Anybody else feel...

[nippythedog]

I agree that the ads are lackluster this year. Looks like I'll only be shopping at Harbor freight for a 3 ton jack.....that's it.

[Shopper X]

I had the crazy thought that perhaps in the near future Black Friday could return to being what it once used to be, with lots of good deals, lots of loss leaders, and a plentiful supply of doorbusters. The idea I had was that perhaps Black Friday currently isn't what it used to be, not because it has changed but instead simply because of the economy. Maybe when the economy turns around and we get into the next bubble where people are spending money stupidly, companies are hiring stupidly, people are buying houses stupidly, credit card companies are giving out credit stupidly, etc., then stores will once again return to providing Black Friday deals stupidly.

It's hard to imagine now with the way things are, but I think that it could even happen within the next 10 years! Just before this recession there was a tech bubble. And, before that in the early 90's I recall there was a sort of mini-recession. And, before that was the big 80's and conspicuous consumption. And, before that in the 70's there was malaise and gasoline rationing. Things seem to go in cycles. Quickly people will forget about the bad times and instead be in the mood to spend, spend, spend. By then, there will probably be the next big product that everyone will fight over on Black Friday that stores will offer at extreme bargain prices.

[DivaOfDeals]

The deals are disappointing. People camping for hours and days deserve better than this. Especially when they only have 10 per doorbuster and the prices are no where near what they should be. Sitting out here in 32 degrees all night hoping it turns out to be worth it and wishing I had more blankets and a hot coffee.

[BF364]

Newbie here to BFAds forum but not to bargain shopping or to BF shopping.

I see a lot of repeats in this year's print ads. Many are the same prices as in previous years and some have gone up in price. I'm going to go hit a local closeout book seller's sale (it starts at 9AM Friday) but the other stuff is pretty meh and not worth standing in line for (typical example: 12 suet cakes for the bird feeders for $8 at Tractor Supply would make my elderly bird watcher father happy but it isn't that unique or smoking a deal for me to get there for the 6AM opening).

I've taken to doing my holiday shopping pretty much out of the holiday season...when the Halloween decorations start showing up in stores I go on break and then don't really get going shopping again til February or March.

Maybe if I had more kids to shop for or people who are very trend oriented or gadget happy I'd be more interested in BF but since I don't it's less and less interesting to me.

[rogue]

WM last year had 1,600 peice lego boxes for 30 bucks, and this year it was 650 peice boxes for 15 bucks. Thats 1,300 peice for 30 bucks, not anywhere as good as last year

[claretha2005]

We need a tv, but I can't camp to get one. Haven't seen deals on fun gifts, like snuggies. Was even thinking about a Roomba, no sales on those. Those things are always on sale on BF. Also, always stock up on little white christmas lights. I know I can get them at Lowe's, but wow, they are double the price of last year.

I'm curious to hear how things go at WM, those staggered sales times are interesting.

I just saw on the hot deals list a Sceptre X405BV-FHD3 40" 1080p LCD HDTV for $249.98 that you can have shipped for free from walmart
http://bfads.net/Deal/63086

Someone posted some Amazon deals as well...

[Sparkle2217]

I think it depends on what you are looking for, want or needed. I think some of the ads were a lot better this year than last year especially on the tv's whether they were name brand or not.

I miss the old BF days when there truly were great deals on various items instead of one item.

[dkst0426]

The deals are disappointing. People camping for hours and days deserve better than this. Especially when they only have 10 per doorbuster and the prices are no where near what they should be. Sitting out here in 32 degrees all night hoping it turns out to be worth it and wishing I had more blankets and a hot coffee.

If the deals are that disappointing, then why even camp out?

WM last year had 1,600 peice lego boxes for 30 bucks, and this year it was 650 peice boxes for 15 bucks. Thats 1,300 peice for 30 bucks, not anywhere as good as last year

Because the cost of production and all other associated costs don't go up? Maybe it's just me, but I always anticipate slight increases in identical products. None of these things exist in a vacuum, after all, and retail is just as subject to the whims and fancies of the economy and so many other things right down to the cost of oil per barrel.

300 less Lego bricks. What is the world coming to?

The ads weren't great, but I'm also at a point in life where I don't have a lot of wants left to fulfill from the standpoint of owning things/stuff, so while there aren't a lot of great deals on laptops or TVs, I also don't need either, so I roll with what I've got printed in the ads in front of me.

[PokerDad]

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if stores are reducing the good deals on doorbusters because of what they saw from about 2007-2010. When there were huge deals, more often people were buying the items to resell them. They weren't shopping for additional items. They viewed Black Friday as a way to make money instead of shopping for the holiday.

People laughed their way to the resale markets back then, but in the end they might have been the end of the huge deals.

That being said, I did ok this year on small items. Even though technically it's all weekend, I got a decent 1/2 off deal on Beyblades for kids on my list, found a few Barbie sets for my niece that were half price, had some luck at Five Below and Toys R Us as well. Saved overall between 50-60% on my purchases, but the overall savings weren't what they were during that 2007-2012 range. This year probably saved close to $100, while in 2007-2010 I could have done more shopping for friends and family at that same rate and saved $250-300.

[BF364]

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if stores are reducing the good deals on doorbusters because of what they saw from about 2007-2010. When there were huge deals, more often people were buying the items to resell them. They weren't shopping for additional items. They viewed Black Friday as a way to make money instead of shopping for the holiday.

People laughed their way to the resale markets back then, but in the end they might have been the end of the huge deals.

You may be onto something. I had an extended conversation with one of the Lowes employees I know well today about how his store did this year with Thursday online orders for Friday or later in store pick up (they were down a little from last year but decent) and he mentioned 1 man who buys the big Kobalt tool sets and sells them piecemeal on eBay and apparently makes decent money doing so (I guess that's great for people who have either lost a piece out of their set or only want a few pieces). Also one other customer ordered 100 of Lowes's $1 flashlights online for later in store pickup presumably for reselling or also possibly so he and 99 of his friends can play flashlight tag (flash mob flashlight tag anyone?). LOL

Anyway I can't totally blame the resellers...the job market has been not so fabulous since I graduated college (1991) with only a few surprise boom years between then and now. So becoming a reseller actually makes sense if you're trying to replace income and benefits that jobs used to provide.