Guide to Camping Outside a Store on Black Friday

You've scoured the Black Friday ads and saw a great deal on a new TV, video game system, laptop computer or any other item you've been coveting. The ad says the store opens at 5 AM but chances are, if you arrive at the store at 5 AM, you might not get that cheap computer. But how do you make sure you get the Black Friday doorbuster deal? You have to camp out at the store.

I've camped outside of stores on Black Friday more times than I'd like to admit, but I've gotten amazing deals. I've never NOT purchased the Black Friday doorbuster deal I wanted. I've purchased cheap laptops, Playstations, exercise equipment, DVDs, digital cameras, and television sets on Black Friday and have gotten amazing deals. I consider myself a "Black Friday" expert, when it comes to camping out for deals.

Know what Black Friday items you need to camp out for
Almost every store has Black Friday specials, and while the deals are great, sometimes camping out for them isn't necessary. And by "camp out," I mean you'll probably need to spend the night sitting outside a Best Buy or Walmart.

Big ticket electronic items, such as TVs, GPS systems, MP3 players, computers and video game systems are the items you'll need to camp out for. Some items will go quickly - like the cheap, $3 appliances that Target usually sells on Black Friday. Those items aren't worth pitching a tent for, but worth picking up if you're camping out at a store anyway for, say, an HDTV.

When do I get in line for Black Friday?
You've made the decision to camp out. Great! Get in line as soon as possible, like Thanksgiving night, especially if you're going to a Best Buy. It depends on your area though. You may want to drive by the store on Thanksgiving night to scope it out and see if anyone is in line.

What do I bring for camping outside a store on Black Friday?
If you have a tent, bring it! Otherwise, bring camp chairs, blankets, jackets, gloves, hand warmers, a coffee thermos, and snacks. You also might want to bring books, cards and board games - even though it's nighttime, the parking lot lights give you plenty of light for reading or playing games.

How do the lines work?
Usually, about 30 minutes before store opening, an employee hands out tickets for the item you want, starting with the first person in line. The employee hands out tickets for the number of items they have in stock. For example, if they have 4 HDTVs, 4 tickets will be handed out to the first four people in line who tell the employee they want the HDTV.

Do people "butt" in line?
Yes, it happens; this is how it goes down: Two people set up a camp in line. Later on during the night, their "friends" show up and hang around the campsite. Suddenly, instead of being the fifth person in line, you're now the seventh.

How do you prevent people from "butting" in line on Black Friday?
Talk to your "mates." Don't be shy, be friendly. Ask your line-mates what they're going to purchase, and be friendly. Most times, when you build a repertoire with your line-mates, they're less likely to have their friends join them in line. If you keep to yourself, it makes it easier for the other people to invite friends to join them in line because they don't "know" you.

Other than the occasional "butting" incidents, most people keep it pretty civil when waiting in line. If you've never camped outside a store on Black Friday, I highly recommend it! It's actually VERY FUN and it's a blast meeting new people.