My GREAT Black Friday Shopping Experience !!
This is a post a originally did for DC Metro Moms, last year. I’m posting it again because I had SUCH A GREAT TIME SHOPPING on Black Friday last year. I’m going out again this year too!
Well, I finally did it. I went against years of eye rolling and head shaking… and I joined the shoppers in the early morning on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
I had previously sworn off Christmas shopping even on weekends- due to crowds. I had always shopped strictly on weekdays, when parking is easy and crowds are… nonexistent.
But the deals that were being advertised got me, and the desire to surprise my parents with a laptop computer this Christmas…
So there I was, dropped off on the sidewalk in front of Staples… at 7:45am.
(Please; I wouldn’t forgo regular sleep for shopping; 7:45 was early enough.)
I walked in. People were shopping, but it wasn’t crazy. I was told there was a ‘laptop area’, approached it, and within a few minutes I was being helped.
Every employee was really well informed, and helpful. The assistant manager who helped me with the laptop, also helped me find the 50%-off shredder I had seen in the paper (my gift to myself- I’ve always wanted a paper shredder for some reason AND I got it in ‘sapphire’- gotta love Christmas shopping.)
Then, I got up to the cashier- with my crazy-discounted laptop, the discounted wireless mouse, and my 50%-off sapphire paper shredder- and the assistant manager starts in on what I think is going to be the ‘strong sell’…
“Do you need a new printer to go with your laptop?”
“No.” I firmly, but nicely replied.
Then the cashier and assistant manager exchanged almost embarrassed looks…
And the cashier looked at me and said,
“They’re five dollars.”
What? What did she mean? I thought I heard her wrong… But it turned out that when you bought a laptop during ‘early bird’ hours on Black Friday, you could also get a new printer for $5, or a wireless, touchpad printer for $15.00.
… So I got the wireless touchpad printer for our computer room for fifteen dollars!!
My guys had decided against going to Dunkin’ Donuts and instead found a parking space right in front of the store, and walked in- just in time for us all to carry packages out to the car!
Success! For a moment, I thought I heard trumpets playing…
I was so inspired- I did something I wasn’t planning on doing, in fact, I never thought I’d do it-
I told my husband and my son to do some male bonding … and I WENT BACK OUT SHOPPING!
I went to Toys R US next-
It was busy, but so well organized! There were tons of helpful employees, the checkout was incredible, almost no wait- one line, specially made for Black Friday, and a guy pointing out clear cashiers… And last but not least- a young man whose sole job was passing out complimentary boxes of new 64 crayon sets!
I was having such a great time… I went to 4 more stores !!!!
I got some GREAT deals!
And people were nice, not crazy.
I think I just may do this again next year, I almost feel like the ‘Shopping Scrooge’ who has been enlightened, and now sees the error in their ‘previous shopping ways’…
Black Friday Shopping-
Another tradition has begun!!!!
Quotable Friday
“There’s no such thing as bad weather,
only different kinds of good weather.”
Quotable Friday
“Nurture your mind with great thoughts;
to believe in the heroic
makes heroes.”
Quotable Friday
“Be yourself;
everyone else is already taken.”
The Ultimate Ribbon Outlet … And it’s in Hagerstown, MD!!
I have found Nirvana…
And it is called the Berwick Offray Ribbon Outlet in Hagerstown, MD!
That’s right- one of the Top Ribbon Manufacturers in the entire country is located in Hagerstown, MD… and they have this outlet too!
Look at my picture- do you know how much I spent on all this ribbon…
$23.00!!
The little spools of paper ribbon were 5 cents a ROLL!
Most of the larger fabric ribbon spools were $1.25 a ROLL, except for the grey, big one on the left –
which was … 50 cents!!
I ‘splurged’ on the green and brown polka dot ribbon spool ($10).
I completely over-did it, I have enough ribbon to wrap all my Christmas presents, birthday presents, house-warming presents, and more… for a long, long time,
but when over-spending is… $23 dollars- it’s all good!
Thanks to the Carroll County Times for EXACT directions!
This outlet is EASY to get to- To get to the Berwick Offray Ribbon Outlet Store, take 270 North to Interstate 70 to Hagerstown. Get off at exit 29, Md. 65 North, Sharpsburg Pike. (This is the same exit you’d take for Prime Outlets, so visit them after going to Berwick; they’re only about five minutes apart.) As you head north on Md. 65, you’ll pass Prime Outlets, three schools and a Sheetz. Make a right turn onto Wilson Boulevard at the traffic light. Go to the end of Wilson (there’s a Food Lion in Kenley Village on the right) and make a left at the light onto Frederick Street, Alternate U.S. 40. Make the first right after you turn onto Frederick at Willow Circle Drive and proceed to the end of the street. You’ll see the outlet store at the end of the factory building on the right, and their parking lot is right in front of the store.
Berwick is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Their phone number is 301-745-4714 and you can e-mail them at offrayout let@berwickoffray.com to check on sales or to sign up for their e-mail newsletter, or sign up when you visit the store.
They accept Visa MasterCard, Discover and American Express. All sales are final, no refunds and no exchanges.
Now Get Thee to Thy Ribbon Outlet!
It’s so fun,
and like mentioned above,
The Hagerstown Prime Outlets are right there too!!
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