Black Friday Guide for Newbies

No, it's not the latest horror flick at the local cinema nor is it a morbid anniversary for a terrorist attack. What is Black Friday? Why it's the start of the holiday shopping season silly!

Ok, what's this Black Friday thing anyway?

Black Friday is an unofficial US holiday that marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Since Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, Black Friday may be as early as the 23rd and as late as the 29th of November. This year it happens to be the 28th. Most retailers open around 5 a.m. and offer huge deals to draw people to their stores. The term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1960s. It is believed that the term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. More recently, merchants and the media have used it to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black or turning a profit.

So what do I do?

I often hear from many folks about how Black Friday has become a bit of a tradition for their families. The family often wanders off to bed a little earlier on Thanksgiving night, bellies full of turkey and trimmings, in anticipation of an early start the next morning. Some families even approach Black Friday morn with an "attack" plan. Quite often the strategy is mapped out well in advance with regard to which family members will "storm" the doors of particular stores at 5 a.m. Believe it or not, at least in my area, the local Dunkin Donuts, Tim Horton's and Krispy Kreme's are generally filled with Black Friday attack crews prior to or just after the early morning rush. Your choices are many, but it will probably involve getting to bed a little earlier and getting up a LOT earlier the next morning in order to get to the stores on time. Many folks choose to wait in line beginning as early as 3 or 4 a.m. in order to get first dibs on the "hot ticket" items being offered at ridiculously low prices. One trick is to find a smaller, more out of the way, retailer and hope that everyone else didn't have the same plan you did. Another trick, if you happen to be a wuss, is to locate a friend or family member who's willing to stand in line for you and pay them or treat them to breakfast. Whatever you choose, everyone should attempt at least one Black Friday morn shopping trip. It's an event, something to be experienced. One recent Black Friday I was waiting in line at the local Walmart near my parents house, along with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law, when the doors opened allowing the "cattle" to move forward. It struck me as kind of funny so I began to "moo" like a cow...everyone else followed suit...it was hilarious! Hey...if you're gonna' do this...then have fun!

Ok...why would I want to do this? Are you crazy?

Umm...one question at a time please. Ok...Black Friday is a bargain hunters wet dream. Seriously, if you've been putting off buying that new laptop for your mom, now's the time. Black Friday deals are generally pretty sweet. Many retailers have several products on sale, but it's always 2 or 3 "hot" items such as laptops, computers, TV's, or other devices that seem to grab most of the attention. This year several retailers are offering laptops for under $500. Black Friday is a great day for folks who want to satisfy their latest gadget craving. MP3 players, portable DVD players, GPS units, digital cameras, USB drives, SD cards, big screen HDTV's, LCD monitors, and digital picture frames are some of the "hot ticket" items for the upcoming Black Friday 2008.

Umm...dude...how do you know this? Does your mom work at Walmart?

No...my mom does not work at Walmart. Although, even though she's retired, she'd make a good Walmart greeter. :-) I just happen to know "The Secret". The secret is...in recent years all the major retailers have learned that creating anticipation is a pretty good marketing tool. Many retailers "leak" their super-secret Black Friday flyers a few weeks in advance so that certain web sites can post the information online. There's a myriad of Black Friday sites such as BlackFriday.info, The "Official" Black Friday site, Black-Friday.net, BlackFriday.com, and many others (just Google it!). You can search for specific items, read the actual scan of the flyer (here's the Walmart flyer), and compare deals. Visiting these Black Friday sites can help you formulate your "battle plan".

Ok, sounds like fun! Should I wear a costume?

It is fun! In this economy we can all use any help we can get whether it's retailers trying to make a buck or consumers trying to save a buck. Get the family together! Grab some friends! Come out and join the rest of the early-risin' crazy folk looking for bargains. Combine it with a nice breakfast out on the town...and you have the makings for a great time! As for the costume? Be sure to take a picture and post a link in the comments! :-) Have fun and Happy Black Friday to all!