Last week, I accidentally went into a Wal-Mart on Black Friday.
I bet half of you are thinking, what was she doing? The other half of you are thinking, what did you buy?
The world seems to fall into two distinct camps when it come to Black Friday shopping. People either love it and prove it by getting up at 3 a.m. to make it to the 4 a.m. sales or they hate it and stay far, far away from all retail sites on that day, not even venturing into so much as a parking lot.
I fall into the stay away camp. I know the bargains are spectacular, but I don’t want to shove and fight my way through the crowds and I certainly don’t want to get up at 3 a.m.!
So how did I accidentally wander into the mammoth discount store on the busiest shopping day of the year? Temporary amnesia? Blackmail?
Nothing quite so dramatic. I had a sick kid and who need antibiotics, which completely blanked out any thoughts of shopping that day, except for popsicles and medicine. But once I walked into the store and ran into lines of carts, I felt a bit dense. And behind. Way behind, since I haven’t done any Christmas shopping.
No one iota!
With my sick kiddo on the road to recovery I’m now I’m contemplating my Christmas gift list and, as always, it has books on it.
I’m thinking the new Jan Karon book, Home to Holly Springs, will be a hit for one person. The Dangerous Book for Boys looks interesting and I know at least one kid who’s just the right age for Chasing Vermeer.
How about you? Are you giving any books this year as Christmas presents? And are you a shop-on-Black-Friday kind of person or do you run screaming for your computer when you hear the first news report that includes a Christmas countdown? Only 26 days to go, by the way.
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Books always make an appearance on my gift giving list. My youngest is an avid reader and likes books as much as toys so she’s a given. A few adults are getting some too. But, unless I am sure of an adult’s taste in books, I’m more apt to get them a bookstore gift card.
I’m not a Black Friday shopper. Did it once, years ago, and got some awesome deals but after that nice healthy dose of Triptefan (sp?)the night before, I usually prefer sleeping. Of course this year I was on the other end of Black Friday as a worker rather than a shopper, and all in all it went fairly smoothly.
by Laura
on November 28th, 2007 at 7:00 am
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Hi Laura. Gift cards are great inventions. I love ‘em!
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 8:12 am
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Twenty-six days! I immediately thought about the book/movie Twenty-Eight Days Later. Boy was I way off.
Anyway, while my wife and daughters got up in the wee hours, I slept. Then I woke up made myself a manly breakfast and strong coffee and sat my ass in my recliner and watched TV while I noodled over the plot of my current novel.
I actually don’t mind fighting the crowds and traffic. But I HATE–I mean REALLY HATE–standing in line to give somebody my money. If technology can do away with the checkout lines, I’m there.
OH, I did pick up the ads for Black Friday to see what I missed. I can honestly say that I didn’t miss anything. Except misery and frustration.
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I always give books for gifts at Christmas and the rest of the year, too. I love that I now have the inside scoop on books which makes it even more fun.
I am NOT a black Friday shopper. Instead, I’m a day after Thanksgiving eater. Plus, I try to never go to Wal-Mart.
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For the most part, I’m not a fan of crowds - especially shopping crowds. I can’t stand the whining kids and the oblivious adults who run into me with their carts, never say ‘excuse me’, cut me off in the aisles and on occasion, run over my feet without apologizing. I do my best to shop first thing in the morning on a weekday. The stores are mostly empty except for older people, and for the most part, they’re more courteous.
I started x-mas shopping this past Monday. I bought my daughter a book from the grocery store. Yesterday I picked up a few other things at the local department store. I’ll piecemeal the rest up until Dec. 24th. My daughter finally gave me her wishlist, and it’s mostly books, DVDs and CDs. One stop shopping. =o)
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I don’t run screaming from any kind of Christmas countdown, but I’d rather be in front of my computer than battling crowds. Don’t like groups of people, in any sort of setting. This year I spent Black Friday on the couch sniffling into a tissue, but it’s not like I would have been out there otherwise. I looked at the commercials, said “Oh, that looks like a good deal; would you like one of those?” to the hubby, but never seriously considered getting up at 4AM to get it for him. And I’m sure there’ll be a few books among my gifts this year. I like books better than anyone else in the family, so I’m rather hoping that they’ll be incoming rather than outgoing, although there’ll be a few of those too.
by JennieB
on November 28th, 2007 at 9:19 am
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Well, it’s obvious the GG blog readers are falling to the stay home on Black Friday camp. You’re my kind of people!
I’m with you, Will, on-line shopping is the way to go.
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 9:39 am
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Do you still have leftovers, Judy? We finished off the last of the turkey yesterday. Of course, the desserts were gone much sooner!
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 9:39 am
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I agree, B.E., weekday morning are the best shopping time. If I have to shop, I try to go before ten. So much nicer!
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 9:40 am
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I hope it was a cold or a sappy movie that had you sniffling and nothing worse, Jennie.
I definitely have books on my wish list, too. Now, if Santa would just bring me some extra time to catch up on my reading…
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 9:41 am
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I have only a few people who mean enough to me to buy gifts for, and while I would like to get them books, they will appreciate going out to restaurants more, so a few gift cards and I’m done. I’m sure I’ll be getting gift cards to Borders from those people, though, which will be really nice. After Christmas sales are the best time to shop!
As I mentioned yesterday, I spent 13 years in retail and you couldn’t get me into a store on the day after Thanksgiving for any amount of money. I like to buy from catalogues - the poring over them, trying to decide between this or that, and I actually like the anticipation of waiting for it to arrive and opening the box, almost like it’s a gift for me. Okay, sometimes I add something to the order which IS for me, but that’s just how it goes, right? Do you really think all those electronics that were purchased over the weekend are for other people as gifts? Ha!
by Kate Hathway
on November 28th, 2007 at 10:11 am
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I hate shopping. I will not enter Walmart on a bet. You can’t make me. I have everything I need and most of what I want except the constant feeding of my twin addictions, books and music.*
Books are always on my list. For those I go to our great indie store. Every year I pick edgy books for my daughter, nonfiction for my brother-in-law, photography and art for my best friend, noir for my nephew, new lit fic for my wife, plus a few calendars and reading-related novelties.
I usually drop between 200 and 300 bucks and I wouldn’t do it any other way.
And if a book I want happens to find its way into the stack, well, it’s Christmas, who can blame me.
But malls? Ever since I stopped shopping at those overcrowded, overheated, overhyped portals to hell, I’ve developed a real love for the holiday season.
*OK, I have a third addiction and you can feed that with a nice bottle of Grey Goose.
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I don’t do crowds.
Mostly I get what I want and/or need online.
This probably says something unflattering about me.
I don’t give a fozzy ratzass.
by Bob Rudolph
on November 28th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
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Kate, I think you’re right about all those electronic sales. I bet quite a few homes have new flat screen TVs.
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
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I don’t go to the mall much either, David. And I’m usually more of a Target girl myself.
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
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“I don’t do crowds.´
Join the crowd here, Bob. (Get it?  ) Sounds like we all would rather cyber-shop!
by Sara
on November 28th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
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