why the h3ll did you sell me a ticket that i'm not going to be able to sell back and re-coupe my $$ for???
all he could say was "sorry", and i should have tried to "sell back the ticket" more discreetly like outside....
Wound up just giving some nice guy in line the ticket for the item. We then agreed to meet behind the store for 20 bucks, at our parked cars. Very nice of him to do that. And he was there~!!

So be warned.
DO'NT BUY A TICKET FROM ANYONE WHO IS SELLING IT~!
call management if you see this activity~!!

:mad: :eek:

[ControlledChaos]

Get ready for more traffic. Slickdeals mention on Yahoo FP article.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/yoon/2506

[henny]

last year on BF i went to CC - it had a better deal on laptops - that i never ended up getting - why? i was somewhere near #50 in line, not bad, but not great.
i walked the line looking for anyone i knew.
made friends with a 'cute' guy he was somewhere near #10.
we exchanged phone #s.
i went back to my spot.
closer to store opening, managers came out to pass out color-coded pieces of paper to those who wanted a specific item - and apparently, they did not pay attention to how many you got - if you wanted a tv, you got one ticket for a tv, if you wanted a desktop, you got a ticket for a desktop, TOO..
although other stores limit your 'ticket' to ONE item in total.
anyway.
cute guy called to ask if i got what i wanted; of course i did not.
said he'd SELL me the ticket for the item i wanted.
of course i bought it, for 20 bucks. (fool)
got inside to get my item, also had another item ticket and went to get it.
called my uncle to confirm that he still wanted this purchase.
said no, they changed their mind.!!!! (after all my waiting,?? thanks a lot~!!)
since they didn't want it anymore, and neither did i, (it was too much $$ for me), i went to the back of the store where a line of people formed to pay, and tried to "quietly" re-sell the ticket for the now-unwanted item.
some Prick-customer standing in line told a manager that "I had more than one ticket and was now trying to sell it..."
Mgr said i had to get out of their store~!
I freaked out, loud enough for all to hear, and told them, no way~!! Excuse me but you have people in line at 3am taking all the da&m tickets they can get and selling them in line~! i'm not leaving this store and i'm getting the item i want and THEN i'll leave~! Thank you very much~!!

what a pleasant day.
called the cute-guy back to get my 20 bucks back. said why the h3ll did you sell me a ticket that i'm not going to be able to sell back and re-coupe my $$ for???
all he could say was "sorry", and i should have tried to "sell back the ticket" more discreetly like outside....
Wound up just giving some nice guy in line the ticket for the item. We then agreed to meet behind the store for 20 bucks, at our parked cars. Very nice of him to do that. And he was there~!!

So be warned.
DO'NT BUY A TICKET FROM ANYONE WHO IS SELLING IT~!
call management if you see this activity~!!

:mad: :eek:

You hit on the guy and he sells you a ticket for $20. Either he's a true SD'er or you need to hone your hitting skills.

[jskudera]

Question... what does everyone do with their blankets / chairs / sleeping bags / coolers when the stores open? Just leave them on the sidewalk unaccounted for and forget about them?

[cashuin]

I am wondering if anyone made a video game about the Black Friday hysteria, would it sell? I for one would buy it-especially after reading the long hysterical story that was posted by Cambo :)

[slicklupaka]

Target to sell Guitar Hero Wii Bundle for $59
Published: November 25, 2008 8:41 AM PDT

Target Corp. stores on Black Friday will sell Guitar Hero: World Tour for Nintendo Co.'s Wii for under $60 in a front page deal.

During the two-day sale, the retailer will sell Guitar Hero: World Tour for $59, down from an $99.99 MSRP.

The SKU will include a copy Guitar Hero: World Tour and a wireless guitar.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this week will sell select Blu-ray titles at $15 in an early bird Black Friday promotion.

Eligible titles include Transformers, Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Kung Fu Panda, Shooter, and American Gangster.

On the same day, Wal-Mart will offer a Magnavox Blu-ray disc player for $128.

Target Corp. stores on Black Friday will offer a free $60 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox 360 Pro in a two-day sale.

On Fri. and Sat., customers who purchase the Xbox 360 Pro Holiday Bundle will receive a $60 instantly at no additional cost.

Best Buy Co. Inc. stores on Black Friday will offer titles for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 for under $20 in a two-day sale.

On Fri. and Sat., the retailer will discount select PS3 titles to $19.99, including Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, American Idol Encore!, and Rainbow Six Vegas 2.

Additionally, the retailer will offer a PS3 Blu-ray bundle that includes a game title and a Blu-ray disc title for $399.99.

Circuit City Stores Inc. on Black Friday will sell Blu-ray disc titles as low as $8.99 to spur high-definition sales.

Titles to be sold at $8.99 include Flags of our Fathers, Trading Places, Aeon Flux, and The Untouchables.

The retailer will also sell titles at $11.99, including Total Recall, The Aviator, Terminator 2, American Psycho, Saw, and First Blood.

Best Buy Co. Inc. stores on Black Friday will offer game titles for Nintendo Co.'s Wii for under $10 in a doorbuster deal.

Game titles discounted to $9.99 include Game Party, AMF Bowling Pinbusters!, Wonderworld Amusement Park, and Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey.

Target Corp. stores on Black Friday will sell a $299 26" LCD HDTV to lure customers to early bird specials.

During the two-day sale, the retailer will sell the Westinghouse 26" 720p LCD HDTV at $299.99, down from a $429.99 MSRP.

The TV includes two HDMI ports and functions as an HDTV or computer monitor.

Best Buy Co. Inc. stores on Black Friday will offer a $399 bundle that includes Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3, a game title and Blu-ray disc movie in a doorbuster deal.

