Friday November 26, 2010, 10:25 pm
This to me shows just how much the middle class people are wanting to not deal with the reality of our economy or their shaky futures job/dollar wise personal lives. Rushing to buy 'things' at lower than usual prices..when they should be saving to buy the necessities in life that are about to jump drasticly in price...like food,housing,utilites,medical and insurance cost. Turning a blind eye to all the signs that point to worse times ahead that want it not to be true and think that this spending will help the economy..NOT..that profit will go to corporates who spend it on outsourcing cost. They have no plans to put back into a sinking ship..one they caused. I do hope these are cash purchases as if not......a lot of future tears will be needed to pay off those debts, for their one day of shopping, for years to come in many instances..way too many probably. All for that feel good moment and having that item so when 'hard times ' really hit they will aready have those 'items'...never thinking about those items not being eatable or able to use to pay rent/mortgages,utilities,gasoline and so forth. What good is a wall sized Tv, at a bargain price, when they will not be able to afford the electricity it will take to turn them on to watch. Not a good think I don't think for people to have made this Black Friday a retail success in such unstable times..well good for the Corporations of course but no one else as I stated above.

Friday November 26, 2010, 11:57 pm
Now that the Republicans have won the house, the media is suddenly being upbeat about the economy.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 5:07 am
Great comment Jae! Exactly. We have the self same scenario over here. TPeople shop 'till they drop, plastic appears in and out of purses at lightning speed! We have our 'black friday' on Boxing day (26th December) so called because in old England Trade's Men called around the day after Christmas to collect gifts for services well rendered during the year, Lords and Ladies gave their servants gifts the day after Christmas in boxes and I believe Churches also threw open their alms boxes to parishioners the day after Christmas and handed out everything they had collected. Need I say that this is today a whole 'nother beast and resembles not in ANY way the origins of this day! Sadly.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 6:53 am
Noted, thanks Jae...I agree with you. I wonder how much of the spending was put on plastic....making the banks even richer? I guess the people who went to Macys and Best Buy didn't hear the list of "naughty' companies on CNN--these 2 stores were on the list...for /return policy/restocking fees and various other negatives. I really don't understand the mentality of people who will buy something they don't need just because they are told they are saving money. The best way to save money is not to shop but to put in the bank (I guess)...well, maybe a piggy bank at home.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 8:04 am
As long as there are stupid people, Black Friday will continue in spite of the consequences.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 10:43 am
Now there is a great gift idea to give to loved ones..family/friends...good ol fashion piggy banks. A unique gift with a silent message....SAVE..it's the thing to do.

I think it's great that people found bargains, even if some aren't going to turn out in the long run as such, but this year was the first that that I personally felt that the plastic cards really needed to be put on hold for family emergencies..like the things I mentioned above. Give gifts, as that is a nice thing to do but stay somewhat in ones cash flow,spendable income, and prepare for what is to come after the new year. Nothing in stone as far as the public knows but most all of us think that the unstable economy is going to really hit a big bump not long after the new year.. I hope we are wrong but all the signs are showing that is more than possible .

Inflation is on it's way...especially for the necessities as I've also mentioned above. I don't see how it can go any other way now. I wish I did, but I don't. We started with things in really awful shape two years ago and the politicans since have done nothing hardly to change that...some due to those who said NO to everything and some due to misguided 'centrist' thinking.

My hope is that people really did not extend themselves too thin this shopping day, more so than many many years in the past,for their own sakes,. It doesn't look that way from this article though...too many I think had the mindset of.. 'shop,drop and pray' ...that they will be fine no matter what they spent or will between now and Christmas this year.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 10:53 am
I used to get into shopping a bit, but I don't now for all the reasons Jae listed. It's a pretty stupid activity when you have no income to speak of.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 1:00 pm
Online Sales Jumped 16% on Black Friday

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703609204575640482545086658.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Saturday November 27, 2010, 1:14 pm
just saw a CNN video of a guy getting trampled in a Target store. People were just stepping over him and going into the store. The guards were trying to help him up. What the hell is wrong with people? It wasn't a food shortage rush, or a rush to get out of a burning building...they were rushing in to buy stuff!!!!! My God, would any of those people feel like if someone recognised them rushing past an injured man? "hey look, there's my pop on tv". Pathetic!!

