[tex123]

I think everyone has seen the video of the Long Island Walmart crowd that trampled a worker to death by now.

I wonder what those people were so hell bent on buying in there. Another video I saw were people fighting over the oversized T.V.'s.
Did anyone in that door buster mob look like they could afford to pay cash for a big screen t.v. that cost in the neighborhood of $800.00? I thought the credit was drying up?

Any opinions on this? I have one 6 yr. old set and I probably won't buy another one until this one dies. Same goes for a cheap laptop. I just didn't see anything in the Walmart ad worth killing for. Last year or year before they had $50.00 televisions, but now $800.00? That would pay the taxes on a decent house many places for the whole year or a months rent in a nice apartment.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlueGhostNo2', 'Y')eah, In a way people have to shop for xmas due to social pressure.

[Heineken]

People are probably saying, "If the government can spend money it doesn't have, why shouldn't I?"

[JJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('topcat', 'J')J asked:

"How much for the rounds and eagles?"

Bought rounds for 13/each, others were asking as high as 14.

The silver eagles depended on mint date, bought the less expensive dates for 16/each and picked up another 2008 for 19.

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', 'C')ompulsive Consumption, I have observed, is a hard habit to break.

Like any other addiction it will lie latent within many for the remainder of their lives, even if they are unable to act on it for many decades.

But now they are able to act on it. So they do.

[3aidlillahi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', 'P')eople are probably saying, "If the government can spend money it doesn't have, why shouldn't I?"

[RSFB]

Apparently most retailers had much better deals than last year, so perhaps people took the opportunity to do their shopping earlier. Let's talk again when the figures for the whole holiday season come out.

[mos6507]

I was at the mall last night and it looked pretty busy to me. Cutting back on spending doesn't preclude spending some money over a single holiday weekend. However huge the sales are, it won't sustain retail for the whole year.

[Plantagenet]

The unemployment rate has only gone up a little to a bit over 6%---not very high historically speaking. The US is not in a depression. The US isn't even in a recession yet, technically speaking. We've only had one quarter of negative GPD, and that was only a small -0.5% drop. And gas prices have dropped so much people have an extra $100 or so per month to spend just from that.

Of course people are still shopping.....things just aren't very bad yet.

[Serial_Worrier]

http://www.freep.com/article/20111125/F ... le-injured

If this is the behavior we see during a recession, imagine what it's gonna be like when the Great Depression hits and then the Great Collapse.

[Serial_Worrier]

It's a great way to observe proto-zombies.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', 'h')ttp://www.freep.com/article/20111125/FEATURES13/111125011/Black-Friday-turns-violent-7-U-S-Walmart-stores-least-24-people-injured

If this is the behavior we see during a recession, imagine what it's gonna be like when the Great Depression hits and then the Great Collapse.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

As idiotic as Black Friday behavior is, these acts of violence are for the most part the minority of people. I strolled through some stores late this morning. I got a pretty nice ladder, shop vac, and new winter coat. At lot of the stuff people wait in line for can be bought on craigslist or Amazon marketplace, slightly used, and higher quality. What I tend to see is people buying crappy stuff just because it is dirt cheap.

[Pops]

I laughed when I read about the yahoo with the pepper spray, serves the unprepared right to show up to a riot without the appropriate gear.

Don't mace me Santa!

But really, isn't it our society in a nutshell? Anything goes as long as it's in the name of getting the lowest price.

On a related note, any Americans here making an effort to "buy American" this year?

.. just kidding, stupid question.

[The Practician]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', 'h')ttp://www.freep.com/article/20111125/FEATURES13/111125011/Black-Friday-turns-violent-7-U-S-Walmart-stores-least-24-people-injured

If this is the behavior we see during a recession, imagine what it's gonna be like when the Great Depression hits and then the Great Collapse.

[WildRose]

We're cutting back some more this year. We (hubby, kids, extended family) realized that we don't usually remember what anyone gave us for Christmas six months later, unless it was really memorable, like a kid's first guitar or something. We all talked about and decided we'd rather just get together and have fun, have game nights and movie nights and maybe go bowling and tobogganing. Personally, I came to detest spending weeks running through malls trying to pick out the perfect gifts for everyone on my list. The family are all quite relieved that gifts won't be the focus of our Christmas - it means we'll have more time to relax and more money in our wallets come January.

[beamofthewave]

The only things I am buying are already used things from estate sales. There is enough stuff on the planet already, no need to buy new stuff at all.

[vision-master]

Remember Condition Black?

[dolanbaker]

What happened on Black Friday should be seen as a warning as to what could happen if there ever was a hiccup in the JIT supply chain!

The shelves would be stripped bare at even the rumour of an impending shortage.