Midnight, 10PM, 9PM, where the F do you draw the line? - Black Friday Rant

[DrPizza]

Meh, I see a few deals that are better than I can usually get any other time of the year, so I'll be out, thinking "ka-ching" every time I take advantage of one of those deals. 40 pound bags of water softener pellets - $3.33 each. Usually over $4 each, so I save about $1 each. I'll buy a whole pallet if I can and be set for a lonnng time.

There are a couple of other deals I wouldn't mind, but I am *not* going to wait in a line. Went out mid-morning; around 10am last year, and was still able to purchase every single door-buster that they had at Staples. (I didn't get all of them; just the ones I wanted.)

 

[Doppel]

So stores used to open at 6:00 AM on Friday, then started the 4:00 AM, 3, 2 then last year many, including Outlet malls opened at midnight. This year Walmart will open at 10:00 PM Thursday and Toys-r-us at 9:00... I mean what the fvck... Why even close the stores, stay open on fvckin Thanksgiving all day idiots...

Its irritating, it used to be a tradition, stores opening at 6:00 AM! it was a charm. People would stand in line all night and then die in stampede at 6... what happened to all that? why this race to open earlier than other, be the first to open. I don't like it, its confusing and killing the Black Friday tradition. It must be stopped.

/rant

BF door busters for idiots anyway. If they want to fill up on food and then spend all night shopping like the good little consumer whores they are so be it.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I know some people who actually enjoy doing this 'camping' out for Black Friday stuff. They're not even the kind of people who really need to save the extra $5 or whatever you MIGHT save for standing outside in the cold/potentially rainy outdoors for hours.

Yeah, I don't get it either.

 

[Doppel]

There are a couple of other deals I wouldn't mind, but I am *not* going to wait in a line. Went out mid-morning; around 10am last year, and was still able to purchase every single door-buster that they had at Staples. (I didn't get all of them; just the ones I wanted.)

That is actually prime time to go out. You're not going to get the door busters anyway, but by 10 am or so people have pissed off back home, so the lineups are much better, and some retailers like home depot and lowes in my experience stock heavily enough on their discount items that you can still get them well into the day.

 

[KK]

I think I'll head to the local tractor supply friday sometime and pick up one of those 699 safes. Not sure how I'll get it in the basement, but I'll worry bout that afterwards. Thats really the only thing I can see worthwhile to me.

 

[CPA]

6:00 am? first black friday i ever went to we showed up about 30 minutes before opening and it was light outside. so, no, not 6:00 am. may have been 7:00 am. that was the geforce3 ti200 sale at best buy, iirc. picked up a dreamcast and a ton of games.

I remember that sale. They also had a harddrive on sale. I didn't get the HD as me and another guy grabbed the last one and I let go. Figured I had enough. Did get the ti200 though and a few other things.


BTW, IHOP is open all day.

 

[CPA]

Meh, I see a few deals that are better than I can usually get any other time of the year, so I'll be out, thinking "ka-ching" every time I take advantage of one of those deals. 40 pound bags of water softener pellets - $3.33 each. Usually over $4 each, so I save about $1 each. I'll buy a whole pallet if I can and be set for a lonnng time.

There are a couple of other deals I wouldn't mind, but I am *not* going to wait in a line. Went out mid-morning; around 10am last year, and was still able to purchase every single door-buster that they had at Staples. (I didn't get all of them; just the ones I wanted.)

LOL, that is the ONLY thing I'm getting on Black Friday. There's a Tractor Supply Company store just down the road from me. I'm going to stock up on pellets.

 

[ElFenix]

I remember that sale. They also had a harddrive on sale. I didn't get the HD as me and another guy grabbed the last one and I let go. Figured I had enough. Did get the ti200 though and a few other things.


BTW, IHOP is open all day.

were you at the one at 6 and westheimer that day? that's where i was.

 

[Deeko]

Ridiculous - and its the assholes that will still show up that are to blame. They are legitimately terrible people.

 

[FoBoT]

you missed it, some online stores already declared it black november, you are 17 days late

 

[DrPizza]

LOL, that is the ONLY thing I'm getting on Black Friday. There's a Tractor Supply Company store just down the road from me. I'm going to stock up on pellets.

I loved Tractor Supply last year - on Black Friday, they had 2 ton jacks, with jack stands, creeper, oil change pan, all sorts of crap. They were on sale for (I don't remember how much.) But, at my local Tractor Supply, the ordered wayyyyy too many and couldn't get rid of them all. Fast forward a month or so & they stuck a sign on them for $25 each. That was a steal. I bought a few kits; as many as I could fit in our van (I had a lot of other stuff in there) and gave them to relatives. Far easier for jacking a car on the side of the road - or in the garage; instead of those crappy jacks that come with the cars.

 

[kinev]

6:00 am? first black friday i ever went to we showed up about 30 minutes before opening and it was light outside. so, no, not 6:00 am. may have been 7:00 am. that was the geforce3 ti200 sale at best buy, iirc. picked up a dreamcast and a ton of games.

