Black Friday Deals

^^^ I am with you. I pulled an all nighter and didn't get to bed until 6:30 am. I got quit a bit done.

lol no wonder the boards was silent yesterday! all u folks were playing gladiators at the malls!

Could never do the Black Friday thing. There is nothing I want that bad that I'm willing to get trampled for.

I just don't like shopping enough to warrant leaving my house to hang out with you crazies.

Plus I'm broke, so even the things I might have done out for, I was too broke to afford.

HrdwrkngXsoldiers Black Friday Log

My Thanksgiving was pretty awesome, glad to hear everybody else had a decent one as well. My family and friends all made fun of me and my "Operation Black Friday" notebook and maps. I approach Black Friday different than some. They told me Art of War was not meant to be applied to shopping.

They were wrong.

I spent the previous weeks looking up Black Friday ads as they were leaked onto the internet. I made a list of everything interesting from each ad and created a spreadsheet to compare savings, products, and which stores would be most worth my time and effort. On Tue. and Wed. I usually map out the stores and were things are located to have the best execution of time management when in the store. Some managers are nice enough to share information with you if you tell them you are shopping for or with someone disabled and want to get through as quickly as possible. The Kmart manager was actually nice enough to pull everything for me and have it waiting as long as I got there by 6 am. Winter weather made the mapping process more difficult.

Thursday ate turkey, watched football, confirmed and cut down all ads from the Thurs. paper. I had them organized into a three ring binder in order of store item was being purchased at. (Most was price matching at Walmart.) I went through and did my special circling of items so that item numbers were covered up on items that were to be matched but weren't the exact item.

First stop was a Walmart near the Toys R Us. We went in quickly to see if there were any new figs put up. There were not, wave 9 still being the newest thing on the shelf. I did meet a Hot Wheels guy who offered to trade me some wee or cash for the treasure hunts I had. I hate having a government job sometimes.

Went to the TRU at about 2130 and saw the line that wrapped up the entire building and then blead into the parking lot. I had to see what all the hype was about and see if it was worth my time waiting. My plan is usually to rush the door with everybody else 5 minutes after they open the door, but this year they had 2 K-9 units security and actual bouncers. I strolled on by the exit where all the TRU peeps were having smoke breaks and the manager was there. The store manager thankfully told me there were no new figures and that they should be stocked on Monday. He told me they were going to let in 50 people. pause 5 minutes and then let in 50 more and repeat until 800 people had been let in the store. Then they would just let things flow from there. I took off, but I guess TRU fights got enough attention to warrant more precautions.

2200. We left there to go to a walmart 10 minutes away. We choose this Walmart because they don't leave everything wrapped up and trapped until 5am or midnight. You can grab what you want with the exception of big electronics and move around and get done what you need to. It makes for convenient shopping and less hastle.

Items aquired at this Walmart (no new MU figures):
BOGO Marvle legend comic packs. Magneto pack and storm/nightcrawlser= 12.88/12.88 savings.
BOGT POC GI Joe Desert SS and 2x Jungle Viper=6.98/13.96 savings
Batman Snuggie for son=6.50
2 pairs of jeans for son= 12.00/8.00 Savings.
20 $2 DVD's including 2 sets of all the DC comics cartoons (GL, Supermand Doomsday, etc.) Even got the new Superman and shazam by telling the cashier it was in the same spot. This is awsome considering these are usually mostly in the $5.00 or $9.00 bins at most places, and the new one is $20. = 40.00/78.00 savings (roughly)
True Blood Season 1. On promo for 12.00 but I got for 6.00 with pricematching= 6.00 / Savings 6.00
I also purchased Spiderman Shatered Deminsions on the 360 for 9.99 price match. (pointing out the DS version to the clerk in the ad) =9.99/40.00 savings
Final Fantasy XII = 17.99 (pricematch)/17.00 savings
32 GB thumdrive = 7.99 (pricematch)/44.00 savings
WM #1 total= 108.93 / 219.00 Savings

2330. Still looking for Joes and some other Items so I move on to the WM up the road.
2 comic packs 12.98/ 12.98 savings
6 POC joes 13.96 / 27.92 savings
Nothing else notable.
WM#2 total = 26.94 / 40.90 savings

about 2400. They wouldn't look in the back for anything and wouldn't price match some stuff so I went on to another WM in Auburn.
wm #3 is huge and they don't run as smoothly as the previous 2. This one is a cluster, but it is almost 0 hour and people are getting anxious. I even saw a pee puddle on the floor from someone waiting in line to get a bracelett for a TV.
This store refuses to match and BOGO or BOGT so I don't really get jack here accept for.
7.8 volt cordless Dremel 19.88 / 20.10 savings.
WM #3 Total = 19.88 / 20.10 savings

0200. I drive to Bonny lake. The walmart there is usually stocked pretty heavy with older stuff sometimes, and the only place I found the Ninja Showdown Set last year.
I get here and grab some alley vipers and some jungle vipers. They dont really have much else, except I spy with my little eye somethin odd. I scored a gi joe Outopost defender for $5. This store also wont match any prices even after I showed them the reciept from other stores. They told me it was at store managers discresion to honor % off coupons and BOGO type things. Learning experience.
WM #4 Total = $5.00 / 10.00 Savings

