West Seattle (& beyond) Black Friday update: The shopping begins

Thanks to David Rosen from SlickPix Photography for sharing a shot of the line at Westwood Village Target before it opened at 5; we just drove past WWV Staples and noted about 15 people waiting for its doors to open at six. (Nothing like Southcenter, where we’d gone just to gawk at the enormity of the lines; for Best Buy, for example, the line stretched for blocks across neighboring storefronts before the store opened at 5; [added 1:04 pm] our video caught linecutting again this year, this time unnoticed.) If you haven’t already, please see our West Seattle BF update from last night, with some local deals for today – once you’ve gotten the early-morning malling out of your system, it should be a great day to wander around The Junction, the Admiral District, and other West Seattle spots dotted with shops.

Kathy November 27, 2009 (7:27 am)

Was in line at 5 am. The first people in line got there at 12:30 am. When I left at 6, there were no lines at check-out, and they had 40+ of the special deal LCD TV’s left. I bought a bag of dog bones which was not on sale and a couple of men’s sweaters for $10. Most of the crowd was in the electronics section. Didn’t seem as mobbed as I was expecting or have heard about from previous years.

Meghan November 27, 2009 (7:53 am)

I will never understand getting up at 3:00am (or whatever) – or not even going to bed at all – to go stand in a line in the dark so you can rush in to a store at the crack of dawn to buy plastic mass-produced consumer goods (which you’ll be throwing in the dump in a few years) for a “special” price. If it’s a social thing (e.g. girlfriends getting together for a tradition), I guess I could understand that. But as a consumer thing, ugh. There are really better ways to spend your time.

austin November 27, 2009 (8:01 am)

For better or worse, looks like advertising works. People have strange priorities.

coffee November 27, 2009 (8:16 am)

Did 4 stores all in West Seattle in 1 hour 20 minutes, no long lines, no pushing, no screaming kids, but the Target employees on the LOUD walkie talkies did push my nerves. Why they cannot invest in headsets is my ongoing question to management when I go in there. Like I really need to know about the “guest” that needs help in the personal department while I am trying to find cleaners…..
And Meghan, to save a 100.00 or so on a TV, it was worth the trip. Never will I go to a mall though.

RPH November 27, 2009 (8:49 am)

It’s “sheeple”! Lemmings, I tell ya!

rob November 27, 2009 (8:53 am)

I don’t view shopping or the commercialism following Thanksgiving as anything special or celebratory. I went to get fuel and a couple groceries yesterday and was accosted by no fewer than 4 people trying to bum money or sell food stamps. Given the fact the weather is nice, I think I’d rather enjoy a sun filled day in the park.

saney November 27, 2009 (9:41 am)

a good number of “doorbuster” deals were onsale online last night at midnight. i got a 19″lcdtv for $128 and a tomtom for $59.

seven November 27, 2009 (10:34 am)

lemmings is right.

Kayleigh November 27, 2009 (11:00 am)

We were at Southcenter (dear gawd, never again!) and it we were surprised at the people that seemed to be buying mindlessly and compulsively simply because something was on sale or even maybe because it was just *there*. I don’t remember it being this bad in past years. But maybe I am getting old.

J November 27, 2009 (12:01 pm)

Celebrate Buy Nothing Day!

https://www.adbusters.org/

Westie November 27, 2009 (12:53 pm)

Buy online. Really why not? Amazon matches nearly everything in terms of price. Microsoft had cash back deals for Black Friday online buys. Tons of better deals to be had online. If what you’ve thought hard about, that will be a good gift for a loved one and they’ll smile and be happy to receive it, just buy it online for the same price as a door buster and be done with it in seconds and go back to enjoying the spirit of the holiday, not buying stuff. The last thing I want to hear on Christmas morning as I get a gift is “Here’s your gift and I waited all night outside to save $50 for you”. Not really selfless giving then.

Carole November 27, 2009 (1:51 pm)

My niece works at one of the shops at the Outlet mall near Marysville – her store opened at 10pm last night and she worked 9pm-6am. She said it is INSANE…every year – sometimes there are so many people they exceed the fire dept’s occupancy levels. I’d rather veg on Black Friday.

