One group of friends has already been there for more than 12 hours, and they are not worried about the typically cold weather.
“This is nothing. Later tonight, we’re going to have a power generator, along with our propane heater. We might also have a ping-pong table. It’s serious business,” Jackson Gallagher said.
Stores love riding a huge wave of free publicity that comes along when people camp out. Gallagher and his friends showed up just before midnight. The Black Friday pros are even generating some of their own buzz by counting down the hours and establishing a Twitter account for friends and potential fans.
This is the fourth year in a row that the group has gone out for the early bird bargains, and now they have moved to the front of the line.
“Being first is quite a source of pride. Last year, the people that had been first for a number of years got mad and left after we showed up and went to another Best Buy store. To be first is kind of become a competition,” Gallagher said.
He said he is not even buying anything for himself. He is just getting a few things for friends and family.