0400 I loop back around and end up at the first Walmart I ever walked in. The one by TRU. I go in and find aditional items. as my budget is a little more narrowed.
3 more joes = 6.98 / 13.96 savings
jeans for daughter = 8.00 / 8.00 savings
Five Rain Gum= 1.74
Dr. Pepper = 1.09
Pokemon Ranger Guardian Signs= 14.95 / 20.00 Savings
Fable III = 14.95 / 25.00 savings (I think it was 39 most places)
True Blood Season 2 = 6.00 / 38.00 savings
Heroes Season 3 and 4 = 12.00 / 62.00 savings
WM #5 Total = 65.71 / 166.96 Savings

just about 0500. I go to the target across the street. Just to checck for new figures. I haven't seen any all night. A friend in North Seattle picked me up 3 stingers @ buy one get 2 at a TRU Express. Woot. nothing at target. Target was a nightmare. I bailed as quickly as possible the line was weaving through the entire store.
Phone call/target Total = 9.00 / 18.00 savings

0500. Go to TRU to get my son the PITT base on sale starting then. They have 2 left. The crazyness subsided from earlier. I grab my PITT = 49.99 / 49.99 savings
I then spy with my little eye something on the pegs not heard of in our parts. I saw a constrictor. I saw everything in Wave 11 except Thanos of coarse. I grab 2 yellow jackets, 2 constrictors, a dark hawkeye, and an ugly IM fig. Take it to the register use the iM fig to point out that IM figures were 2 for 9.99.
boom pow. 6 figs = 29.97 / 23.97 savings. Seeing wave 11 = priceless joy.
TRU totals = 79.96 / 73.96

0600 Down to my last bit of money and the wife has finally woken up and calls me to meet her at Kmart to get some things. She wanted that stupid video camera for 19.95. She has a good one, but she said she wouldn't feel bad if she lost or damaged this one on our upcoming road trip across the US. I had to just give in at that point. Then she wanted to get some more as gifts.
Vitar crap video camera x3 = 59.97 / 59.97 savings
Jeans for daughter = 6.00 / 4.00 savings
Kmart Total = 64.97 / 63.97 savings.

0700 I crashed for just about the entire day. I was wiped. but i think I did good. I didn't get as many new figures as I had wanted, but still scoring some wave 11 was better than none, and I made a killing with the price matching. Look for ESL and old lady cashiers. you are also more successful if the CSM or manager that has to approve the overrides is an older lady or ESL.

Black Friday Totals = 380.49 Total Savings = $612.89

Not my best but I didn't buy any netbooks or gaming systems this year. My friends that I forced to accompany me couldn't believe how easy it was to get what I wanted at the pricepoint I wanted. It was an awesome time. 1 pack of smokes, a cup of high rev coffee, some gum and a dr pepper and I went for it. Phentermine helped too i'm sure.

Well it took me a bit to type this so I'm sure there is more to read. I have a dremmel now. Now I need to get some paints and make my first custom. I have my X-mas shopping pretty much done. I have tons of Turkey left-overs and sore feet. It was a pretty awesome time though. People watching is the best part.

I had no problems. Meijer was damn near empty at 2 or so when I went in.

I worked at Wal-Mart. My Wal-Mart did not do price matching for black Friday. It is just way too hectic to be able to do that when you have over 40 people inline at each register. You want to get everyoneout as quickly as possible, no one wants to wait in line, let alone a super long one. Price matching just makes that wait even longer.

We also would not go in back for anything, again, way too hectic. The back room was packed with items that were put there because customers changed their mind on what they wanted at the register (these is all items that are not organized and wont be until the next day). should an employee come out with just one item that is being looked for, they will get mobbed by 30 other people asking him to go back there and look for more. It just is not going to happen.

This was my first time working in retail and witnessing the worst in people. Not only will I never shop on Black Friday, but I truly feel sorry for the people that get hurt as well as the employees that get taken advantage of on that night.

Denim wrote:I worked at Wal-Mart. My Wal-Mart did not do price matching for black Friday. It is just way too hectic to be able to do that when you have over 40 people inline at each register. You want to get everyoneout as quickly as possible, no one wants to wait in line, let alone a super long one. Price matching just makes that wait even longer.

We also would not go in back for anything, again, way too hectic. The back room was packed with items that were put there because customers changed their mind on what they wanted at the register (these is all items that are not organized and wont be until the next day). should an employee come out with just one item that is being looked for, they will get mobbed by 30 other people asking him to go back there and look for more. It just is not going to happen.

This was my first time working in retail and witnessing the worst in people. Not only will I never shop on Black Friday, but I truly feel sorry for the people that get hurt as well as the employees that get taken advantage of on that night.

Yeah they made the big announcement again this year that they would pricematch all BF ads. I think that is why I get away with things though is that they just want me out of their way.