TIS THE SEASON

I was online shopping and I happened to find a bargain. I was looking for a laptop for Andy and found two at Best Buy. One was listed for $249 and the other was for $379. The only problem was that it said “in store only.” That meant that if I wanted the laptop, I’d have to leave the comfort of my online home shopping for the madness of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping at 5 a.m. I decided to give it a shot.

What a hair-brained idea that turned out to be. I have a lot to learn about the busiest shopping day of the year. My friend tried to warn me. She told me people were actually camped out in order to get in the store first and that the likelihood of me procuring one of those bargains was slim to none. I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Camped out? Sold out?

I got to the Best Buy parking lot at around 5:30 a.m. and was shocked to discover even the most far away parking spots were taken. I did several laps around the building before parking illegally on the side of the building. It seemed I was walking down a one-way street the wrong way because while I was headed into the store, seasoned holiday shoppers were headed out armed full of packages, boxes, and bags. I walked into the store and I truly couldn’t believe it. It was a sea of people crammed in like sardines. I could hardly walk it was so packed. I managed to squeeze my way to the laptop section where luckily, I found a guy in a Best Buy blue shirt. I asked him about the two advertised specials and he sorta gave me a wry smile. He told me they both sold out long ago and that the cheapest laptop he had was $699. I laughed. Guess my friend was right. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.

When I got home, I went to the Best Buy website and noticed something. There were shopping tips for the 7-hour sale. 1) Arrive early – I didn’t. 2) Get your tickets – I didn’t. 3) Buy before noon – I couldn’t. Wow, I got schooled today. The early bird catches the worm, I guess.