Black Friday in Minneapolis area - best bet for LCD TV's?

[pinniped]

I'm not from MSP, but will be there visiting family on Turkey Day. We are already renting a U-Haul to stock up on Ikea gear later that weekend, but I might be able to find room to slip a couple of LCD TV's in there too. Probably will look for two units: a 32"-37" and a 42"-50".

I know Minneapolis is the home of Best Buy, so maybe that makes some other retailer a better bet for BF... The Best Buys in Kansas attract huge crowds, so I will probably avoid that unless they have something that no one else has. (And since the LCD's I'm looking for are 2005 technology, I don't think that'll be the case.)

Ideas?

Also - do any of the retailers do a lottery system for the people waiting in line? You know...sort of like ticket sales sometimes work: everybody present at some fixed time gets a number, a random number gets drawn, and then people line up in sequential order behind that number.

[VD]

Two years ago I spent the night camping outside of circuit city for a toshiba laptop.

There was around 40 people in front of the store by the time they opened the doors. Circuit city didn't do a lottery, it was a first come, first serve type of deal. I watched one dude damn near assault his wife/gf because they ran out of laptops. That's part of the reason I didn't go last year. That, and all the deals sucked, lol

[dnkrm]

micro center had some great deals last year. wish i could have made it.

[HeadBand]

if the sears ad is true the 46" for 900 would be awesome

[adam empire]

Well, the advantage to being there is that there are plenty of BBs in the city. Target is also based there and has plenty of stores in the area. But CompUsa, CC, and even Costco should be fine bets too.

I don't recommend Walmart - for thier BF legal tactics and because I think their twin city stores seem like garage sales to me and seem to be in shady locations.

[Random2310]

I am from the Minneapolis area and I have done a couple of Black Fridays.

Best Buy- The Best Buy stores in the city are always packed. I heard rumors that BB stores North of the metro are relatively empty but I have not seen that with my own eyes. For the BB stores that I checked out last year, they were particularly busy (people were lining up at 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day), probably because of the release of the PS3. I don't know if that will happen this year. The store I went to brought out propane heaters, free coffee, and donuts at around 5 AM. They also handed out tickets for the "big ticket items" like laptops, large tvs, etc... at around that time so people who were at the front of the line could pick up the ticket, leave and comeback sometime before noon to pay and pick up their item. Of all the stores I hit up on BF, BB is the most organized (employees know where all the items are so you can know where exactly in the store you need to go to before the doors open, i vaguely remember maps of some sort).

I don't know of any retailers that did a lottery system which you described. One thing to keep in mind is that there are no more CompUSA stores in MN. I would strongly recommend you dress for the weather. BF always seem to be REALLY, REALLY cold even in mild winters, maybe that's just me.

[Toby16custom]

I am from the Minneapolis area and I have done a couple of Black Fridays.

Best Buy- The Best Buy stores in the city are always packed. I heard rumors that BB stores North of the metro are relatively empty but I have not seen that with my own eyes. For the BB stores that I checked out last year, they were particularly busy (people were lining up at 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day), probably because of the release of the PS3. I don't know if that will happen this year. The store I went to brought out propane heaters, free coffee, and donuts at around 5 AM. They also handed out tickets for the "big ticket items" like laptops, large tvs, etc... at around that time so people who were at the front of the line could pick up the ticket, leave and comeback sometime before noon to pay and pick up their item. Of all the stores I hit up on BF, BB is the most organized (employees know where all the items are so you can know where exactly in the store you need to go to before the doors open, i vaguely remember maps of some sort).

I don't know of any retailers that did a lottery system which you described. One thing to keep in mind is that there are no more CompUSA stores in MN. I would strongly recommend you dress for the weather. BF always seem to be REALLY, REALLY cold even in mild winters, maybe that's just me.

YOu said it on winter x 463406

Black friday sucks in MN esp. if it snows any time around then.....hand warmers are great.....coffee is a must and have alot of friends, plan out routes for three family members.....one goes straight, left and right, memorize products, take turns sleepin in a car or chillin at reseraunt if its really cold, eden prarie stores and woodbury as well as apple valley best buys are HELLLLLLL try to find smaller store.

[forumreader]

Microcenter is the place to be if you want an Olevia or "second-tier" 32-40" LCD.

It gets REALLY cold though, so sleeping bags, coffee, and a party of at least 2 is necessary.

[Immacoolguy]

Black Friday in Minnesota is hardcore. But there's no one specific store you should go to- just go where the deals are.

I've hit up Best Buy a few times in the past- always get in, find what you're looking for, and checkout quick. When I left the line had wrapped around the store and back to the entrance.

[habib.jonez]

Lots of Best Buys and Targets. No Comp usa's or Staples. Micro center in st. louis park has been good. If you want to go to wal-mart don't go to the brooklyn center one..cough ghetto cough.

[pinniped]

Sounds like I should hit Micro Center. I'm *hoping* that since I'm looking for older tech, I won't necessarily need to be first in line. I definitely don't have the appetite to get there at 4PM on Turkey Day.

I know MC hands out tickets when you enter the store - you can then come back and actually buy the item later in the day. My question is: will they hand you two tickets (if I want two TV's, for example), or is it one ticket per person in line? Not sure if I'm going to be able to drag anyone else on this adventure with me...

[Immacoolguy]

Best bet? Call the store.

Also, what old tech are you looking for? Black Friday might not even be your best deal. I happen to know a few people trying to get rid of some old tech in the MSP area.

[pinniped]

Best bet? Call the store.

Also, what old tech are you looking for? Black Friday might not even be your best deal. I happen to know a few people trying to get rid of some old tech in the MSP area.

32-inch to 42-inch TVs. Probably LCD's but I'd look at a plasma on the 42. I will have HD boxes so I don't necessarily need the internal tuner.

I obviously want new stuff. :)

[Immacoolguy]

32-inch to 42-inch TVs. Probably LCD's but I'd look at a plasma on the 42. I will have HD boxes so I don't necessarily need the internal tuner.

I obviously want new stuff. :)
Ha ok. But I've passed on some sweet deals on two to three old tv's in your size range a few times that might beat what you'll see on BF. Especially with your HD boxes.

I wouldn't have passed on them, but high school student with no job and a girlfriend, livin off allowance and the little money I make in online surveys and the occasional resale of a really slick deal.

(I have a 20-30 hour part time volunteer job at my church doin tech stuff, otherwise I'd probably have a job)