They have a new marketing campaign basically saying fresh air/outdoors bad, plastic toys good. Now opening on Black Friday? Nope, Thanksgiving Day at 5:00pm. People are in an uproar! You should check out their facebook page, one complaint after another...

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We have tons of stores here that will be open on Thanksgiving Day-

Very sad-

This is why I do nothing for another holiday till the next one is completely done. Nothing will resemble Christmas till the first of December. It just boggles my mind!

Now to check out the facebook page on the bad outdoors and good plastic toys!

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I read about the ad controversy on a FB group I belong to (campaign for a commercial free childhood). Apparently, they were taking some kids on a camping trip, but surprise, they really were going to Toys R Us! Of course toys are better than stupid outdoors! (total sarcasm here).

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Most stores in my area are opening at 5pm for black friday on Thanksgiving. It is so sad

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I never understood the lure of black friday. I try my hardest to avoid the stores all year round when I think it may be crowded so I can enjoy my shopping experience. I grocery shop at 6 or 7 am so I have the place to myself n fresh baked goods. All other shopping is done during the week leaving weekends for family time. I would like to see families spending black Friday together but to each is own.

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No black Friday here, either. I will admit to hitting a few online sites if I happen to hear about a super duper deal. Never, ever, out in person, though.

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ewww...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SXybm6bss

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That's horrible. I dont shop black friday. Never have. In fact, all DDs Christmas shopping is already done. Last year I was stressed to the max in December (in addition to xmas I have 5 family birthdays) and I barely got to enjoy the holiday. This year we are going stress free and focusing on whats important. The time with our family. This commercial makes me sick. And no one should be open on Thanksgiving.

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The day after Thanksgiving is also (National) Buy Nothing Day.

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I actually love Black Friday My problem with it now is it's NOT Black Friday, the stores are all opening earlier and earlier so it's on Thanksgiving. I will not leave my family on Thanksgiving Day so I will miss out on a lot of good deals. I have been a BF shopper for more than 10 years and the way I used to do it was head out to lines once my kids were in bed, shop all night and home by 8-9am the next day. This is ruining my plans!! Darn it

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this is how my mom and I have done it also and usually do all of our Christmas shopping. We are spending time with family because my husband sisters and mom go while my dad who hates shopping watches the sleeping kids. But I dont think we are going this year to to the time change

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It was not that bad when we went to the store black Friday about two years ago at midnight. It was my first time but I enjoyed it. I thought it would be crazy or crowded or something but it wasn't. I didn't go last year due to morning sickness for my pregnancy.

This year, I am not sure if we will go because my daughters have everything. Now I have a newborn son so I probably will buy baby toys for him on Black Friday so we will see what they have on sale and also I know my youngest daughter would want/need laptop.


One more thing, I think it is great for them open on Thanksgiving because thanksgiving is not my favorite Holiday!

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I saw this commercial a few weeks ago. Sad, really.

I don't do BF shopping. I dislike shopping anyway. My Mom and I went once and NEVER again. My Christmas shopping for my 4 kids is already done. Everyone else gets cash or gift cards.

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I honestly have a hard time understanding the issue with it.

If you don't like it, don't shop it, work there or support them. We all have a choice and not everyone feels the same way you know?

Freedom in our country also applies to corporate America. I don't see how or why an opposing opinion should ruin what other families might love to take advantage of. It's not like it's anything anyone is being forced to participate in.....live and let live?

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Honestly, I don't understand what is so bad about the commercial ... it's a commercial for a toy store, so yes, it is going to be geared towards toys. People are starting their holiday shopping already and they need to get their store name back out there on people's minds over Amazon and such. I think the backlash against it is just silly.

However, stores opening on Thanksgiving bothers me. DH and I like to do Black Friday shopping, (mostly because it gives us a kid free morning, and we get to people watch), and when the stores open the night before, it kind of takes away the fun of it.

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This is what bothers me and just my own little minut opinion-

I have worked hard and strived to have a program that embraces the outdoors. Having the children outside a minum of 1 hour a day is in my rules and regulations. That to me is sad that providers have to be told to do this-

Children should be outside constantly-its something our bodies need! Air, the room to run, play, explore, look at the sky, etc.

For someone (corporate america or whoever) to tell me/children or parents that kids should not be outside is wrong. Even Michelle Obama is about having kids outside and having a healthy lifestyle (yes people were even upset at her about this?).

When I have to take childcare classes to teach/tell me to take kids outside, I find this mind boggleing. We average around 3 hours a day outside. Even when we didn't necessarily play outside we were always going on walks.

