Need Some Advise on Black Friday Shopping.

I did try to go to Wal-Mart last year on Thanksgiving night. It was almost impossible to get a parking spot. I was pretty much unable to walk through the store...it was literally people shoulder to shoulder the entire store. I was unable to get anything I wanted and finally left. I went home and drank a glass of wine :)

I went out early on Friday morning and got some great deals. I stay away from Wal-Mart and Best Buy for Black Friday.

To answer your original question "Need some advice on Black Friday Shopping" - my response is DON'T GO. You're welcome.

Seriously, Black Friday isn't the only day of the year you can get good deals. The stores just want you to think that. Yes, there may be some decent sales, but IMHO, I really don't think that there won't be some really great sales on other days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do your homework, check online & stay in your warm bed in the middle of the night which is where you should be. It's just not worth all the crazyness.

Ugh. It gets maddening, chaotic, and parking lots are insane and unsafe. I went one year. It freaked me out. I never would want to voluntarily attempt to find a cheap bargain only to wind up in the hospital. People are rude, aggressive, and just monsters. Not to mention, crappy drivers. Never again. Did I mention it gets really crazy??

I order on-line. Sometimes they will have on-line black friday shopping. It's great . You can stay in your warm house, and drink coffee and shop online.

I bet your time is worth more than the actual dollar amount you would save. Just go to the Apple store.

any HUGE sales on electronics are a WASTE. they probably have 2 and thats it. i'd call now and ask how many there will be and if it's a huge deal you';d have to be there for hours beforehand waiting.

it gets crazy for stuff like that

I LOVE black friday but i dont go after electronics

I like going to toysrus after the rush at 2am and going to the less known one around here and shopping for all of the toys that are 70% off and having hardly any lines..the same for toys at walmart...3 or 4am after it dies down

BY the way. i worked at a video store for years where i worked every holiday inclusing christmas...i hope this doesnt get filled with people saying how evil black friday is...those people choose to work an need the money

Do you know what the actual price will be? I'm thinking you save $50 or so, and that totally isn't worth the time and aggravation. I did black friday once. Never again. No "bargain" I could get would be worth it.

ETA: Okay, so I looked it up. It is exactly the same price as in the apple store. But you get a $75 itunes gift card. Yeah, not worth it to me. It is $75, but I hate shopping on a good day, and I'm pretty sure you're going to need to get there at about 3 in the afternoon to make it work. At least. And it's an iPad 2 -- not the latest or greatest. Me, I'd get a refurbished one and save my money that way if I'm going with an older model.

I say don't shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. My dad worked in retail and he NEVER had a long Thanksgiving weekend. Because of that, I have ALWAYS black-balled Black Friday shopping.

If you practice empathy (which most people don't) then you will skip shopping those days in support of the employees. How would you like to have to go to work on Thanksgiving evening? If you wouldn't want to do that, then consider that the people who are working don't want to be there either. If people would stop shopping on those days, then the stores would close and the employees could be with their families.

Let's see how many of us can practice empathy during this holiday shopping season!

Do yourself a favor and just go to an Apple store!
Apple doesn't really "do" sales...at best you'll get a tiny discount and/or a WalMart gift card. Yippee.
SO not worth it.

Keep in mind, Target is price matching this year. You might be better off going there for it.

I would take a look at Amazon.com
They have been great in years past of matching Black Friday sales from competitors.
Walmart electronics sales are a crock IMO. They don't have many. You would have to line up crack of dawn/when the store opens/night before type thing for something that doesn't go on sale until that night. And you risk your physical well being fighting with rabid people trying to get one too.
My husband (yes, he's the shopper in the family, not me LOL) has gone to Black Friday sales here and there but even he avoids Walmart like the plague because he is concerned for his safety and they never have enough of anything to make it worth it.

My time is worth more than that, and I would consider standing in line at Walmart to be a huge waste of my time, and extremely annoying. Plus I hate Walmart. I would pay extra if I had to, just to order it online and have it delivered to my home hassle-free. You don't even know if you would get one for sure. Don't waste your time.

If you go now you might stand a chance. They will probably have 10 for each store.

My advice? Skip the sale and order online somewhere. You probably can get the same deal at Walmart.com.

I gave up on these sales a few years ago. It's too darned cold this time of year to be running around at 3 am for this. And it ruins your whole weekend because your sleep gets screwed up.

I've decided to go to work instead. The office will be very quiet that day, and I'll save 8 hours of PTO (knowing full well they'll order pizza for lunch and let us leave at 1 pm is a bonus!) By the time I get home at one, the kids will just be getting over their turkey hangover and the boys will just be getting in from the morning deer hunt.

Depends on whether it is a door buster or a hot item. Ipads have been around forever (calculated in tech time) so they are not a hot item so is it a door buster?

Most of the time Apple products, like Nintendo, Xbox.....they are never sold at a discount unless the discount is a price reduction. Everyone gets the price reduction. So what you are probably looking at is the same price as everywhere else with some accessory or gift card to sweeten the pot. So not a door buster.

Do the research yourself but what I am saying is if my hypothesis is correct you can walk in there at ten and get the iPad. Just watch out for the people trying to get the TV for nothing, they can be scary!

You should google the Walmart Black Friday ad. The iPad 2 will be going for $399 and you will also get a $75 gift card. There is an in-stock guarantee for this item from 10 pm to 11 pm. If you are in the store between 10 and 11, you are guaranteed this item. If it sells out, you can purchase a guarantee card to get this item for this price when it is restocked.

http://www.walmart.com/cp/1099938

So I don't think you need to wait in line outside. As long as you are in the store before 11:00, you should be able to get this deal. Keep in mind that this is the iPad 2. And it is not 3G.

Good luck to you!

For that item at Wal Mart you will have to be there probably at noon Thanksgiving Day to get your ticket. Wal Mart and Black Friday is absolutely unreal. It is the biggest madhouse and can get fairly dangerous at times. Especially in the electronics department. Our Wal Mart has been numerous fights and now we have probably a dozen police officers that are at the store then. Unless it is such a good deal you can't get one otherwise, I would check around and find another place for one. Target is not nearly as bad on Black Friday as Wal Mart. Best Buy - I'm not sure. I've never shopped there on BF. Good Luck !

I hate Black Friday and often I can find good deals throughout the year, starting with After Christmas Get This Out Of Our Store sales. I have already gotten a number of things for Christmas. Frankly, standing in line for an iPad would not be my idea of fun. I'd check out sites like newegg.com on Cyber Monday instead.

More like you pack up your Thanksgiving meal & head over to Walmart eat it there while your inline waiting for your ticket.I haven't seen the ad but is it really worth it or wait & spend a lttile more on the same thing on a lesser crowded madness.It would really have to be a great buy to get me to go I waited in line @ Radio Shack for a digital camera I was there by 4:30 in the morning it opended at 6 or something like that it was 1 of 2 in store the person further back inline ran in & tried to purchase both but the salesman was like no this lady was in here to get one & i'm helping her too.That was the only time I went that early,not saying I don't go to the sales becasue I have just not that early there really isn't anytjing I want/need to get out & go the same things go on sale during the yr.or later that Holiday season plus more coupons come out after Thanksgivving fpor various stores so ic ould end up getting a better price else where