@pixiegirl1:

That's what me and DH plan to do. Ever since we both got jobs that give us both Thursday and Friday off, we call Grandma in to watch the kiddos while we go toy-shopping in peace, and also grab a nice lunch together. Ahh, quality time.

I've been tracking our list on bfads.net and ITA with quagmire0, the Meijer ads seem to be the best of the bunch this year; I'm really disappointed with the Target ad this year. I'm also planning runs to Kohl's and TRU, with Sears and Kmart thrown in for good measure.

I should get paid double for having to come in like that. (We'll certainly be making enough in sales to allow that. P.S. Double my wage would be $15.50)

Here's a minute and a half video that explains how the app works:

Pretty handy if you're shopping at a brick & mortar store.

Also watch out for the "bring in low-quality crap items just for this one day" scam. I thought I was getting a deal on a leather jacket (supposedly $399 selling for $99 on Black Friday). So I went to the store the week before to check it out, but there were none of that brand on the floor. I asked a sales associate where they were, and she said they just bring them in for the day of the sale. I came in on BF anyway, and the quality was so obviously bad (even to me and I'm no leather jacket expert by any means) that I left the store and the crazy stupid crowd behind to go see if my bed was still warm and cozy.

@shepd: through black friday is the biggest, and alot of people go to work the day after christmas, most stores try to pull a second black friday and lure out the crazies once more here by offering big sales and before-dawn openings. i worked at joann fabrics and the day after christmas was just as busy as black friday, but with fewer sane people--there were always more arguments and yelling the day after christmas.

Mail-In rebates make the baby Jesus cry.

I think what they are doing is grabbing them while they are in stock. Wii is always 249 but never in stock. On BF stores try and have them in stock.

Also, the game systems are regular price but include extra games/giftcards on BF.

Guess I'm weird. I actually look forward to the thrill of staying outside all night in a line in the freezing cold to get a steal (Note this is in Canada, we have the equivalent of your Black Friday on 'Boxing Day', the day after Xmas).

I'm so hardcore I bring a tent and cooler! I wish I could figure out a portable heat source that I could use in the tent without dying from the fumes. :-( I'm open to suggestions!

Maybe if I ever end up with kids I could make Boxing Day so exciting they'll prefer waiting until the evening of the 26th for gifts, since they'll (ok, I'll) be able to afford better ones.

We bought what we needed and then some becuz the prices, and the products, were too good to pass up. Yes , the Panasonic plasma TV was a prize and I am SORRY for those that think the tube is just as good...NOT!!

The laptops are still going on their Vista OS's and, now get this, my son says he would do it all over again if he had to....but, not necessarily this year. Why? We got it last year!

If you didn't get it last year, and the prices are just as good - you research it since The Consumerist provides lots of sites to do so - then what are you waiting for? Or do you just like being a couch potato and chronic wuss and whiner like a lot of the naysayers above who have no credentials at all.

IDIOTS.

Black Friday is officially transitioned to "Buy Nothing Day."

Except in the case of circuit city where giving out gift cards is like giving out a time bomb. They have the most offers that include gift cards, which makes one wonder if they almost count on not being around to redeem them later.

More and more retailers are also putting their specials online as well, so there's little need to to to the store in person unless it's for a "doorbuster," and even some of those have found their way online from time to time. You do need to take into account shipping and how that eats into your savings with the items somewhat, although if it keeps you out of the stores it probably is worth it.

@Adisharr: I second that. Exploding nipples are something I never thought I would see.

I subscribe to the "As BF becomes more popular the deals become worse" theory. In other words the retailers have us trained to line up and become excited to shop no matter what the deals are, and so have gradually made the deals worse and worse.

BF is 'Buy Nothing Day' in North America. Google it!

However now that people are all hyped about the bad economy they will be looking for the best deal possible with even more fervor than ever, whether that deal be an actual deal or an overhyped black friday special that is not actually a deal.

Frankly I am staying in, its not worth injury to myself to go out for the BF doorbusters.

Maybe that's the shark equivalent of holding one's breath.

Perhaps I'll take pics to add to the Flickr pool...

@blackmage439: I went black friday shopping last year because my wife wanted a DS lite and fry's had a super good deal on them.

It was worth it just for the people watching. I've never seen people whipped into such a froth of consumerism. Glazed eyes, twitchy movements, they had it all.

Oh, and it was also worth it to watch fry's in action. 50 registers going full tilt with a 100+ person waiting line. It was beautiful.

@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: Maybe the shark is in a special water tunnel so, even though it is moving relative to the water, it is actually staying still enough to facilitate the jumping. Shark jumping is big business these days according to gawker.

In for the exploding nipples.

Leaving the house at 6am? Yeah, no thanks. I can probably find things cheaper at Newegg anyway.

So, uh...If I find a deal worthy of your nipples exploding with delight, do you promise to post a video snippet on YouTube?

This is something I gotta see...

Most of the larger retailers also have crappy deals on items of poor quality. Anything that is of value or worth getting at the black friday price they only give each store like 3 of them because they don't really wanna sell them at the deal price.

I half think that the reason why people shop on black friday is it becomes a tradition they go out with their family and friends to look for good deals have a nice lunch afterwords and make a day of it.

I only got rid of it because I got a Kodak Easyshare that offered higher optical zoom and subsequently more mega-pixels to boot for around $80. [Off of w00t]

That camera is equally as impressive, but definitely not a DSLR.

Outside of that Wii for $224, nothing had my interest. When that price turned out to be bogus, well, nothing else has my nipples exploding with delight.

So far, I think the best sale has to go to Meijer, who's ads just came out.

Hell, the only good deal that I saw was the Wii package at Sam's Club for $224, but then only to find out it was just a Photoshop jobber. After I saw that, I thought to myself, "Yep, this year is just going down the shitter!"

I almost think that retailers are too desperate for sales to pull any tricks on black friday. Almost...

I might venture out this year for the first time ever, just to say I've done it.

@courtarro: I have to join courtarro in pointing out this colloquial transgression. Ben, please remedy this situation!

Now, I just have to figure out what to spend money on... My parents need a new computer bad, but I'm also eying an LCD TV and/or an Xbox 360; none of which I should buy to begin with, but that's not the point, is it?

Just doing my civic duty to notify you.

Don't buy the item with mail in rebates just because the final price is a good deal.

Be prepared for the rebates to get rejected and denied. If the item is STILL a good deal without the rebates, then go ahead and buy it. If it's not a good deal without them, then DON'T BUY IT!!