My Black Friday Experience…
Yes, Black Friday. Yummy! Nothing like freezing weather for a camp out. To be honest with you, it was a lot of fun. I made a remarkable memory. Here’s the deal: I arrived at Circuit City at 4:30 PM on Thanksgiving Day. Yeah, I’m not kidding! I took a two man tent and put it right in front of the door. If you have a small ceramic type blower heater I’d take that too. It was a lifesaver.
Pillows, blankets, the whole nine. Wear layers, gloves, etc. Don’t forget the earmuffs. If you have a laptop and DVD’s … that’s the bomb. Take several DVD’s. It’s a long night. Take chap stick, maybe something for a headache or whatever. I needed some allergy pills because I had not used my little heater in a year, so it was blowing some dust out. Just think through what you usually struggle with, e.g. headaches, allergies, etc and be prepared.
Take a 100 foot extension cord and power strip and you’ll be golden. You can plug your heater and laptop up. You may want an adapter just in case someone beats you to the plug outlet. Be careful not to plug too many things in because if you trip the breaker you won’t be able to reset it and everyone will be out of power. Bummer. They typically have an outlet somewhere around the front or side of the store. That’s why you need a 100′ cord.
And, btw, they don’t mind you using their electricity. I went back the following Sunday to pay for the electricity I used on Thursday/Friday and they said they didn’t care because they were grateful that we would line up outside their store. It was money to them for us to be there.
Take some camping chairs as well.
The employees will come around, say about 3 or 4 AM, and ask you which vouchers you want: a voucher for a laptop, video camera, TV, etc. They will only have a certain number of them, e.g. 50. They’ll pass them out to the first fifty in line or the first fifty people who want one. At that point it doesn’t matter if you stay in line or not because no one can get a laptop w/o that piece of paper (voucher).
At some point before they open the store, around 5AM, you can pack your stuff up and put it in your car and then get back in your place in line.
Oh yeah, one of you can go get some pizza, around 10 PM. Just check ahead of time to make sure the pizza place is open. I’d also take a thermos or two of hot chocolate/coffee and some sodas in a cooler.
Yep, toilet paper may be a plus. Depending on the store you’re camping at, there may be some local establishments open where you can go potty. If not…you’ll figure out the rest.
The tent, btw, will keep the wind off you, because if it is windy the wind will cut around the side of the building and cut you in half. The tent, w/a heater in it will be your best friend.
As for which store? Go to BFADS (Black Friday Ads). Determine what you want ahead of time. Friday morning is not the time to figure that out. Also, don’t plan anything on Friday. It took me two days to fully recover, just in time to worship God in the church meeting on Sunday.
Enjoy!!
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I would never have guessed that I actually knew the King of Black Friday – you rock!