Saturday November 27, 2010, 1:20 pm
I caught some of the shopper's comments on the boob tube . One woman was asked if she was using plastic and she answered that she'd already hit her limit and had to use cash . In this shakey , economic period and disposable society , I find ths pretty weird ! But I have to go through the Times Square area , occasionally and it is always packed with , what appears to me , to be ; middle class , out of towners and N.Y.U. students .
New York has lost a certain "city quality " and is catering to this suburban mentality .
I've heard that , for years , the plan has been ; to push residents out of Manhattan and have the workers commute , via the Transit sytem . In order to accomodate out of towner's and N.Y.U. students . In fact N.Y.U. has bought up a lot of space in Manhattan and has even tried to make Washington Square a prvt. park ;for N.Y.U. students only !
The creative and starving artist's in Manhattan ( esp. the east and west village areas ), which made this place so interesting , has been reduced to the myth and legend catagorey !

Saturday November 27, 2010, 1:22 pm
Gloria...It's the 'them or us' mentality that has caught on with too many people, that's for certain.
Humm..."Bargain...or help an injured person...hum ..let me see......oh my gosh, they only have six available of what I came for...sorry injured person,you lose but I hope you survive ..gotta run now..only six available ya know."

Other words are in my mind but those typed above will have to do at this moment.
eeeeeeeeeer !

Saturday November 27, 2010, 2:11 pm
thanx for article

Saturday November 27, 2010, 2:45 pm
Bruce, we have heard that about Manhattan from friends who either lived there some time ago and or were back for a visit...also from those friends who were just there doing the 'tourist ' thing over the last four or five years. Both groups were disappointed in what it has already become and or is today for many who visit it.Those tourist trips all said that it wasn't the one they had heard family and other friends talk about in the past. Said it reminded them more of 'a place having spring break' more than anything as for strolling the city taking it in as just a city..what it had too offer in general. We have seen this happen to other cities also...remove all the 'character and charm' that made it was it orgionally was and turn it into a 'hot spot' for tourist of the plastic card kind. Real shame. The 'artist' areas in too many cities have now either disappeared all together or become way too expense for moderately success full dollar wise artist much less those 'starving artist' ..However..things going as they are economically,especially for those with 'plastic ' on their minds, probably will not be flashing them nearly as much there in the all to near future. Things just might need to go back to as they were before...but in need of restoring the charm and character it lost.
Or so we can dream...To dream...well now that's just a frick'n cool thing to do...and who know's ? !.

I doubt that it took very long for a syndicated camera crew to find someone who was saying that they were out of plastic so turning to cash at that point. Which we can relate as to our own past..perhaps that's why for years now we smile and say...oh yes..'.been there done that'...still pay'n.. It's happened to many of us on this site no doubt at some time in the past,or so I am guessing. With experience comes wisdom..for some :-). Just happy in these times that we are among that 'some'. lol

I can recall when it would not have been so easy to find someone to say that. It use to be, I've run out of cash so now having to use my plastic.[yes I am that old, to remember those old'n days] A very unfortunate 'turn' in mindset to the one of today,I believe. The banks aren't going to miss out on raising rates,fees and other charges that they can get away with doing once the new year is here. People will be given the choice...of either pay em or pay off the card..their choice. [squeal lit'l piggies,squeal !! ] That reality alone will be a huge bump for the over-extended plastic user in the very near future. I would not, for a minute, think that this isn't a very possible way things will go within the next few months.

Paper or plastic.
Cash or plastic.
Thank you for shopping with _______ Bank.
"Ya'll come back now. ya hear !"

Saturday November 27, 2010, 6:24 pm
Cancel Christmas and save your money you just might need every penny.

Saturday November 27, 2010, 9:28 pm
In the past several years our family has decided we don't need anything. There are things we want of course, but nothing needed. So we have started a tradition where instead of exchanging gifts, we purchase a gift for someone in a nursing home who has no family. You don't have to spend a lot... they appreciate a large type book or playing cards, or a warm sweater or soft slippers. It feels very good to know that someone who actually needs something is getting it.... and we don't have to go out on Black Friday.