Post here if you partake in Black Friday
In our state, stores can't open or even have employees work until midnight on Thanksgiving so Black Friday starts at 1 a.m.
I've gone shopping on Black Friday just about every year but usually sometime in the afternoon when everything is gone.
Last year I decided to get in on the madness for the first time. My plan initially was to go to bed and set my alarm for midnight and mosey on down for the store openings with no real plan except for my big ticket item.
Beginning around 9 p.m. I started noticing friends on Facebook posting about their spots in line and sharing photos of the lines.
All of a sudden my cavalier approach to Black Friday seemed doomed - I was setting myself up to fail.
So I hopped in my car and took a ride over to the stores to see what it was like - holy crap! there had to be over 100 people already in line.
So I raced home, got online and memorized the store maps, put on a pot of coffee and flew back to the store. I was 198 in line when I got there - I would continuously be pushed back as groups showed up to jump in with line savers. The people in line were friendly which was good as I went alone and had no one to talk to. The groups in line had printed store maps and the coach of the team was handing out assignments for each member of the group.
I had the map memorized and visualized my trek through the store so as to get my big ticket item first and then continue for all of the extra stuff (Dre Beats, Digital camera, etc) so I was feeling good.
As the doors finally opened I began to worry that the one item I was really there for would be gone by the time I reached that corner of the store. "It's okay," I thought to myself. I had a strategy and knew the quickest route to the area.
As I entered the store and grabbed a carriage I saw my well thought plan collapse - the store had set up shelf barriers everywhere to funnel everybody 2x2 through a set a path through the store, starting at the opposite end of where I needed to be to get my big ticket item.
As we shuffle along like cattle I begin picking up the lesser items as my planned path was nos going in reverse. I was beginning to freak out as were many people in the corral but up ahead I spied salvation - the barricades ended and we would be free to free-range shop.
The energy in the line began to build as we approached the end of the barricades. There was a buzz in the air and two by two people took off like cannon balls once they hit the end of the corral. As I was approaching I began to map out the quickest route to my item... and then it was finally my turn. I was running like the wind through toys, banging a left in linens, and a right at bath to get me to my treasure.
I was one of only a few people who took this route so I was feeling pretty awesome.
I finally reached my destination only to find that my big ticket item wasn't there. I immediately flagged an employee and asked about it; she had no idea what I was talking about and led me aimlessly around the store. She got a map from someone and said, "oh yeah, those were supposed to be there."
Now I was starting to nervously sweat and freak out that Christmas would be ruined. After what seemed like forever, a third or fourth employee figured out where they were and sent me on my way.
As my prize came into a view a heaved a huge sigh of relief as there looked to be at least 100 of the items left.
So I slowed down and took time making sure I picked out the best damn Dyson vacuum they had.
And that was how Christmas in Whoville was saved.
I haven't decided yet whether to do it again this year but I don't want to do that alone again. I need a team if I go.
Do you take part in this tradition? The store I went to didn't have any fights, and people were actually polite.
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If I don't need it, I don't buy it.
Okay, I'm a hypocrite. Sometimes I'll make an exception for good beer.
Normally we have Thanksgiving at my sister's family's house, but once they went on a ski holiday at Thanksgiving so I went and got Mom who lived in their town and drove her back to where I lived to go have Thanksgiving with my niece's family. They like going out on Black Friday (actually, I think we went out late that night for a midnight sale) so I went with my nephew-in-law just for shits and giggles. I did decide to get a Garmin, which I had been needing for a while.
The second time was probably 2 years ago. Back at my sister's house. Walmart (I know, I know) was going to have something starting at midnight, and while I don't watch a lot of broadcast TV, I do have a lot of DVDs of tutorials for magic and balloon twisting, which is a business of mine, and my old box analog TV was getting to be a pain to move so I went with a different niece and her family, and I picked up one, which will hopefully last me 20 years like my analog did. 
Second time was kind of fun as the way Walmart did it guaranteed me (and the people in line) a TV so there was no stress. Just making sure we didn't leave the line. I always carry a packet of cards with me so if I'm ever stuck somewhere, I can either practice card sleights or play solitaire. A bunch of us got some buckets from a nearby shelf, sat down, and played Gin and Texas Hold 'Em while we waited.
TlalocW
