Why do people even participate in Black Friday?

It’s the power of a consumer culture to make you think it’s worthwhile to trade in your hours for a handful of dimes and then trade in even more hours for the opportunity to give some of those dimes back. But wait! You’re giving up fewer dimes than you would have had to on some other day. And all you have to trade for that is a day off and time with your family! Because everyone knows that people on their death bed always wish they had spent more time at work and less time with their families. ~

I thought it was called Buy Nothing Day?

It used to be fun.

After a lazy day of eating with family and strategically planning our shopping day, we’d get up at 3-ish AM, and head out for the Place with the Deal We Need. I think one year it was some computer components I wanted. I’ve never shopped for gifts on Black Friday, oddly enough.

Anyway, you get to the store about 3:30 AM, and stand in line with a bunch of strangers, talking about what deals there are, and how everyone’s Thanksgiving was, and what are the words to the second verse of O Come, All Ye Faithful anyway? Someone – often us – brings enough hot cocoa and Styrofoam cups to keep a few people’s hands warm. It’s all good craic until doors open at 5:00 AM, where you dash to the part of the store you need, grab the two or three things you want, check out, and head off to the next store, that’s opening at 6 AM.

Now everyone opens at friggin’ midnight the day before, or never bothers to close at all. Took all the fun out of it.

Kind of like waiting in line all night for a concert! I can see how it would be fun for some. But I don’t think it’s like that any more.

My take on it is that they are the kind of people who thrive on the frenzy of it all. It takes all kinds in this world. Its pure madness in my opinion.

However, if they think something they want will be sold out, or that they can get a better price, they’ll shop then. To each his own.

Too bad what it ends up doing is bringing the very worst out in people, turning them into out of control savages feeding on one another’s delirium.

I know people who have shopped on BF who get incredible deals. To me, it’s not worth the hassle. However, to some who enjoy crowds of people and getting incredible deals, it may be.

Only in America do people trample each other in stores to score sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have.

It’s probably not going to be that much this year, since stores are putting on the sales all month long. My husband used to love getting up early in the morning and finding a few items he needed at rock bottom prices. He would wait until the mob all rushed the door and then casually walk in and walk out with a good deal.

Personally, I prefer turquoise Tuesday.

Canadians head over the river (Michigan) for Black Friday. I hate everything about it.

Some people feel the need to constantly upgrade electronics. Well, upgrade anything for that matter: kids have to have new toys and games, people want newer phones etc. I understand wanting a new big TV, but you don’t need to buy new stuff just because there’s a deal.

I have all the stuff I need in my apartment so I don’t feel the need to keep shopping.

I don’t like doing this. I buy gifts throughout the year and feel intimidated by crowds and early mornings (or late nights depending upon when they actually open).

On the other hand, one of my cousins is a Black Friday pro! She’s also a great coupon-er (is that a word) she’s super organized and loves the whole “game” aspect to it. She always gets exactly what she went for, at bargain basement prices. I could never do that.

I secretly don’t like the idea that they make employees work on Thanksgiving either, one day of the year that is dedicated to family (without the obligation of presents).

It’s the lure of saving a buck or two on something they don’t really need, or plan to give as a gift, but it’s become so overhyped people think they HAVE to have it or their world will end. So, they go stand in lines for hours on end…..rush into stores like stampeding cattle and risk serious injury to save that buck. If they’d be willing to wait a week or two, it will be on sale for even less. I have never taken part in this exercise in lunacy and don’t plan to start. But if any of you want to take part – have a good time!

I’m not one of those people that will wait in a line for 2 hours and trample over people but I love Black Friday shopping. There are great deals.

Greed.

It’s just not the holidays if I don’t trample someone to get a plasma TV…

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room Nails it. Mindless greed. Don’t even know what they’re greedy for, they just WANT it.

I used to be really into it because some of the deals were pretty amazing. As the years went by, I learned that the truly great deals were quite limited (6–10 laptops/LCD TV’s per store when you have 500 people on line?). No matter how early you got there, enough people were there before you to edge you out of the deal. After a while, the deals weren’t so great anymore; I would routinely see prices that I saw at other times of the year (though perhaps not so many different deals at the same time).

One year, I was in the first 10 people on a line. The doors opened, people ran and actually pushed me out of the way to get up the stairs. The next thing I knew, there were 50–100 in front of me and about 300 behind me. Then the crowd started to swell. I felt like I was in the ocean, being moved by the swelling around me and having no control over my own body. I decided it wasn’t worth it and got out of the line and went home.

I discovered that 90% of the items I wanted could be ordered online at the same price. I haven’t been to Black Friday in 3–4 years nows and I don’t miss it one bit.

I just saw on Huff Post that Walmart is going to open at 6 pm this Thanksgiving for pre-Black Friday sales.

@drdoombot That’s just scary.
@jca I hope to hell not one person shows up…..