Waiting for Black Friday -

On a Tuesday……

My sister and I were out and about and we passed these fellows, camping on the Best Buy sidewalk, on Tuesday, for a sale that starts on Friday.

For those of you who don’t know, in the states we have this thing called Black Friday – it’s a big sale day after our Thursday Thanksgiving holiday.  This “big” after Thanksgiving sale has been getting bigger and bigger over the years and people have started to camp out for the bargains, but usually they don’t start camping four days early…

Four days - sleeping on the Best Buy sidewalk….. For something you may not even get, the quantities are always “limited” as in three to six total - per store….

At least they don’t have to worry about wildlife, there won’t be any bears  – and the Best Buy has a bathroom, plus they are in a plaza, the grocery store is next door and Starbucks and Taco Bell are in the same center.  It’s not like they are roughing it – completely.  

On our way in my sister asked one of the three guys what they were camping out for – the answer, a video game.  Yes, a video game…. Am I worried about the youth of America – damn straight I am!  Here we have it – our future leaders, obviously smart guys, brought a big tent, chairs, music, a football, hopefully warm sleeping bags (and I’m guessing some video games) – and their life is on hold for four days to get a video game deal.  Or should I say three games – one for each of them. 

When I was in my 20’s (and especially if I were a guy) I would have had no idea what the Black Friday deals were.  They always seem to be tailor made for moms who want to get their kids the latest and greatest thing for Christmas, or some appliance. 

I don’t know, now some stores have decided to start the sales early this year, on the eve of the holiday itself.  Here’s the thing, some working people (i.e. retail employees) only get three holidays a year, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas day.  Three guaranteed days off a year. 

And now, well now some retailers, like the Wal-Mart’s of the world, have decided to take that away from them and to open up on the holiday itself, getting that all important “sale” started early.

It’s not a holiday we don’t celebrate – everyone celebrates Thanksgiving – seems ludicrous to commercialize the only holiday we had left that wasn’t.

Come-on greedy commerce, the people will still be buying on Friday, I can’t see how Thursday can make it better?  You’ve been starting the sales at Midnight for years, wasn’t that enough to ask of your minimum wage employees?  

Then again, I’m not your target market – I don’t care if they are giving away my dream convection oven – you will never catch me sleeping out on a sidewalk, for a sale and I’m quite frugal, master coupon user all the way!

Anyway – good luck to you boys, hope you get your video game and you still have a job on Friday – that is if you haven’t been playing the game non-stop since the time you brought it home and have lost all track of time, thus missing your shift, and well – you see where this circle is going.  Sigh.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, may the wishbone break in your direction!