Black Friday mayhem!

[SteveinMN]

Anyway – here is my question: are there *really*deals on Black Friday that do not take place at any other time?

A qualified yes, IMHO.

The difference, I think, is in the breadth of the sales. For example, I've gotten BF emails from software vendors offering 30% off their product line; that typically does not happen more than one other time in the year, and it's usually tied to a new-product release, not everything in their line. A company from which I've purchased cooking thermometers occasionally has sales on products here and there, usually in a limited choice of colors or capacities; for BF it's their lowest price, maybe only by a few dollars, but on all the colors and capacities. Sometimes discounts are offered on an entire brand of merchandise, not just what the seller wants to move or which they think will attract the most buyer attention.

Some of the cheapest TVs and electronics being offered by the big-name stores -- the "doorbusters" -- typically are older stock or less-featured models or SKUs built for them -- but some models are current. The iPad we bought yesterday likely won't come at that discount again until Apple offers it through the Refurbished section of their Web site, and that will be a few months from now and probably not a 25% discount that soon anyway.

So, yes, you still need to be a careful shopper. You might be able to match or better a price by waiting (for example, TVs are supposedly cheaper around Superb Owl time). But, in many cases, you'll find lower prices or upgrades on things that don't often see them.

[rosarugosa]

Interestingly, LL Bean has been doing 25% off sales for various holiday weekends, e.g. Labor Day, Veteran's Day, but they are only offering 20% this weekend.

[Gardenarian]

Well, apparently a gunman in Alabama shot some people at a mall over a holiday shopping dispute. Horrible, but not unexpected.

"Not unexpected." That is a sorrowful statement of truth.

[Simplemind]

I do not venture out to shop from Thanksgiving until after Valentines day. However there was a sale on Thanksgiving at a local store that had a very nice recliner for $189 until noon. We were out delivering Meals on Wheels and stopped by to look since it was on our route. Saints be praised, it was actually very well made, the right color and size for the spare bedroom I wanted it for. DONE. Everything else is via Amazon but very little because we only do Christmas socks. Everybody is grown and we prefer a holiday get-together with lovely food and board games. Even that night is not on a calendar holiday. Less stress.

[Tybee]

Simplemind, that sounds like a lovely Christmas!
We went downtown today and Christmas shopped, away from the mall and the big box stores. It was really great--people were out with their dogs, everyone was enjoying the warm (for us) day, I bought some locally made jewelry out of local stones for Christmas gifts, some local coloring books for the grandchildren, locally made toys for the grandchildren, and two local author books for my dad. There was a good deal at the bookstore--buy 40 dollars worth and your year's membership free, and if you are a member, you get 10% off every day.

It was nice to be downtown with everyone, kind of a return to holiday shopping used to be when was a kid. I had saved up cash in an envelope, and that was like being a kid again, too.
we had chinese food on the way home. All in all, a really nice day!

[bae]

I made my ritual henley t-shirt order to Duluth Trading.

[ApatheticNoMore]

To expand on rob's point based on the income stats about people in the US I suspect a lot of people who 'go crazy' over Black Friday do so because it's sale sale sale sale! And this is the one time of the year that they feel they can splurge on stuff that their family want/need. Sure they'd love to just be able to buy what they want when they want and not be especially price conscious all year long, but that just isn't half the country's reality.

I might be more convinced of this if I was convinced it was anything anyone really needs (items of clothing or light bulbs or something maybe ... but that's never what gets the hype so it never leaves that impression. Maybe appliances come closest).

[mschrisgo2]

In my experience, the real "deals" are in electronics, and in years past, I've bought game controllers, games, etc for grandsons. Now that they are grown and have all been making their own money for 3 or more years, they don't have any particular Christmas wants.

I'm trying to tell my daughter that this is the time to move to "Stockings only" - small things that we put in the stockings for each other, and not totally stuffed with candy anymore. I have my eye on $5 small sturdy LED flashlights at Ace...

[pinkytoe]

As I am a new grandma, I can't help but think of how we train up our babies to be consumers...it makes me sad. I saw all the ads and thought it ironic that on this same day the news of our impending climate change realities came out...yet shopping trumped all.

[ToomuchStuff]

Years ago, I tried for three years until I got it through my head, to go pay the property taxes, as I figured their would be no line. I still don't get how it is a county holiday, when it isn't a federal one.

My big BF purchase, new brake lines. Mine ruptured on Monday, thankfully in the driveway, rather then on the road.