# Anyone heading south of the border for shopping deals on Black Friday?



## Alexandra (Apr 3, 2009)

I never go. Are there really great deals to be had? Or is it just junk, marked down?


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Alexandra said:


> I never go. Are there really great deals to be had? Or is it just junk, marked down?


Come to think of it, we've never made a shopping trip to the US. BTW, did you notice flyers this week trying to generate Black Friday hype here?


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

It's not just marked-down junk. I lived for 40 years in the States and a lot of people do all their Christmas shopping on the day after (U.S.) Thankgiving. It's sort of like the American version of Boxing Day.

I've gotten some emails from Canadian stores (e.g. Mostly Digital in the Toronto area) offering discounts tomorrow as well, so it seems to be catching on in parts of Canada. Apple Canada also has a sale tomorrow.

The issue of course is, if you just drive down and back in the same day, you can't bring back very much with you without having to pay duty. If you're going to buy a lot of stuff, you should spend the whole weekend, and unless you're staying with friends for free, you'll end up spending a lot more on hotel and food than you'll save during the sales.

Plus you'll have to declare your purchases at the border and pay Canadian sales taxes on them unless their under the limit. Plenty of people go through the border and lie, saying they didn't buy anything, but I imagine the agents will be a bit more skeptical of such claims this weekend. We've had our car searched a few times coming back into Canada, and one agent even looked at the tags of the clothes we were wearing to try to determine whether we'd bought them in the States and were wearing them to elude taxes at the border. So I declare everything and don't take any chances...it's not worth the fines and hassle if they catch you.


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## Dr_V (Oct 27, 2009)

I lived for about a year in California. My experience with Black Friday, in the silicon valley area, was that it was *nuts*.

If you can survive the overnight lineups, and manage the crowds, you can get some *amazing* deals.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

I think I am as cheap as they come but nothing will lure me out to super crowded stores. I just slow boil as I wait i line. The biggest offender is Walmart any day of the week go there and there is a 20 minute wait to check out. And you can't tell me this isn't deliberate either. They have the granularity to tell how many Kleenex boxes they are going to sell on Tuesday there's just no excuse for it. 

So no Black Friday, no Boxing Day honestly there's not a salary you could pay me to make me stand in line or fight though crowded stores much less have me pay for the priviledge.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Berubeland said:


> I think I am as cheap as they come but nothing will lure me out to super crowded stores.


This is why I will never again go to IKEA. I've gone twice, and that was two times too many for me.


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## specialk (Jul 14, 2009)

If something is a want but not a need, and it's marked down...is it really a deal?

Also, it was my understanding that most things marked down are gimmicks to get people in the door, for example 50 percent off a tv, but the fine print says there is only 5 of these at each location or something...plus it's more of a knock off version of something similar.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Berubeland said:


> I just slow boil as I wait i line. The biggest offender is Walmart any day of the week go there and there is a 20 minute wait to check out. And you can't tell me this isn't deliberate either.


I had the strangest experience at my local Wal-Mart. I had to drop in at 12 mid-night the other day (our local Wal-Mart is open 24 hours) and guess what? Yep, a 20 minute line up! Now that may be a coincidence because it's not often that I shop at midnight but Wal-Mart does seem to have the slowest check outs.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

There's no way it's a coincidence. If you read about WalMart they have analyzed customer info to the max They know how many cases of Kleenex they will sell on Tuesday.

I agree IKEA is even worse if that's possible than WalMart. I go there to buy kitchens for a property i manage I save about $600 per kitchen compared to Home Depot so that is worth a wait in line. Their system for ordering kitchen is ridiculously poor. 

Oh a tip about Walmart i have been known to check out a few items from the electronics section.


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## Wim (Jan 5, 2010)

*Buy Canadian or buy in Canada*

I know it could be a good deal going to the US to shop but we have to think about what we are doing. 

First of all I believe we should buy Canadian made if possible. I am willing to spend up to 15% more if a product is made in Canada that way keeping our money in our own country and keeping people in jobs here. 

Second, I believe to buy as much as possible local in my own town and again I am willing to spend a bit more. It saves me the time and expenses associated with travel. And this way I help our local community with jobs, which hopefully will benifit me in the end as well. 

Think about this next time when you jump in the car and plan on spending your Canadian dollars in the US for items that are made in another country.

I just love this wonderful country of ours.

Thanks
Wim.


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## ssimps (Dec 8, 2009)

Wim said:


> I know it could be a good deal going to the US to shop but we have to think about what we are doing.
> 
> First of all I believe we should buy Canadian made if possible. I am willing to spend up to 15% more if a product is made in Canada that way keeping our money in our own country and keeping people in jobs here.
> 
> ...


Here here! Literally!


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## pantograph (Apr 6, 2009)

Wim said:


> I know it could be a good deal going to the US to shop but we have to think about what we are doing.
> 
> First of all I believe we should buy Canadian made if possible. I am willing to spend up to 15% more if a product is made in Canada that way keeping our money in our own country and keeping people in jobs here.
> 
> ...


I disagree. If I can get something cheaper somewhere else, travel or frieght included, then I will buy it there. Why move extra money out o fmy own pocket into somebody else's just because they happen to live close to me?

If it makes sense to buy Canadian instead of American, even if it costs more, then maybe I should also only buy from my own province, or my own city, or my own neighborhood, or only from people within 50m of my front door.

Would your own job or business survive if everyone thought like you, Wim? I know mine would'nt.


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