# 'splain Black Friday to me. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102 "2013-11-29T22:13:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/21 "2013-12-02T14:41:04Z")
My sister does Black Friday. She was number three in line outside Toys R Us this year and grabbed what she wanted to grab (including the doorbuster items) and said she was out within fifteen minutes. Of course, that doesn’t count the time she spent in line outside a Toys R Us. Then she went to Walmart before they opened and grabbed a few things and made a couple other stops at less mobbed locations such as Sports Authority. She claims success every year and I think she also likes being 95% done with her shopping before December 1st. My mom couldn’t go with this year but most years she goes with my sister. They’ve done other annual sales where they waited outside and have gotten some things like a $200 gift certificate for being first in line for a big furniture sale. Honestly, they just like doing it. I don’t so I don’t go. I agree that you can pick up deals in other ways and if going out on Black Friday fills you with dread and rage you shouldn’t do it but if it’s your thing then what do I care? For myself, I waited for some toy to go on a flash sale on Amazon and watched it go from 2 secs until the sale to 100% sold out, Waitlist 100% filled before my screen could refresh. I should have just asked my sister to get it from Toys R Us 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/22 "2013-12-02T14:56:20Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > It’s painfully obvious how much you hate America. Why **TGSJ** , why? Heh heh…that’s a long dark path full of cynicism and self loathing. You can’t ask me to go there. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/23 "2013-12-02T15:01:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I think people traditionally went shopping for Christmas gifts on the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers called it Black Friday, because the spike in revenue would put them securely ‘in the black’. Of course retailers all want the biggest piece of the pie. Or the whole pie, if they can. So they whip the buying public into a frenzy to get as many people in the store buying things as possible. It’s a common misconception, but Black Friday was actually coined in Philadelphia by the police referring to the terrible traffic. That makes it sound bad, so some retailers tried rebranding to “Big Friday.” That didn’t quite work, so they tried instead to create a new story behind the name which obviously has somewhat worked. [This page](http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/the-origins-of-black-friday/)has a good explanation for all of it. > [@MandaJo](#): > > I entirely agree, but I think you are overlooking one part of the appeal: it gives you the opportunity to get out of the house and stop talking about politics with your crazy in-laws. I am dead serious. I think Friday shopping is popular in large part because after spending all day in the house with family on Thursday, people really want something neutral to do with those same family on Friday. Shopping can be a good multi-generational way to spend time. This is very true. For years I would go with my family to visit my grandparents and other relatives in the Dallas area. My extended family is all pretty great, but it could still be too much to be cooped up with them for the whole Thanksgiving long weekend. So sometimes I would go out on Friday morning with my mom to go shopping at the big malls in the Dallas area. Also, the news always seems to show the crazy mobs for the midnight openings of stores, and now for the Thanksgiving openings. I’ve never done that, I have absolutely no interest. But when we’d go to Macy’s or other stores at 9 AM on Friday morning, the crowds weren’t that crazy, but there were still some pretty good deals. And walking around the mall it would be noticeably crowded, sometimes too much for me, but not like the post-apocalyptic crowds that some people seem to expect. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/24 "2013-12-02T15:11:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf is in advertising. She explained to me that Black Friday is a very recent US “tradition” and it is a huge failure. Since Black Friday has become a “thing” Xmas dollars spent have risen more rapidly in countries without it. Define “recent.” I remember showing my mom a Black Friday flier involving a bunch of stuff I wanted for Christmas 20 years ago. And IIRC, it was old hat then. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/25 "2013-12-02T17:04:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Define “recent.” I remember showing my mom a Black Friday flier involving a bunch of stuff I wanted for Christmas 20 years ago. And IIRC, it was old hat then. OK, I just got a reply from gf on this. By “recent” she meant the emphasis on opening extremely early and advertising oriented on extreme deals. She also restated that the concept is generally viewed as a horrible failure. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/26 "2013-12-02T17:20:23Z")
The “dealz” price is often _more_ than the everyday price. I know because I’ve seen when they forget to take the old sticker off. The sign says something like “WAS $32.00, NOW $20.00!” but the sticker from last week says “$15.00”. I guess there really is a sucker born every minute. I’d like to say I participate in “No Shopping Friday”, but that’s pretty much every day for me. The few times I have to go to a store, I hate it and can’t wait to leave. When Amazon starts delivering groceries and gets its shipping down to a single day, I’ll take the next step and write brick and mortar stores out of my life entirely. That day can’t come soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/27 "2013-12-02T18:48:38Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > The “dealz” price is often _more_ than the everyday price. I know because I’ve seen when they forget to take the old sticker off. The sign says something like “WAS $32.00, NOW $20.00!” but the sticker from last week says “$15.00”. > > I guess there really is a sucker born every minute. I’d like to say I participate in “No Shopping Friday”, but that’s pretty much every day for me. The few times I have to go to a store, I hate it and can’t wait to leave. When Amazon starts delivering groceries and gets its shipping down to a single day, I’ll take the next step and write brick and mortar stores out of my life entirely. That day can’t come soon enough. Agree. To add to this, I heard something the other day that also rings true - the retailers are conditioning people to _never_ pay full price for anything. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/28 "2013-12-02T18:54:33Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > No set up, it all boils down to this: I can’t imagine how much money I’d have to save in order to justify standing in line for hours in the cold waiting for a store to open. That’s kind of the point. Doorbusters aren’t for people who can afford regular prices (or even regular sale prices). The people getting the deals are spending time rather than money. Those with more money aren’t willing to spend the time, but those with less feel that the exchange is worth it. You see the reverse during some hot item launch (e.g., Apple or game consoles). People with money pay people to wait in line for them. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/29 "2013-12-02T19:59:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > OK, I just got a reply from gf on this. By “recent” she meant the emphasis on opening extremely early and advertising oriented on extreme deals. She also restated that the concept is generally viewed as a horrible failure. That’s ridiculous. Again, 20 years ago is not that recent. If I remember right, it was a deeply discounted video game that was only available very early in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/30 "2013-12-02T20:44:18Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > That’s kind of the point. Doorbusters aren’t for people who can afford regular prices (or even regular sale prices). The people getting the deals are spending time rather than money. Those with more money aren’t willing to spend the time, but those with less feel that the exchange is worth it. I wouldn’t say that’s true as a blanket statement. My sister and mother are both very comfortable financially. It’s just fun for them, a game. At some sale openings, they meet other people, chat, people hand out hot coffee and cocoa to strangers, etc. It’s not “can’t afford it”, it’s the fun of bargain hunting. Obviously not every sale event in the country is this cordial but then they’re not picking neighborhoods or stores where people are crushing one another under doors or firing pistols off either. Likewise, I’m sure there’s people out there fighting in line because that $150 42" flatscreen is the only way they’re ever going to own a 42" flatscreen. Broad strokes and all. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102/31 "2013-12-02T20:52:52Z")
Black Friday is the day the Christmas shopping season begins. It is when the stores go from red (not having enough money) to black (having lots of money.) i think it’s too early for Christmas to start. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splain-black-friday-to-me/675102.md?page=1)