I never considered myself a real bargain hunter.  In the past, you would never see me lining up at a big box retailer for a Super Sale.  Dealing with crowds, long line ups, and screaming children can be a very disturbing and tiring experience.  Is it really worth lining up in the early morning to wait for a store to open?

What crazy people would do such a thing?

Since I frequently shop online or through eBay, a good deal is destined to be found anytime.  Online shopping provides me the peace and comfort of my warm room.  It is a lot more convenient and safer.  

But last week, something changed within my consciousness.  An event known as BLACK FRIDAY was calling me forth to go shopping with the masses.  With cash registers ringing in my mind, along with discounted prices, I called my buddy Peter to make plans for an all night campout in front of BEST BUY (Bellingham, Washington).

What exactly is Black Friday?  In simple terms, it’s one of the hottest shopping days of the year. Since American Thanksgiving is held every 3rd Thursday in November, the day after signals a beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  Black Friday is similar to Boxing Day (in Canada), except much earlier.  The best deals are usually available for only 24 hours.

Since Peter and I are old College Pals, we’re used to working as a team during group projects.  Our task for Black Friday was no different.  We made it a priority to plan ahead and look for items we wanted.  We printed out a price list, along with a game plan to ensure a successful shopping experience.  We even had a map of the store to plan our walking (err…running) routes.

To keep us rested before opening time, we also brought along chairs, sleeping bags and water.  With our equipment ready and packed, we rushed down to Bellingham to begin our adventure.  We left Surrey, BC at 11:30 PM.  Best Buy was scheduled to open at 5 AM. 

Crossing into the USA was not a problem at all.  The two Customs Officers, who inspected my vehicle, tried not to laugh as I explained to him our intention to line up for Black Friday. 

We finally arrived at Best Buy by 12:15 AM.  It didn’t surprise me to find 50+ people lining ahead of us.  They were also huddled in blankets and lawn chairs.  Someone even brought their RV to the event.  Now thats what I call a real bargain hunter!

We eventually got in line and set up camp.  It was raining pretty hard so we found a large awning for cover.  The people around us were very friendly.  We even got into good conversations with the locals.  In fact, our neighbors were telling us funny stories that happened last year.  It was quite humorous to hear about people filling up their shopping carts, while fighting with others.

Everyone around us seemed to know what they wanted.  Given our place in line, the really low priced items (Door Crashers) was not an option to pursue.  Our strategy was not to aim for the door crashers, since they’re always limited to a few quantities.  Peter and I decided to aim for higher priced items that were heavily discounted but not limited in quantity.  Our chances looked really good, since the crowd was still pretty scarce.  We also made price comparisons with similar products sold in Canada.  Since many items were advertised with a significant discount, a good deal was destined to be found. 

At 3 am, my sister from New Jersey gave me a call as I was sitting in line.  She was also lining up at Macy’s, somewhere on the east coast.  A cousin, who is visiting New Jersey, also accompanied my sister on her shopping trip.  My sister ended up buying diamond necklace for herself.  What a diva….

Hour by hour more people got into our line.  When 5 am finally arrived, the entire plaza was full with people.  As the doors finally opened, a mad rush of people packed into the store.  Peter and I went directly to the Computer section so we can grab our four Westinghouse 22 inch LCD Widescreen Monitors (Yes, we wanted to buy four).  I always thought a pair of 22 inch monitors on my computer desk would look pretty cool!

Our timing was perfect.  We were able to get all four monitors before the inventory ran out.  As Peter looked away for a second, some guy tried to take one of our monitors.  I gave him a pretty nasty stare, before he backed off.  It’s pretty obvious that desperate shoppers will resort to desperate means to get what they want.  

It was time for the next item on my list.  I quickly grabbed a ticket for a Sony VAIO notebook, as Peter went to find some memory for our digital cameras and notebooks.  While I was lining up for the notebook, some local redneck was upset that we took four 22 inch monitors.  This odd looking fellow informed us that only one monitor can be purchased per person.  He also asked us if he can line up behind me, just in case we were not able to check out all four monitors.  I told him if we had to line up a second time to pay for our second monitors, we would do it (I guess you can now label me as a hardcore bargain hunter). 

We shopped around for about 2.5 hours to get additional items on our list.  Thanks to good planning and execution, we got everything we wanted.  I also dropped by a local body and bath shop to pick up some lotion for Imaginary Diva.  She didn’t want me to come back empty handed.

Yes, we had to pay GST and PST, while passing through Canada Border Services.  But this is a pretty insiginificant cost when you consider how much we saved. 

Overall, our Black Friday shopping experience was a big success.  If you ever plan to wake up early and line up for a super sale, it’s always best to come prepared.  Bring warm clothes, warm blankets, a shopping list and a partner to back you up.  It can be an enjoyable experience if you plan ahead.  Always remember to prioritiize the items you want.

For our next shopping adventure, Peter wants to line up early for Boxing Day.  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll see me in line! 

Now it’s time to turn off these dual 22 inch monitors.  I am going blind!!!

Yes, I know. It’s been a while since I’ve updated my wonderful blog. Yours truly has been pretty busy setting up a new business with old buddies from College. A major stumbling block were facing is the creation of our company name. Moreover, finding a matching domain for our website is getting harder to find these days.

I am not going into any specifics (for now) about our new business venture. But I do know, we’re going to be pretty busy within the next 2-3 months.

It’s time for me to book a trip to China!