We have an obesity epidemic in America! I really hope its not from to much time outdoors-. My kindergarteners are gone for 4 hours in the morning at school and only have 15 min of outdoor time and thats not everyday as there are other things they have to do sometimes instead of recess.

No, I don't have to shop there but they are reaching more people via television and raking in the money then I will every be able to do to spread my message.

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My sister and I Black Friday shop together and since we don't get to spend a lot if time together we have a blast. We only go early Friday morning though and will not start while Thanksgiving is still going on. A lot if the stores are opening on Thanksgiving and will have sales but if its like prior years the big sales won't start until after midnight.

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I get what you are saying, and I completely agree with you that outside is important, and it is strange for providers and parents to have to be TOLD that outside is good.

I just don't see where that commercial said anything about how kids being outside is wrong? Not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious how this is being read? Maybe I'm missing something.

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My issue is that I feel bad for the people that work at these stores. They now have to work most of the day on Thanksgiving. That used to always be a day of family and all retailers were closed.

I used love going BF shopping. DH and I would leave the kids at my mom's overnight and go shopping. Last year I just did most of it online. I didn't want to go on Thanksgiving.

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I don't disagree with you one bit! As a matter of fact between postings I'm reading Last Child In The Woods (shout out to Heidi for mentioning it, awesome read so far ). I have no kids here and my mind is racing faster each day it seems with close date closing in (the only detox I've ever done is off of refined sugars and caffeine. This feels oddly, insanely adhd like, in a very familiar way).

One of the main reasons I'm out is it was too difficult to come to grips with how other people parents (or rather didn't parent at all) their children. So much of it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, knowing how it was going to turn out and being helpless to stop it.

I can't change that, or them, so instead I wave the white flag and retreat. My life is too short to fret about things I can't change.


Corporate America will always be this way and unfortunately, right or wrong, there is no changing it. We can only do what's best for our own and protect them from what we see as crap as best we can. I personally don't mind the advertisements and use them to teach my kids that they have brains of their own, don't get suckered in by anyone or anything. They don't need the bead-y spa foot thing or newest electronic device just because the tv tells them they do. If that still sits ick then leave the tv off.

As much as I hate it I hate the notion of personal opinion impeeding the rights of others more. It doesn't bother many and to the other extreme completely there are others who love it. As long as it doesn't directly impact me or mine I don't give a rip what others do kwim?


(I get it was just a rant and you weren't expecting to change the world to suit yourself but remember I'm detoxing right now remember.......when you go from doing 400 things a minute to dead silence for 8 hours a day you have to fill all those clock ticks with something )

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There are still some states that do not allow retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving. I think RI and Maryland are 2 of them, those states get different Black Friday ads and can't start the sales until midnight. Based on the facebook page I would say they are losing a lot of customers.

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Black Friday is dumb. What is the allure? I don't get it. The "deals" are not THAT great, the crowds are ridiculous, stressed employees give terrible service, normally nice people act like jerks and the big box stores with advertising might crush the independent stores.

Small Business Saturday is where my time, sanity and $$ goes. Better service, better products. I hope anyone reading this will consider NOT shopping at toys r us,.Walmart, KMart, etc.(especially NOT on Thanksgiving) and patronize an independent toy store instead. (if any are left in your town).

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I love Black Friday and After-Thanksgiving Dinner Shopping Hours!!!!

I get two days off paid and the extended relatives are all somewhere else shopping...

(JK)

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Where I live it's awesome, there is a lot of camaraderie in the lines. We have fun! There are people that drive from store to store selling hot chocolates, I have seen people standing next to each other in line order pizzas! I personally save a ton of money on gifts for my family & I also make over $1000 profit from shopping each year which covers my Christmas gifts completely so my Christmas is free I guess I'm lucky where I live because "most" everyone is really nice including the store employees. I usually buy big boxes of hand warmers and pass them out to everyone around me.

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If they had chosen to visit a museum rather than the forest then Toys R Us would hate science.

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High five! I agree completely. It's funny that everyone goes out to spend up their credit cards the day after expressing what they're thankful for. We shop locally & independent as much as we can, for everything, not just Xmas. I know big box stores are the only option for many though.

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Willow, have I told you that I really like how you think ? I couldn't agree more! To each their own!

I personally do a mix of all of it. Sometimes I go, sometimes I don't. If I do go, it's only for entertainment and after our Thanksgiving celebrations. One thing my dh and I love to do more than anything is people watch and black Friday (or any day between Thanksgiving and Christmas) is a great time to do just that. I just don't like the crowds when I actually have a schedule to keep because it slows me down (like if I'm price-matching groceries at Wal-Mart and I have to deal with the crowds ).

