Shoppers in line early this morning for Black Friday deals
Brett DunlapArticle Photos
VIENNA - Shoppers were afield early this Black Friday morning hunting deals and special sales, get their Christmas shopping done early and to have fun.
Friday after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season, the day when when retailers begin making a profit, from the red to the black, hence Black Friday.
Cars filled the parking lots at the Grand Central Mall, Circuit City, Toys-R-Us and other shopping venues.
Many shoppers were in line since the wee hours of the morning.
At 4:30 a.m., the line at Toys-R-Us stretched passed Super China Buffet toward the mall entry road. The line at Circuit City was passed Pier 1 before its 5 a.m. opening.
"The economy is bad and that is why we are standing in line," said Marcy Jackson of Belpre. "We need the deals."
Jackson was in line at Toys-R-Us at 1 a.m.
Rebecca Civitillo of Washington, W.Va., said she got in line at the toy store at 3:30 a.m. for the thrill and excitement of the day, and hopefully to find deals for gifts she couldn't buy otherwise. She was looking for Razor scooters being advertised for $169 that normally sell for $224.
"I am here to get three," she said.
It was a family affair, too, although some family apparently had no choice.
"My wife drug me out here," said Keith Murphy of Mineral Wells. "We got here (Toys-R-Us) at 3:30 a.m."
His wife, Rebecca, was focused on a specific gift.
"We are here to get the Guitar Hero 3 for the Wii (game console)," she said. "They have it marked down to around $50 where it is normally around $100."
Mrs. Murphy said other members of the family were at other stores looking for gifts, making sure to cover all their bases and get the best deals.
"That is how we do it, divide and conquer," she said.
Lexter Landingin of Marietta and his family were the first in line at Circuit City. They had been there since 2 a.m. to get a deal on a Toshiba 32AV500U HD LCD television for $449.99, which usually sell for more than $700.
Ashley Matheny and Jake Denison of south Parkersburg had been in line at the electronics store since 3 a.m. hoping to get a global positioning system and computer accessories.
"We thought there was going to be a longer line," Matheny said. "Last year, there was a big rush, but not this year."
Denison said the lines had usually built up early so they wanted to be prepared.
Matheny believed the economy was keeping residents away from the shopping rush because money is tight this year.
Dee Hammond of Minerial Wells was at Circuit City at around 3:50 a.m. this morning. She is looking for music games for the Wii game system and CDs for her children who love country music.
"That is it," she said.
Hammond says she's an experienced shopper when it comes to the early morning sales on Black Friday. It's exciting because these sales mark the beginning of the Christmas-time rush, she said.
"I enjoy it," she said. "I have done it for the last seven years. Every year it is different. I have seen it icy where you couldn't stand up on the parking lot, there have been times when it was raining, but this year it was actually nice."
Beth Starcher and Katie Starcher of Belleville shopped for electronics at Vienna Kmart. They've been in the field since 3:30 a.m.
"You got to get here some time," Katie said.
Jacob Glaspell and Ethan Odgen of Vienna and Justus Robinson of Parkersburg found themselves at Kmart. Odgen said they were looking for a drill, a Razor and electric scissors.
"I came out to watch people and the pushing and shoving," Glaspell said of the rush when stores open their doors.
Ditto for Robinson.
"I came to watch the madness," Robinson said. "It is fun."
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linda905
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11-28-08 10:01 PM
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I agree with everybody. This nonsense won't stop until there is a lawsuit against the store when someone gets hurt or killed. As for the story from New Jersey (?), I wonder if the herd of idiots who initially trampled him were identified. The world will not end if these "people", and I use the term loosely, do not get their treasured item!! Life will go on, and by Christmas, they will have forgotten what they wanted in the first place. I am glad I am sane.
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mythravere
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11-28-08 7:52 PM
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This is why I assume a person is stupid until I know better. There are alot of people I care about in this country people who are good individuals and then there are those who act like pigs at the slop trough. Those people are less than human and unfortunately they outnumber the decent people.
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bobzim
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11-28-08 6:51 PM
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WTAP's lead news story tonight was how people were lined-up outside the Southside K-Mart at 4:30 am!!!! I don't know about you, but NO Store, especially K-Mart has anything worth lining-up at 4:30 in the morning. These people are morons!
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JCB1964
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11-28-08 5:57 PM
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Mralex is exactly right, as is rantnrave!!!
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MrAlex
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11-28-08 2:00 PM
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What about these stories coming now about Store employees and others who are getting hurt and KILLED by the rush of the idiot shoppers who force their way in to the stores like maniacs and don't care WHO gets hurt! This "black Friday" nonsense has to stop. Why can't stores just have decent prices through out the holiday season so we don't have insane days like today? The mall and every other store in town was completely over run today! It was horrible. And people lining up at 10:00 PM to be the first in the store when they open up at 5:00 AM?? I agree with rantnrave: "Idiots!"
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JCB1964
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11-28-08 12:46 PM
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At the Vienna Walmart there were people there at 10pm waiting in line to get tv's. Vienna Walmart did around $190k in the 1st hour.
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rantnrave
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11-28-08 10:28 AM
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IDIOTS!!!!!!!!
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