Black Friday deals?

[Diabolical]

Did you brave the idiocy and venture out today?

I worked 4am-Noon, so I didn't partake in the asshatery that is Black Friday Doorbusters (and even if I wasn't working I still wouldn't go out that early - fucking retarded.).

I did stop on my way home and nabbed some good leftover movie deals though.

DVD:
Mr. Bean's Holiday, Blade Runner: The Final Cut and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies all for $1.96 each.
Where the Wild Things Are for $5.00.

Blu-Ray:
Predator and The Dark Knight for $5.00 each.

All 6 flicks for about $21.00.
The Dark Knight is one of a small handful of movies I'll double dip on for a Blu-Ray, but I wouldn't have bothered it it were any more than $5.00.

[anarky]

This year was particularly shitty. I've been using Amazon's lightning deals this week (I joined "Amazon Mom," which has a sexist name but gets me free Prime membership, meaning I don't have to bother finding extra stuff to get free shipping for as long as it lasts), many of which were basically price matches of stores' leaked BF ads. It's much easier to order Simpsons Season 20 for $12.99 than fight the crowds early at Target or hope it's there later in the day.

I did go out (later in the day, once the insanity died down a bit), and got a pendant for my wife from the kids (a $100 pendant for $27--Kohl's rocks), along with a cheap stand mixer at Target ($24.99, from $50) for my sister-in-law. And the free Costco cookbook, along with a couple of $6.50 CDs at Target (Disney Pixar Greatest Hits for Anarky Jr and a live CD from Mana, an excellent Mexican rock group whom I can't understand very well but have sort of a "U2 singing in Spanish" vibe).

And a storage ottoman designed for rhythm-based video games and the systems that love them from Costco's website. A bit pricey, but we'd agreed it would be our present to ourselves.

I might run out to WM in an hour or two and see if they've still got Cootie, and if Alvin & the Chipmunks was one of their deals. Had Jr with me and couldn't get it in front of her.

[Ran]

We went out to Target/TRU/Petsmart late in the morning and then to the mall after dinner. Nothing from TRU or Target. One of our dogs is getting up there in age (he's a terrier/poodle mix). We keep his fur pretty short, so he's always looking for a warm place to cuddle up. Petsmart had 50% off dog sweaters, so we got a couple for him.

Got some sweaters for my wife at JC Penny. Spent $55...the receipt said we saved over $100. Hit Gamestop on the way home. They have buy 2 get 1 free on used games. So, we picked up some used DS games for the kids.

Because we went later in the day, the lines were not bad at all. Barely had to wait anywhere.

I also went online to order some Webkinz cards for the kids and my wife told me to pick something out for myself while I was at it. The website was having a black Friday sale as well. So I got a $20 box of hockey cards for $4 and a $90 box of cards for $28. Got free shipping because the order was over $50.

Oh, and here is a coupon for buy 1 get 1 50% off on Legos from TRU. IT IS ONLY GOOD SATURDAY, NOV 24.

[Diabolical]

Forgot about Amazon. It was yesterday, but I grabbed Mad Men seasons 2 & 3 for only $10 a pop.
I had to pry it out of my wife to see if she already got me season 1 since that was also $10 and I would have bought it if she hadn't (she did).
It's a show I've been wanting to watch and couldn't pass it up at that price.

I threw in Y: The Last Man Volume 8 to get the free shipping. It's about time I tried finishing it up.

Also, I picked up the Phineas & Ferb Christmas cd at Wal-Mart for $8 and change.

[anarky]

You know what I don't get?

For three years straight, I've looked in the sales ads and said, "Man, these are the lamest sales ever." Three years straight, I've noticed fewer people in the stores, buying fewer items. And for three years straight, the stores have been completely dead by about two.

And, for two years straight, the media has immediately reported on how the stores are reporting increased sales, and this is surely a sign of an improving economy.

So, who's got a mouthful of bullshit here? Or do I live in the one place in the world where the economy is moving in the opposite direction of the rest of the world?

[Ran]

I bet a lot of their sales come from online. And those sheep that wait in line at 3am probably go ape shit crazy with their spending on those ho-hum deals.

That mall I went to yesterday is the first time I was in that mall probably since last year. It got me thinking on how much malls have changed over the years. It is literally just a bunch of clothing stores, a few department stores, a food court, a Radio Shack, and a Spencer's Gifts hooked together. It seems like there used to be much more variety. But it has been so long, I can't remember everything that seems to be missing. Arcades, KB Toys, a movie theater...I know there was more.