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I only like Black Friday in that I take that day off.

Sooo not watching any grumpy kiddos who stayed up late with mommy BF shopping!

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I totally agree. I really don't get why there would be an uproar about this ad. The ad doesn't say that playing outside is bad or that you can only have fun playing inside with plastic toys. It's just touching on every kids' fantasy....spending an entire day at a toy store where you can play with any toy you want. As a kid, I would have loved to have been on that bus! I don't know too many kids now who wouldn't love to be on that bus! It's just an ad, a fantasy. It's not what happens in the real world. I don't get the fuss over it.

As for Black Friday, I'm usually way too tired to even think about going shopping after Thanksgiving. I have my brothers, sister and their families over for dinner and we visit late into the night. There isn't a discount big enough to make me want to cut that night short to fight the crowds and stand in long lines at any retail store.

There have been some deals that were almost tempting to me but from what I've heard, most of the big sale items are stocked in limited quantities and sell out so fast there isn't much hope of getting one anyway. I'd much rather spend my Friday after Thanksgiving sleeping in, eating leftovers and relaxing with my own family in front of the fireplace, watching a movie or playing board games.

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My husband has been the Store Manager at a retail store for 11 years. For the last 3 years, with Yankee Candle Company at an outlet mall. My children have never gotten to see their Dad relax and enjoy the holiday. We eat at 12 noon or 1 pm and then off to bed till 7pm to go to work. He then works from 8pm on Thanksgiving for about 20 hours straight. Goes home for 8 hours and goes back again until Sunday night. I am not exaggerating. This is what's expected of any salaried manager on that weekend. He does not get overtime or holiday pay like his employees do. At 40 years old and a degree in business management/accounting he will probably never be able to do anything different with comparable pay.
It didn't used to be this crazy, as we all know. It's just getting worse every year. What the retailers are realizing is that they are not making any more money, they are just spreading the amount out over a longer period of time. I don't know if it will end.
I usually stay out overnight so I can check in on him and his staff and bring them food and coffee. Retail sucks. Stay away from it if you want to ever have a family life. The only "sacred" day they are not open is Christmas.

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Black Fridays around me are fun and friendly as well- most people are kind and patient. I always make sure to give out extra smiles
My girlfriend and I go out at about midnight- we don't stand in the lines for one particular item but we do score some great deals and have fun!
I guess it is all how you look at it

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:

I was in restaurant management for 15 years. Even Christmas wasn't sacred. I still had to go in to prep for the next day. I feel your pain.

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I didn't read all the comments here but I think the commercial is funny and I love it! It is so creative. It makes me remember what it feels like to be a kid in a toy store. The kids in the commercial are adorable. What a fun commercial. They ARE selling toys.

That said, when my own were little we didn't watch regular t.v. during November. Well, they didn't. We did after they went to bed. We let them watch videos or do something else. I didn't want them to have a case of the gimmes and see all the ads.

Laurel

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Yeah, when we met we were both in the hotel industry. I have worked many a Christmas day, so has he. It just SUCKS when you have kids.
My dad was an airline pilot and while he was home most holidays there were times when he wasn't. It's life--we will all be okay. I just wish he had started a 9-5 type job when he was younger so we wouldn't still be dealing with this stuff.

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Why is what they are doing to make more profits any different that what some of use here do to make extra money?

We have open houses, parent night out, holiday hours, mom's day out services....etc..

I guess everyone is entitled to make a buck in any way they can.

If you don't like it, don't shop there but you certainly can't fault them for taking advantage of crazed shoppers.

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^^^^That and like I am reminded often... "...not everyone is Christian or a Pilgrim here. Get over yourself"

(my life is filled with grumpy old men, I love my life )

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I agree but I do wonder if it will backfire on them. There are an outrageous amount of posts on their facebook page regarding both topics. It's possible that these marketing tactics will lose them money...Personally, I am not bothered by it, I just started the post because I find the whole thing interesting

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I think that even if it seems like this back fires on them, they will still make money. I've seen some horrid advertising tactics in my lifetime, but oddly it seems that people still buy stuff, people will still shop and people RARELY follow through on their "ethical" boycotts in real life...kwim?

A few years back they had the whole Wal-Mart is akin to sweatshops and treats their employees badly but I don't see Walmart suffering any financial set backs because of it.

K-mart is another that came to mind. Other retail stores are PO'ed at Kmart for opening earlier and thus making them feel as though they have to open earlier too....Bet ALL stores open will have full parking lots.