DBurns November 27, 2009 (2:09 pm)

I agree with taking advantage of internet shopping. One lesson I learned the hard way – make sure to open the boxes as they come, for some of the things I received were not what I had ordered, or items were missing. I had stored them right away and opened them to wrap too late to do anything about it :(

pigeonmom November 27, 2009 (4:21 pm)

I am not one of those ‘sheeple’ or mindless spenders. My budget is very tight these days and something I needed was almost half off at Target. I got in line at 4:20 and walked out with my purchase at 5:07. No rushing, pushing or shoving the task was quick and painless.

OlMom November 27, 2009 (5:10 pm)

If I am ever waiting outside Target or Walmart – please put me out of my misery.

pigeonmom November 27, 2009 (6:15 pm)

If I’m ever so grumpy and negative- please put me out of my misery.

zero-to-life in West Seattle November 27, 2009 (6:21 pm)

I shop both online and in person at the Black Friday sales. A huge part of why I go in person is so I can get gift receipts so that my recipients can exchange or return if I get it wrong even with the lists. It is (in my opinion) a real hassle to return by mail (as much as I love Amazon and overstock.com). If it is a family member living in my household I can do the online thing, otherwise I need that gift receipt. Pigeonmom, I get you. Everyone I know has a tighter budget right now and they all saved LOTS hitting the sales today (myself included). I really am not a fan of malls or shopping, but it is worth it to me to “sacrifice” one day of sanity to get it all accomplished. This is the only way my family has been able to continue to “adopt” teenage foster kids for Christmas the last few years…and no, I don’t camp out in front of the stores. Now I have a whole month I can relax and enjoy the season without going anywhere near the mall.

Been here a long time November 27, 2009 (7:43 pm)

Thank you for some of the info. But, why does there need to be so many opinion based comments about how people privately spend their own time and money? Just wondering.

AnotherIdiotInWS November 27, 2009 (9:32 pm)

Why so many opinions? Because we don’t live in Austria or Sweden, and there is no Gestapo to stop us from whining and picking at one another.

WSB November 27, 2009 (9:48 pm)

We do have a few rules. None prohibiting whining and picking, in general. But two things – 1. Black Friday early-morning line-waiting etc. really is an amazing spectacle. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. 2. I’m really glad that some people in this thread have taken the time to talk about what exactly they stood in line for, got, etc., certainly humanizes it beyond “wacky people standing in line.”
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Some would probably view my preferred method of holiday shopping as equally wacky – procrastinate as long as humanly possible and then race around in a frenzy at the last moment. (Last year that was a huge FAIL because the “last moment” was pre-empted by Snowpocalypse ’08. So this year, we’re trying a different tactic.) – TR

Kayleigh November 28, 2009 (8:13 am)

Why are there so many comments about people privately spending their own money? Putting on my Capatain Obvious hat, er, it’s not private. It’s public. A public spectacle of greed and commercialism, actually. (Not speaking of anyone in particular, here or elsewhere; just generally observing.)
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By the time we got to the Burien Fred Meyer about 8 am, it was a calm, civilized place, complete with free coffee and mini-donuts. Nobody smelled like a Metro bus (unlike at Target Southcenter, which was truly horrible), nobody was pushing and shoving, the clerks were smiling, and I found several things on my list very cheap.
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Next year, I stay local or I shop online.

Been here a long time November 28, 2009 (9:34 am)

Thank you all for the answers. That was fun.
Another quick question, so many people grumble about shopping and how bad it is. But we all shop anyway. How is Christmas shopping a spectacle of greed?
I feel like people are probably going to spend the same amount of money weather they spend the whole budget on that one day, or they shop on line little bit by little bit. Just wondering.
Are there any anthropological ideas about spreading the wealth in the dark winter, or the time to splash out….. just for fun.

Diane November 28, 2009 (4:09 pm)

I am grateful that I had a job on Black Friday, in retail, so I could earn enough money to pay my rent; perhaps next year I will have the luxury to go shopping myself; this year I had the joy of helping the crowds at Fred Meyer shop; it was fun, and amazing

seven November 28, 2009 (4:44 pm)

I bought an assault rifle.

Rev. Billy fan November 28, 2009 (9:26 pm)

I don’t know if it is a reflection of greed or ignorance. Consumerism is the American way now. We have to buy to keep our economy alive. Christmas has capitalized on the thought that if we spend money on someone, that equates love. Some people accept that. If we buy something on sale, that means we love the same amount, for cheaper!!!