Black Friday...

[CathyBogart]

I love Black Friday shopping, and :P to anyone who says that being excited about getting gifts for others is stupid or materialistic. Go pick on something important, rather than knocking something fun and (usually) harmless.

[Uabassoon]

I think that happened at that Walmart was tragic. I think that sometimes people can get into a bit of a mob mentality when they are in a group that large. However I don't think it's fair to lump all black friday shoppers into that category.

I'll admit that I love going shopping on Black Friday, every year I go to Target and Best Buy to get gifts for my family. I'm not the type of person that will stand by the door at 4 a.m. to push people down just to save $20, I prefer to go in the afternoon and I love getting more for my money. While the shops are busy I've never found it as crazy as people make it seem. Usually I don't even have to wait in a line to check out because there are so many checkout lanes open.

I'm shocked by the amount of people that act like you are some type of horrible person because you want to go out the day after thanksgiving and enjoy some sales. I must be horrible because I wanted to buy some gifts for my parents and partner while they were on sale so that I wouldn't have to break my budget. I've also been wanting to buy a video game (guitar hero) for a really long time but couldn't justify the $100 price tag. I must be a heathen because I decided to finally treat myself when I saw it on sale at Target for only $60.

Yes, bad things can and do happen on Black Friday. Hundreds of people trying to run through a door when it opens is not safe and will make for a bad situation. However not everyone that goes out shopping is a horrible person.

[caseysmom]

I love a deal myself just don't like the crowds.

I did shop yesterday and got a good deal on cyber monday...on macys.com I got free shipping and buy one sweater get the other one free. I am all for getting deals!

[pomtzu]

Frankly - I'd rather sit here at my computer and shop - but it's all just a matter of what you like to do. My son and his wife go out early on Black Friday - but only if it's for an item/items on sale that they were going to buy anyway. They get what they went for and are usually home well before noon. This year they got next to nothing that day - except a $200 Christmas tree at Home Depot for $50. The store only had 4 and they got the last one, so were pretty happy with that!
When I go to the stores during the holiday shopping season - I never go on weekends - only during the week and during the day, since most people are working then. I went yesterday and got some really great buys, and didn't have to deal with the crowds, and the store clerks were actually nice and not stressed out! I actually had 4 clerks looking for an item for me - and this was in a store not known to have helpful clerks.
Black Friday can be fun if people conduct themselves like civilized humans, and not a bunch of wild maniacs!

[Twisterdog]

I love Black Friday shopping, and :P to anyone who says that being excited about getting gifts for others is stupid or materialistic. Go pick on something important, rather than knocking something fun and (usually) harmless.

If you are referring to my post, I did not say getting gifts for other is stupid. I buy lots of gifts for others for Christmas. I said the obsession with shopping on the day after Thanksgiving was stupid. There is a big difference.

People so rabid for a sale that they trample other people to death - stupid. People who will push down a pregnant woman and run right over the top of her to save a few bucks - stupid.

There was a picture in our local paper of the crowd waiting in line outside Walmart at 4:00 am. It was bitterly cold, with howling wind, that morning. There were people with babies and crying little children, out in the cold for hours, waiting for a store to open. Do I think that is stupid? Absolutely.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I love Black Friday shopping, and :P to anyone who says that being excited about getting gifts for others is stupid or materialistic. Go pick on something important, rather than knocking something fun and (usually) harmless.

My thoughts were on the subject of the original post. The obsession that drives people to act like an angry mob just to get a few dollars off something. Shopping for a personal item or a gift for someone shouldn't be an obsession. It should be an enjoyment.

I don't have any problem with people getting or giving gifts either. That is the normal Christmas tradition.

I do think Christmas has become a giant money making event and way too complex at times. I wish we could return to simpler times. I know that won't happen so I'll live with today's rules.