Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star

More Photos (2):

Related articles:

Tucson shoppers flock to stores for Black Friday deals

Other articles by Dale Quinn:

Ritz stays the course amid uncertaintyBBB warns of roofing scamsStimulus loans likely to go fastBar addressing 6 violationsLocal price survey: Beer and wine2 area credit unions in mergerDesert Energy and Pima Federal credit unions merge Desert Energy and Pima Federal credit unions merge Deli facing intervention after failing 3 inspectionsTwo management-supported members re-elected to Providence Service's board

Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps Health Care
CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic Construction
West-Press
Printing Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor

They came for the experience. They came to mingle with strangers. But mostly, they came for hot deals on laptop computers, flat-screen TVs and digital cameras.

Throngs of people lined up outside Tucson stores — many waiting for hours during a cold, soggy night — in anticipation of early-morning sales the day after Thanksgiving, or "Black Friday."

For some, it's a tradition among family and friends, but for others the prospect of saving hundreds of dollars lures them to spend hours in line.

Some shoppers said because of the dragging economy, they had waited for the deep discounts to make big purchases. And strapped retailers were obliging with some good deals.

By the time the Best Buy at 6025 E. Broadway opened at 5 Friday morning, hundreds of people were waiting in a line that stretched across the parking lot. Store manager Eric Placencia said people started waiting in line Wednesday evening.

The store was crowded with bargain-seekers lining up at its appliance and electronics sections a couple hours after opening, he said.

It was the first time Vanessa and Brian Wolf had waited in line for "Black Friday" deals. After finishing their Thanksgiving dinner, they headed to the Best Buy at about 9:30 p.m. to replace their 1980s-era computer, said Vanessa Wolf, 38.

"We need a computer really bad," she said. "With the economy the way it is, you gotta save a buck where you can." The Wolfs had no plans for browsing — they were going in to purchase the computer and then head out for other holiday deals.

Some shoppers pitched tents to protect themselves from the rain. Others had chairs and card tables to stay entertained. Some played Monopoly.

A group of eight teenagers from the Vail area, all current or former Cienega High School students, played poker under a canopy Thursday night. For them, it was a tradition that began three years ago.

One of them, Roy Patterson, a 19-year-old Pima Community College student, said it was cold and rainy when they arrived about 8 p.m. to set up their canopy. Patterson was in line to buy an XBox 360.

Waiting in line overnight for "Black Friday" deals is better than the alternative, he said.

"What else would we be doing?" he said. "Just sitting at home and sleeping?"

In an effort to kick-start sales for the holiday season, and to begin turning a profit and drive earnings into the black, retailers offer deep discounts on the day after Thanksgiving. And "Black Friday" has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

But some retail experts said before Thanksgiving that, given the current economy, one day of high sales wouldn't be enough to push retailers into the black — strong sales would have to continue through the holiday season.

Still, at 10 a.m. Friday, the parking lots at both Park Place and Tucson Mall were full, said Jill Harlow, a spokeswoman for General Growth Properties Inc., which owns both malls.

Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road, was crowded with shoppers who apparently weren't just browsing, Harlow said. They carried bags loaded with merchandise.

JC Penney and Sears both had lines of shoppers waiting outside their doors when they opened, Harlow said.

"From all indications right now, this is a great kickoff to the season," Harlow said.

Weekend sales figures from the National Retail Federation wouldn't be available until Sunday, said spokeswoman Kathy Grannis.

Affee Johnson, 30, said waiting in line for "Black Friday" deals has been a tradition for her family for the past four years. They eat Thanksgiving dinner at about 1 or 2 p.m., hang out for a while and then head out to the line.

"We just get a different thing every year," she said, while waiting in line at Best Buy.

This year Johnson, a manager for a chiropractic office, had her eye on a flat-screen TV, an iPod and docking station, and whatever other bargains caught her attention.

Johnson said several family members usually head out so they can rotate shifts in line and take bathroom breaks. This year, fewer people volunteered because of the cold and rain, she said.

The weather likely deterred some would-be shoppers, said Alex Peron, 21, as he waited in line late Thursday at a Best Buy store on the North Side.

"The line is about half as long as it was last time," Peron said.

People are friendly and learn a lot about one another as they stand in line for hours, Peron said.

Peron and his friends had been in line since 10 a.m. Thursday, and they planned to purchase various electronic products — laptops, CDs and DVDs. His friends team up, each heading toward deals at different parts of the store.

Store employees try to retain some order when the doors open, but it can pretty chaotic as people rush in to see what bargains await inside, Peron said.

"When they open up the doors, everyone just runs in there," he said.