Cyber Monday as good as... Hyundai

I'll admit it, I bought into the hype. For about two seconds. Today is the media-fabricated Cyber Monday, a day when online retailing giants supposedly offer such magnificent deals that we'll all whip out our credit cards and start furiously pecking in the numbers, like obedient freaking droids.

Just out of curiosity, I did a little searching this morning for bargains, both at my favorite online retailers, and in my inbox, which is getting flooded with mediocre (at best) deals, such as "Free Shipping With All Orders Over $75!" Whee.

After only a few clicks at the Web sites of Best Buy, Staples, J.Crew, Macy's and Gap, it didn't take me long to surmise that today, these stores are bores. I found much better deals on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. I don't know where Cyber Monday ranks, but in '05 it wasn't even in the top 10 in online sale days.

I worked in retail long enough to know this - if you're having a sale, then have a sale. Offering me free shipping isn't going to feed the bulldog. And for heaven's sakes, come up with a better name. Cyber Monday reminds me of cyber stalking. For that matter, anything with the name cyber in front of it sucks big time.

Like all of the supposed sales I'm seeing online today.

Amusing Black Friday footage

I got a pretty good kick out of this - Bush protesters being the first in line to get into stores to snatch up some bargains - the footage made several of the news networks that were reporting on the Black Friday crowds yesterday. Take a look at the footage...

Pretty funny.

I have to confess that I personally don't buy into the anti-shopping school of thought about Black Friday. I guess with times being tight, getting a value is more important to me than ever, and if that means going to a store at four in the morning to save some significant money, I'll do it. I won't be completely happy about it, but I'll do it.

I left our condo at 3:30 yesterday morning, and the line at Best Buy on Columbus Blvd. in Philadelphia was at least 300 people long, and I'm not kidding.

I then went to another store and got in a line that was only about 15 long at 4 a.m. I stood in line for two hours, but I got what I wanted. I won't say what or where though - my wife Vandra reads my blog.

Anyway, happy bargain hunting this holiday season. There are many to be had - and that's the one good piece of news about our sagging economy. Money may be tight, but if you're patient and persistent, you can make your dollar got a lot further than usual.

Here's hoping you all had a Happy Thanksgiving. Thirty days until Christmas!

h/t to Crooks & Liars for the video and picture