[anarky]

Arcades, toy stores, bookstores, locally-owned eateries, usually a low-end furniture store, a couple of gift shops. Malls are all the same now, and all shit.

[Ran]

Malls are all the same now, and all shit.

So it seems. There is an outlet mall near where I work that I stop in once in a while for clothes. Both stores are right near one of the entrances, so I don't venture very far. There is nothing special about this outlet mall. It is the same as every other outlet mall except it sells a few Las Vegas T-shirts and other souvenirs. In fact, it is kind of run down. Yet there always seems to be a big crowd of tourists there. There is a newer, fancy "outlet" mall on the north end of the Strip, which is also always packed when I drive by. In fact, there is nothing very "outlet" about it. We never go there because parking sucks and it is full of tourists.


It is a good thing I posed that TRU coupon for Legos. Starting today and running all week, they have buy 1 get 1 50% off.

[Slicker]

Now I've known of and heard about Black Friday for years but I wanna know where the fuck "Cyber Monday" came from and when did this dumb shit start?

[anarky]

I dunno exactly. It was within the last ten years, basically online retailers were a bit sad that they can't have people waiting in line for sales on Friday, and (since internet-enabled phones weren't as common) people couldn't shop their sales on Friday. I think there may have been something about people tending to shop from work that Monday, too.

Of course now all the online stores have Black Friday deals, and the brick and mortar stores have Cyber Monday sales through their websites, so it's somewhat meaningless. (What would be the best Cyber Monday deal, I think, would for all these sites that have good prices and shitty shipping rates to just offer across-the-board free shipping that day. I should never be asked to pay $15 shipping for a 1-ounce item, nor should I ever be charged shipping that's more than the item.)

Ran, I've noticed outlet malls are not only the same, but most of the stores aren't truly "outlets" anymore. They say they are, but charge more than regular stores. I used to not be too annoyed going to them, back when KB Outlets were around (they somehow got shit-tons of old Joes and Transformers in trilingual boxes back in the 90s, which I should've bought), and Publisher's Warehouse still existed, and there'd always be one or two random locally-owned stores that somehow got amazing shit you wouldn't think of them having, like the Empire Strikes Back book from 1980 that I found in a tobacco outlet in NC for a quarter in what must've been 1992. Pennsylvania had some awesome outlet malls, including one in Reading that was in an old mill building, and where the stores were actually connected, and there were corridors to nowhere and all sorts of cool architectural stuff like that.)

Worst thing about outlet malls now is that they usually have only food places that you've never heard of, which cost twice as much as the normal mall food places and have inedible food. But they can charge it for their shit, especially at those outlets in the middle of nowhere, because you have no other options for food.

[anarky]

Anyone seen any deals for this weekend? Once I thought about it and realized I probably should wait for a Playstation 3 (especially if I want those Dreadnoks), I'm not seeing much.

Big Lots has what looks like an assortment of Guitar Hero games (and recent ones, at that) for different systems for $5 on Thanksgiving only.

Amazon's music and movies sale looks okay this year. Not as much recent stuff as they had last year. Makes me wish I hadn't passed on a couple of things earlier in the year when I thought, "That'll be $4 on Black Friday at Amazon." But, ah, no biggie. Tomorrow's a case with all three seasons of the Muppet Show and two movies (The Muppet Movie and Muppet Treasure Island, IIRC, coincidentally two of the Muppet movies we don't already have), so I think Santa might be bringing someone that.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Here's all the Black Friday Ads.

The only things I see are some cheap DVDs which will probably also be available at the after Christmas sales.
WM has Batman Arkham City for $28.
Target has the Lego Pharoah's Quest Pyramid for $63.
WM also had Skylanders for cheap, but then TRU and Target both had it for cheap in their pre-4 day ads today, so i went and bought it JJ you might wanna go get yours price matched.

[jjreason]

Thanks for the heads up, i'll check our flyers up here.

[Ran]

This site has scans of the actual ads.

Best Buy has some 99 cent DVDs and $5 Blue Rays.

If you are going to buy the new Zelda for Wii, both Target and Best Buy are giving $10 gift cards with purchase, but the offer is only until Thursday.

[Diabolical]

I didn't see too much in the Walmart, Target or Best Buy ads that got my dick hard.
I might swing by shortly before the sales end and grab some DVD/Blu-rays.

Slightly off-topic, but I haven't heard any stories about what this years "must-have" toy is supposed to be - anyone know?