Black Friday lure or lore

It is getting to be that time of year again when the Black Friday lure will be calling out to consumers everywhere. Is the lure real or is it lore? For many of today's savvy shoppers, it is a combination. While fliers will be touting great deals, many shoppers will not be willing to either give up their Thanksgiving evening or get up at 2 a.m. to be at a retailer at 3 a.m. to either get in line or to fight the crowds. How much is saving money worth to you?

Deals

The deals that seem to attract the most attention every year are popular electronics. It may be a large screen TV or the latest game console. Best Buy is a popular destination for these kinds of deals. They will offer specials and doorbusters but they will be in very limited quantity. Best Buy's website offers some strategies to make the most out of your Black Friday experience. Among the things they suggest are having a list so that when the limited quantity items sell out you will have your backup plan with you.  

If you are going to be shopping for items other than those that are drastically reduced why are you going to get up before the light of day and go shopping? Wouldn't it be better to just stay home and enjoy the Thanksgiving afterglow and brave the holiday shoppers in a few days when the craziness has subsided? 

Another of their suggestions is to get there early, even on Thanksgiving for stores that will be open. What is wrong with this picture? You getting up from the table and getting in line for a game console? Is that really what the holidays are all about? Apparently, at Best Buy it is. What about those employees who will not be able to have Thanksgiving dinner with their family so that you can have a lower priced TV?  Again, is this the lure of Black Friday?

Probably the best of the suggestions they offer is to take advantage of Cyber Monday and order some of the items that you want online. Amazon is already offering Black Friday deals on their website and others will be turning up in the coming weeks.

Lore

Is it true that the best deals will only be found on Black Friday? The best way to answer that question is to go out to the stores or online starting as early in November as possible and know what the actual price every day is for the items you are looking for. Great pricing will be showing up all along the way and even if you don't get the best price, you can still get a great price and not sacrifice your time, family and holiday spirit to do it.

The lure of Black Friday is not going anywhere. Retailers count on shoppers being enticed by their few outstanding deals. They know from experience that once they have you in the store you will spend money even if you are not one of the lucky few who get the special deal. So is Black Friday lure or lore, mostly lure with some lore thrown in for good measure.