On Fri., the retailer will sell the 80GB PS3, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and the Casino Royale Blu-ray disc for $399.99.

The 80GB PS3 typically sells separately for $399.99.

[TNT13]

Hi guys, I just created a step by step guide for choosing an HDTV. I hope you can use it to make the selection process easier. You can find it at http://tntsweblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-to-choose-hdtv-tnts-step-by-step.html. Hope you find it useful!

[Jedi5]

I could have sworn I saw a link of stores already starting online sales.
There is a link here somewhere, right?
Now I can't find it.

Can someone kindly direct me to the link?

[himeko123]

^
http://www.blackfriday.info/online/

[Snowbunny305]

Please remember to be kind to your store's employees! Its only wednesday at BB and I've already had my share of angry customers for BF.

[fakefake]

should i wait until cyber monday to get a lcd monitor or get one now/tomorrow?

[jefflovesdeals]

any word on when fry's black friday deals are gonna be posted? plan on camping out on fry's...first timer! i heard that they release their deals late out, :\ any guesses??

[corazones]

though it is a fun read, there are some real suggestions and tips in there. I dont think any of it is new/never mentioned before. and there are certainly more ambitious, experienced, prepared and knowledgeable people out there, so bring on the info!!!

-Cambo

long reading. cliff notes version? powerpoint bullet points?

[Boomer]

Walmart has online ordering for BF. Does anyone know if it begins at midnight or at 5 a.m. when the stores open?

Thanks

[Boomer]

Walmart has online ordering for BF. Does anyone know if it begins at midnight or at 5 a.m. when the stores open?

Thanks

Walmart has online ordering for BF. Does anyone know if it begins at midnight or at 5 a.m. when the stores open?

Thanks

[jterry26]

Anyone know what time BF sales usually start online? I know that only a few sellers have online BF sales, but for the ones that do.
Thanks!

[matthewjohn23]

I am cross posting this from another BF forum I previously submitted it to.

a bit of my input:

mission prep. do it, and do it well. if you are here, or on SD, or where ever, you are likely armed with the latest intel. plan who will conduct this mission with you, friends, family, peruvian dwarves, elvis impersonators, etc. next you should know what you want, at what store, and a general idea of minimum quantities. figure out who on your team wants what. get this all down on paper/digital. missions like these are too easy to screw up, because somebody committed something to memory incorrectly. now, it would be nice to know where in the store each team member will operate and their exact task. as previously mentioned, knowing where the items are would be a great help. visiting beforehand goes a long way, assuming that they dont pull a fast one (eg. laptop over in the camping section). in this case, you plan the mission as best as you can, but be ready to be flexible.

I put all this to use a few years ago on a mission at BB. we put together our team: myself, my sister, my brother in law, his good friend, my cousin, and his wife. we had the ad, and scoped out what we wanted. some computers, lappys, a TV or two, audio gear, etc. some wanted this, some wanted that, some wanted a couple of whatever. with this intel in hand, we did a recon of the store. went about an hour before store closing weds night. we knew which doorbusters would likely have vouchers, so we didnt bother with that too much. everything else, we located it in the store. the employees were already prepping for it, putting stacks of items in the aisles. as I said, be prepared to be flexible. my brother in law wanted a certain surround sound system. we found a pallet of them in an aisle, away from the rest of the surround systems. we made note of this. also found some LCD displays stacked up. they were in the computer area, but there was also another similar model. you need to confirm your target early and in an accurate manner. on BF day, we saw several people with the incorrect item in their cart, and several in a stack of "no buys/go backs" at checkout. we located every non voucher type item on our list, noted if it was ground level, shelf, upper shelf, etc, as well as quantity. with all this new intel, it was time to go do the final mission plan. back at home base, I created maps of the store, with item locations. every team member was assigned their task, and a map and mission plan was created for them. each mission plan and map had the overall store layout, along with suggested route of travel, and an actual image of each item.

BFday: the brother in law and I had planned to go down about 4 or 5 pm thursday. however, we knew we had to be flexible. we decided to drive down every hour or so (less than 5 min) starting around 10 am. good thing we did. first drive by at 1030, and there were already 2 in line. that was it, the mission had begun. I phoned the BIL, and he came right down. phoned the other teammates and had them there within an hour. and then we waited. and waited some more. by 4 pm or so, maybe 25 people in line. we allied with those in front of us as well as behind. this goes along way to making the wait much more bearable. much shenanigans ensued throughout the night, the Heineken mini keg helped with that. couches, skateboards, cart rodeo and jousting, etc. no matter what though, we kept the mission in mind. as D hour approached, we certainly had to deal with those who thought they could ruin our mission. no such luck for them, we stood our ground. when the time came, we all got in, and got our non voucher goods within 10 minutes. mission prep was key here. the only item that was no longer where we reconned it had been moved to an end cap. being flexible, and knowing where to go right away was still important. for this item, my sister went right for it. but since she was timely in getting in there, it was easy for her to realize that things had changed, and there was in fact store help right there. they showed her where it was immediately. this was all accomplished within 2-3 minutes of the doors opening. after that, it was time to wait on voucher items (an ordeal that still puts me in therapy if I dwell upon it). after finally getting through that, checkout lines, and large item pick up, we were beat. was around 7:30 in the morning I think. we headed for breakfast, and to debrief. we all agreed it had been a successful mission. it certainly could not have been pulled off without all of the prep. we knew where some weaknesses were, and planned to work them out the next time. in the end, everybody was 100% happy with the outcome of the mission.

-Cambo

You guys should save some money and go dumpster diving.