Black Friday and Thanksgiving-weekend 2009 Shopping Round-up

Last year we had way more all-night shopping options. We chose the Tanger outlets in McDonough, Georgia and found great deals at Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Nike, and Coach.

Not so in 2009... This year we had already decided not to do the Tanger sale and nothing much besides was happening until 5am.

For those of you that don't want or have time to read the full report, here's the synopsis... It sucked! Really. Especially Macy's sale.

We opted for a power nap from midnight to 4am before we hit the streets. We packed into the car at 4:20am and headed to Best Buy, Target, Radio Shack, and Macy's.

I'd consider Target a success. They had great prices on Nintendo DS games and kids toys. Ethan and Calli have a slew of young cousins to buy for and you couldn't beat the prices on DS and board games. Many of the shoppers were there for the Star Wars and Lego Star Wars deals which were all gone within the first hour. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the Phillips LED Christmas tree lights were on sale for $9 each. These are the BEST lights. Highly recommend them - they use less electricity, really do burn cool and are beautiful bright light.

If you don't own a Nintendo DS lite yet, Best Buy had a great deal on the special edition Mario Red which looks similar in color to the Crimson DS but features an iconic 'M' painted onto the front. and comes with a copy of New Super Mario Bros. and my fav the Ice Blue version with a copy of Brain Age and a custom carrying case for $129.99.


Macy's was a huge disappointment!!!!!!

Macy's was offering a $10 off Macy's was offering a $10 off $25 coupon good from 5am - 1pm and a 10% or 15% coupon on regular and clearance priced items, but "some exclusions did apply." SOME! Everything was an exclusion. Macy's 2009 black Friday deals were a HUGE disappointment!

Let me say that again, louder - Macy's 2009 black Friday deals were a HUGE disappointment!

I shopped women's shoes... nothing special. Some minor discounts despite their flyer touting "shoes and boots from $29.99-99.99." Where the hell were those shoes? Most were $65-$130. I did find some beauties for $54, 98, $103, $103, and $130. Ok, not the deal of a lifetime, but some very HOT shoes and considering the 10% of coupon this would be a price I could live with.

Get to the register and find out the coupon does not apply to a single pair of the five pair of shoes I'm buying. Not one. Why? According to the fine print and sales consultant, because they're "designer."

Why the hell do you even shop at Macy's if not to buy designer merchandise? Your kidding me! Big disappointment. My only deal - an overpriced to begin with Hello Kitty shirt for my daughter that was originally $30 for $6. Hardly worth the trip but she'll treasure it.

Preliminary reports from major retailers including Macy’s, KB Toys, Best Buy, and Toys “R” Us, and mall operators across the country said the crowds were at least as large as last year's. That equals ALOT of disappointed shoppers.

Is it just me???? Did anyone out there find the awesome deals? I haven't heard a single tale of sheer shopping ecstasy yet that wasn't an online deal. Next year everyone is bringing their laptop to my house and rather than hitting I-75 we'll be hitting the information highway (i.e. Internet) for all night shopping online. Best part -- we can throw back a few bottles of red wine while we do it. :)

So, how about some great News!?! Amazon.com has announced that they will be extending their Black Friday deals into Saturday! If you ask me the best deals are online.

Amazon will continue offering amazing deals on Saturday to help you get your holiday shopping done for less. Shop for all the top deals of the season, all from the convenience (and comfort) of your keyboard.

Word.