Black Friday/Day After Thanksgiving Shopping

Seasoned Black Friday shoppers, what are you best tips and tricks for getting good deals on the day after Thanksgiving? Some of mine are in the article linked above, but my biggest advice is to skip Walmart, especially the Bowman Walmart. That place can get crazy on Black Friday. In fact, the entire Bowman/Chenal area gets crazy. I tend to gravitate towards the Bryant/Benton area and their Walmarts and Target, just because it's less crowded there, if I want to hit Walmart.

It's fun to watch people on Black Friday and see what they're buying. A lot of people are very cheerful, but the rush to get a bargain can make attitudes a bit thin. Last year I seriously witnessed a fight over a portable DVD player. It played out like a sitcom. One lady grabbed it and put it into her basket and walked away from the basket for a second. Someone else took it out. I thought they were going to come to blows, but they only yelled. The DVD player was returned to the basket of the original customer.

Another piece of advice, calm down! Show some "holiday cheer." It's not worth fighting over a DVD player. Check online. I bet you'll find a comparable price to most of the deals the big retailers are putting out.

With the hurting economy, I bet Black Friday crowds will be bigger than ever. I have to work until 6:00 a.m. on Black Friday, so I'll miss half the sales. The good news being that I'll be more awake than the rest of you to tackle those deals that left over.

Good luck and remember to share your tips.