Remember the "Ship my pants" commercial? People were outraged. K-mart seems to be reveling in the backlash because anyone in the business knows that even bad media attention is still attention.

I've also been in the mix with sleep deprived, crazy eyed, obsessed Black Friday shoppers at 5 am before and I guarantee you not one single one of them is debating ethics and morals of the stores they are shopping in at that moment.

A deal is a deal and no matter WHO is selling it, people WILL still come/shop.

There isn't a ToysRus within 250 miles of me thank goodness.

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That rings true with a friend of mine. There are three of us that are friends. One is a Christian, one is Jewish and I am an atheist (sounds like the beginning of a joke ).

But anyway, no one ever preaches or anything but the Jewish one and atheist one also celebrate Christmas. She is weak with her Judaism and just likes Christmas and when I was a Christian back in the day we celebrated so just kept it up although minimally now. Before grandchildren we didn't celebrate it at all for two years and loved it but then grandchildren came so we did again for them.

But anyway both of them LOVE to decorate for all holidays and I don't or if I do it is very minimally. Mostly I just am tired of holidays and not for any religious/non religious reasons.

I only buy presents for grandchildren and give a check to my 3 adult children. We have a nice meal. Sometimes I put up our tree and sometimes not but the Christian one just can't quit bugging me about my lackluster enthusiasm for holidays or anybody's for that matter....every single year.

Year after year she asks if I am going to put up the tree. I said maybe, maybe not. Depends on how I feel. But she said just last night "But you have children." I said "Yes, 3 adult ones and the grandchildren come only about every other week and they have a tree at home." She says "Well is your daughter going to put one up?" She knows very well my daughter is Wiccan and I say "Yes, she is because you know the Christmas tree really came from pagans in the first place." I figured that might get her goat a little. They call it Yule and a Yule tree. Then last year she commented on how in one neighborhood we drove through hardly anyone had their house decorated. Our Jewish friend said "Maybe they are Jewish." Well you get the idea....

She is a great person so I put up with her holiday nagging....

So last night we were in Michael's and she starts with the tree stuff. I said I had offered it to my son and hope he takes it. So darned if she doesn't see one at the store and says "Well you could get this little one then so you'd have something at least." I give up.

Laurel

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It's not just Toys R Us. It's Sears, Macy's, K-mart, Gap and Wal-mart that are also opening on Thanksgiving day. I'm sure there are more but these are the main big stores that will be open. Some others at our mall say that they may also be open. A friend of mine that works at the Disney Store says that they've heard from corporate that they may be open but won't announce it so that they don't get heat.

If the associates that worked that day were all volunteers then I wouldn't have a problem but unfortunately often in retail the seasonal associates HAVE to work if they don't get enough volunteers. If they refuse then they risk getting their hours cut or even fired

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Christmas and Halloween are the two Highest money making holidays for stores. We've decided not to make Christmas about gifts any more, there's ways of enjoying holidays with children with out spoiling them rotten, whether one is Chrisitian or not.

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I agree with most of your point of view. I worked retail for several years in a department that produces ***** profit. Of course the business has a right to open and attempt to make their profit. With this massive store chain, opening on Thanksgiving isn’t going to give them additional profits. Most Black Friday or Thanksgiving shoppers are would buy the merchandise anyway on a different day.

It’s sad for the employees. Employees who can quit and look for another job. Yet, it’s not always that easy. Many of us have to make sacrifices for the career path we’ve taken. (I’ve sacrificed sleeping late and hoarding. )

I use to love Thanksgiving as a retail employee years ago. It was one of two holidays I was guaranteed not to work.

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I personally am not bothered by toys r us or any store that wants to open on thanksgiving day. It's their business. Just as I run my business the way I see fit, they are doing the same.

Up until six years ago, I worked every single holiday. It is what it is. People either choose to work at a job where holiday working is possible or don't.

If people don't agree with how a store runs, hen don't shop there. It's pretty simple.

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That's the thing. Most people aren't getting a choice in whether or not they can work or not. It's either you work if we schedule you or you lose your income. And most people that apply for these jobs didnt expect to have to work on Thanksgiving just like they don't expect to work on Christmas. If the seasonal employees were told about having to work on Thanksgiving and they still applied then that is different, but employees that had worked long before last year never expected to have to work thanksgiving yet still had to if they were scheduled. Seasonal employees last year didn't know they'd have to work either.

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Where I live ALL retails stores are open every day of the year except Christmas (and some ARE open Christmas). I think it's a little weird that people get upset about it, especially when not everyone believes in or celebrate traditional western "holidays".

