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My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy (edited  ... just the facts, please, without stereotypical, fabricated slurs ... Thanks, crash)
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 02:21 PM
Just returned from Best Buy to pick up a GPS unit for $129. Thinking I could run, pick it up, and get out of there quick.
Wrong.
There was a line for the cash registers that went halfway around the perimeter of the store. I mean, they had the line backed up through the entire appliance section.
I took note of what kind of people were shopping and what they were buying.
I could not believe the reckless spending going on. It was incredulous.
A short guy who looked like a short-order cook at a cheap restaurant had a 40" LCD and a 21" iMac in one shopping cart.
Another guy who looked like a garbage collector had a brand new Sony Playstation and he must have had at least 25 games in his cart.
A woman had a 32" no-name LCD, a Blu-Ray player, a home theater speaker system, and a no-name laptop computer in one cart.
The store had security guards and traffic cops everywhere to direct the hordes of shoppers in an out of the store, and had cops directing traffic in the entire shopping complex.
There was such a shortage of parking, people with big trucks simply parked on the sidewalks, medians, etc.
The city had tow trucks hauling off the illegal parking.
The whole scene was surreal...
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
stockbear - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 02:25 PM
Same experience pretty much. I went to one of the good regional malls here in Texas at about 11:00 this morning. Not wanting to pay the $7 valet, it took me 20 minutes to out hustle someone for a parking spot. There were lots of people there, but I don't know how much buying was going on. I had to get out of there asap.
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 02:29 PM
I challenge anyone on this board to go down to Best Buy and check it out.
I also heard from my girlfriend that Macy's was totally mobbed, she turned around and walked out because she said it was ridiculous.
See if you can detect any signs of "the great consumer spending bust"......
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BBY down a paltry 43 cents, still near 52-wk. highs
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 02:39 PM
Any doubt about the resilient consumer???
Image #1:
Image #2:
Image #3:
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
GHBear - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 02:52 PM
Quite a bit different at Staples...
Stopped in to grab a "special" (universal remote free after rebate). Parking lot was almost empty, maybe a dozen customers in the store (including my son and myself). No wait at the registers. One of the "door busters" that was supposed to expire at 10AM still was available, leather office chairs (still had a stack of 8-10 left) at 11AM.
Not the same experience, but then again, Staples may not have the same draw as Best Buy.
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
Decomposed - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:01 PM
But did you get your GPS?
I bought a GPS this morning too. No line. No early wake-up. No drive!
I bought it on Amazon. Its deal-of-the-day is a Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic GPS, regular $249.99, now $129.99. It's not the VERY best GPS out there, but the price is terrific and I consider it loaded with features. (Of course, everything is relative. It might not have the features you want.)
And there was no tax or shipping charge.
By way of comparison, Staples is offering a Garmin 265WT (note that this model is inferior to Amazon's model) tomorrow for $160.
So, how does the Amazon deal compare with what you went after? Amazon's deal is still going.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Friday-After-
Thanksgiving-Sale/b/ref=bf_right_roto?
ie=UTF8&node=384082011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DE
R&pf_rd_s=right-csm-1&pf_rd_r=13QSFMEZGP02ZE5DE4J3&pf_rd
_t=101&pf_rd_p=501656351&pf_rd_i=507846
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Regarding gps units...
ccray - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:16 PM
... why would anybody want one. even if free... ray
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Re: Regarding gps units...
dcycle - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:28 PM
yeah, I can't figure that one out either.
can't read map???????
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Re: Regarding gps units...
Decomposed - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 04:12 PM
Ever been in a town you aren't familiar with and wondered where the nearest gas station, bathroom or burger joint was??
Good luck finding those on a map.
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Re: Regarding gps units...
frednkarl - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 04:17 PM
They are all one in the same around here...
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Re: Regarding gps units...
dcycle - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 04:20 PM
No.
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:20 PM
Mine was the 255WT for $129
I'm hooking it up now, looks sweet....
Free traffic info and alerts for lifetime.
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"Free traffic info and alerts for lifetime."
Rifleman - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 04:12 PM
Well, not quite. Microsoft is discontinuing this service in 2012. Sorry.
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
Decomposed - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:13 PM
Uh oh. I just read that Tiger Woods was seriously injured at 2 a.m. today when he hit a tree. Police say it's not alcohol related. At that hour, the only other possibility is that he rushing to Best Buy or Wal-mart!
Poor guy. Gets smashed up in an accident AND misses out on the discounted TVs and GPSs. What a lousy way to spend a Black Friday.
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Re: My "Black Friday" Experience at Best Buy
frednkarl - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 04:15 PM
Fellow needs to heed his GPS... that thing must have been squawking some kinda warning when he approached that fire hydrant.
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What I can't figure out for the life of me...
frednkarl - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:16 PM
Why does anyone need a GPS? Was I the only one not wandering around lost ten years ago?
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GPS
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:22 PM
I need it for traffic information and re-routing options.
Must have in Los Angeles.
Also, watching the road map is cool.
I also bought one for my girlfriend, who has no sense of direction whatsoever, and constantly gets lost.
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Re: What I can't figure out for the life of me...
tower - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:29 PM
No one "needs" TV or a microwave. 50 years ago people would read books and cook using ovens.
GPS is a nice convenience.
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Re: What I can't figure out for the life of me...
frednkarl - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:37 PM
Another solid leg in the consumer economy.
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BBY CEO on Fox Business
RobotTrader - Fri, Nov 27, 2009 - 03:26 PM
This guy was just on, bragging about how great Black Friday was.
LOL...
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