I came.  I conquered.  I kicked ass.  Black Friday 2007 is finally over!  I had a very successful shopping experience during this special time of the year.  I ended up getting everything I wanted, including those highly vaunted and very limited door crashers at Best Buy. 

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 in the USA.  Black Friday is similar to Boxing Day (in Canada), except much earlier.  The best deals are usually available for only 24 hours.  Overall, Boxing day pales in comparison to Black Friday, where heavily discounted items can be found anywhere.

Last year, a good friend and I started Black Friday 2006 by venturing into Bellingham, Washington USA at 12am.  Since we arrived five hours before the store opened, we ended up getting some pretty good deals.  Sure, our shopping experience was pretty successful but we realized it could have been way better.  We didn’t get any of the popular door crashers because we were so far behind in line.  We also realized that in order for us to have a very successful Black Friday, a lot more dedication and planning was required.  And most important of all, we need to get in line a lot earlier.

This year was going to be very different.  I started planning for Black Friday 2007 about three weeks in advance by visiting various websites that specifically focus on this special day.  After completing my research, I made a conscious effort to line up at least one day in advance so I can finally purchase those popular door crashers.

Since lining up overnight was going to be a requirement for success, proper attire was going to be needed, along with a comfortable sleeping bag to keep myself warm.  Like last year, my good buddy Peter was going to line-up with me throughout the night.  Since the evening was going to be extra chilly, we would take turns standing in line, while the other person warms up in the car.

I left for Bellingham on November 22nd to line up at Best Buy.  While attempting to cross the border into Washington State, the Customs Officer had a pretty big laugh as I explained to her my intention to line-up overnight in front of a Big-Box electronic retailer.  With my little conversation complete, I sped down to Bellingham to claim my spot in line.

When I finally arrived at Best Buy there were less than 25 lining up in front of the store.  On a humorous note, a majority of the people who lined up early were Canadians!  This is pretty ironic when you consider the fact this was a normal working day back in Canada.  Overall, my place in line was a good sign all my dedication and hard work was going to pay off.

My overnight stay in front of Best Buy was very chilly and very cold!  I could hardly feel my feet through most of the night.  For next year, I made a mental note to bring a propane heater, a warmer set of clothes, a larger sleeping bag and a tent (yes, I said a TENT).  Since the entire line-up looked like a campsite, I would probably fit right in.

The people in line were friendly and accommodating.  We looked out for each other to ensure no one ahead of us brought someone else in line.  Why should I freeze my ass off for over 12 hours, only to see someone ahead of us attempt to bring a family member or friend in line?  This practice was unacceptable as we enforced this line of conduct quite often throughout the evening.  We made sure no one else budded in front of us throughout our stay.

At 5am Best Buy finally opened.  Employees were walking down the line handing out vouchers for the Door Crashers.  I ended up getting every voucher I wanted.  The voucher system prevents people from going insane while rushing into the store; moreover, it’s a better alternative than watching people getting violent or customers fighting over specific items.  And by obtaining a voucher, you claim the right to purchase the door crasher without crashing down the door at all.

Now, you probably want to know what I ended up purchasing.  Here’s some pictures of what I bought during Black Friday 2007 at Best Buy.

Panasonic Plasma - 42″

 

Panasonic 5.1 Theatre System with Wireless Rear Speakers

 

Toshiba Laptop (For Imaginary Diva)

 

Another…Sony Laptop (for me)

 

TomTom - One LE GPS

There’s other items I decided not to post.  Heck, this blog post is quite long already! 

If you really want to know.  Yes, I’ll be lining up again next year so I can get some more great deals!  Just remember not bud ahead of me.  You wouldn’t want to see me get angry in line.  It’s not a pretty sight!!!