If you don't like it, don't shop that day. But don't get down on those who do - and don't judge the businesses that cater to it - they wouldn't be open on holidays if there wasn't a market to be.

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Just because I choose a job that isn't traditionally open on certain holidays doesn't mean they will NEVER do it. I've been a nurse for many years. I was told when I was hired that they take turns working holidays. And if you worked thanksgiving then you didn't work Christmas. It never happened that way.

It just really goes with the territory. You can't take a job and just assume just because normally hey aren't open on x day they will NEVER be open on x day.

Of course they have a right to be upset, but really it boils down to either keeping the job and working or finding another one,
is it fair? No. Can hey change it? Probably not.

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Exactly. I hope low turn out causing the executives making these decisions to rethink opening on Thanksgiving.

I’d also like to add all my years working retail, I’d literally twiddle my thumbs & tap the display glass many a night the store was open until 11 PM or midnight. It was like a ghost town with Frank Sinatra singing White Christmas in the background.

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A lot of the "prime" things will be on sale at 5pm on thanksgiving.

But I bet they will honor the sale later in the night or even on saturday. That is what i found last year.

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How do you make a profit?

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I resell on ebay It takes a lot of time and I research in advance so I know what to buy. I have actually already started buying, my office looks like a toy store lol. Even with the time and work involved it's totally worth it to me because I make enough to cover my entire Christmas!

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I guess I'm lucky I live in a pretty Jewish area. If you don't want to work on Christmas, there's always a coworker who doesn't celebrate so will switch with you and you'll do the same for them on their holidays.

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What toy would a parent want so bad they'd go to ebay and pay more for it? I'm intrigued

I have not seen any deals low enough to buy and resell this year yet.

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You would be surprised! Monster High dolls are just one example! I usually double or triple my money on certain dolls. American Girl Doll of the Year I bought 6 this year-they just went on back order as of today so I was doing the happy dance! I will make at least $100 profit from each doll, the price is already up to $170 & I am sure they will go to $220+ by December. If I set one aside for next year it will sell for $350 easy!

I did really well reselling Justin Bieber, One Direction & Skylanders comforters last year, doubled my $ each time. I have MANY different items and they will all be nearly impossible to find by December so I am just holding on to everything for now. More examples but only certain toys from these lines: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dragons of Berk, Despicable Me 2, Winx, Minecraft

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Really? I've seem tons of toys over the years be THE toy and parents will go to whatever lengths necessary to find that toy....

Remember the Tickle Me Elmo? People were selling them on e-bay for 3 times what they paid for them.

Same goes for the Wii when it came out. Furby's too (the original...not the ones out today). There are lots of toys I remember seeing in stores for xx dollars only to see them ACTUALLY selling on e-bay for MORE once the stores sold out.

This is a common practice for lots of items that are sold in limited quantities. People buy them up in large lots and then resell to make even more money.

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Target will now be opening earlier on Thanksgiving Day. Wal-Mart is already open but hold off on their big deals till later in the day and K-Mart is also already open.

This makes me start wondering if people are now skipping doing the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner so that they can get out there and shop-

Saddens me that one holiday can put soooooooooooo many people in a frenzy! We wonder why the kids are they way they are!

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I know it's a little different, but why aren't more people in an uproar about restaurant being open for Thanksgiving and Christmas? We rent a hall for Thanksgiving (we have a large family) and I always feel bad for the waiters and bartenders, but they say they're happy with the time and a half and tips. Just a thought.

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Yes, a lot of places are open on Thanksgiving, restaurants, gas stations etc. This is more about taking a tradition of Black Friday and starting on Thursday. It's not Black Friday anymore...people do want to take advantage of the deals but they don't want it to interfere with the holiday. I guess everyone will have to decide what's more important. I will be with my family but it's a bummer that the fun tradition of Black Friday is over

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I dont really have too much family here, but I go to my pretend adopted parents house every year for TG.

Black Friday shopping is a HUGE tradition of the family. This year we will all wear matching pajamas and include a fun scavenger hunt with it. I don't know all the details of it yet, mom says she won't tell a soul because that would be cheating. I do know that every year we all have to shop for a family in need. That is always a blast. We bought so much cool stuff last year that the family told us the kids had not gotten new shoes or jackets in years and they were more excited about that than anything.

I do think that it is sad that some of the retailers are open on these days, but then again a lot of employees will fight for these shifts so that they can earn the additional holiday pay or extra hours.

My papa works every christmas day so that those with young children don't have to work. He is such a saint.........

I see it as a great business opportunity for them and a chance to make a great buy for me. I love the gift of giving no matter what it is, time, money, love, monetary, etc....

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