Ha! I remember that I conveniently "found" a ti200 that "someone" had stashed in a washing machine on Wednesday...



This was back when getting the BF ads early actually mattered.

 

[jhansman]

Yeah, I played once and that was enough. Stood in line from 2:00 am. to 5:30 a.m. at Target to save $50 on a GPS I rarely use. Once inside, it was sheer madness. Screw that.

 

[Sluggo]

Ha! I remember that I conveniently "found" a ti200 that "someone" had stashed in a washing machine on Wednesday...



This was back when getting the BF ads early actually mattered.

That was about my last Black Friday participation, and I cheated. I bought two cards early and price-matched (return-rebuy so the rebate would be good) on BF.

They don't do that anymore.

 

[RearAdmiral]

lol@99%'ers stampeding. Stop being poor

 

[ShawnD1]

I like the longer hours. I remember when Boxing Day was just 1 day. It sucked. Now most places have Boxing Week.


There was one year where I worked at Best Buy when Boxing Day happened. It was brutal cold outside. It's before 6am so it's still completely dark out and the temperature was somewhere around -25C (-13F). People wanted in the building to stay warm but we couldn't let them in. They also didn't want to go back to their car because then they lose their spot in line. Poor bastards. Thank god I have a real job and I don't need to line up like some peasant.

 

[ultimatebob]

where are you that people are forced to work?

If you work at a place like Walmart or Best-Buy, you're forced to work on Black Friday. Otherwise, you're canned. It's "all hands on deck" for days like that.

Honestly, if I had a lousy job like that, I think being forced to work on Thanksgiving to stock shelves would be the excuse I needed to quit.

 

[ShawnD1]

Working on a stat holiday is overtime and that's why people willingly do it.

That's also why people like working Christmas day. One of my friends said they get triple overtime on Christmas they want to keep the entire plant up and running that day. Very few people take the day off.

 

[MotionMan]

I think midnight is OK.

However, I think everything is moving earlier and earlier, which I believe is a bad thing. (See the thread about holiday decorations.)

Have you seen the ads for the 2013 cars? WTF!?!?

MotionMan

 

[slayer202]

I think midnight is OK.

However, I think everything is moving earlier and earlier, which I believe is a bad thing. (See the thread about holiday decorations.)

Have you seen the ads for the 2013 cars? WTF!?!?

MotionMan

I can't stand the "christmas starts earlier every year!" rant. Are people that desperate to complain about something? Do they think it's still clever commentary?

And if I recall correctly, car "years" are usually a bit ahead of themselves. As in 2013 models will arrive in 2012. It's still not even 2012 though, so that is early lol

 

[Lifted]

Who will be the first to die on Red Thursday?

 

[Exterous]

You underestimate people. They're like trained dogs that do what they're told. If they're told to stand in line at 4am, they'll stand in line at 4am. As for me, I hate crowds, and won't stand in line to save a few bucks, or more likely get bait/switched. My time is more valuable than that.

Don't forget that a suprising number of them believe a sale means its one of if not the best price of the year. I've seen it happen. When i worked at CC we had 20+ dvd players standard price for $45. Sold maybe one or two. The next week they were 'On Sale' for $50. We sold out

where are you that people are forced to work?

For a lot of retailers you risk your career if you can't work on Black Friday

There are a couple of other deals I wouldn't mind, but I am *not* going to wait in a line. Went out mid-morning; around 10am last year, and was still able to purchase every single door-buster that they had at Staples. (I didn't get all of them; just the ones I wanted.)

The sweet spot seems to be about 10am. The crazies in line have left but there is still a good chance stock is left.

TBH I might go to Best Buy this eyar at 10am. That $80 1080P LCD TV they have would make a nice cheap TV for the consession area outside my home theater. (My HDMI splitter only passes 1 resolution so a 720P TV won't work)

 

[Gooberlx2]

it was a charm. People would stand in line all night and then die in stampede at 6... what happened to all that?

LOL, yeah, that's charming. Fuck Black Friday. The only deals I take advantage of are online, 'cause I am NOT fighting with other people for essentially bait-and-switch "limited stock" deals.

 

[MotionMan]

I can't stand the "christmas starts earlier every year!" rant. Are people that desperate to complain about something? Do they think it's still clever commentary?

Do you think I have some sort of ulterior motive? Holidays are special because they are limited in time and scope. By spreading the time, Christmas Creep (and other Creep) cheapens the subject holiday.

And if I recall correctly, car "years" are usually a bit ahead of themselves. As in 2013 models will arrive in 2012. It's still not even 2012 though, so that is early lol

It use to be that the next years models came out in September/October. Now it it is not unusual to see them come out before school starts.

Oy.

MotionMan

 

[slayer202]

Do you think I have some sort of ulterior motive? Holidays are special because they are limited in time and scope. By spreading the time, Christmas Creep (and other Creep) cheapens the subject holiday.

wasn't directing that at you, just people in general. I guess it's a pet peeve of mine. We start pushing holiday stuff very early; I just don't think it's necessarily a new phenomenon, or that it's getting earlier every year.