I saw on the news yesterday that 1,000 people had lined up in front of a local Walmart to be the first to get at sales. It was 6:00 in the morning!!

Did anyone else get up that early to go shopping? I think it's crazy!

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

I cannot imagine waiting to go into a Wallmart. That is just sick.

I'm going to try to do most of mine online. I don't think I have the intestinal fortitude this season to fight the shopping mania.

No way you would have found me out there on Black Friday. I'd end up being the lead story on the evening news.

I do what I can to avoid the shopping insanity in general. Kids will get some stuff; most adult relatives will be getting charitable donations made in their names.

Howdy All,
No way you find me sitting outside a store waiting for it to open. My shopping is fairly low keyed. I just have to get one or two things for my mother. I don't even get involved with gift exchange at work.

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

I don't have a link to it, but I remeber a study shwong men's heart rates inrceasing, stress hormones rising and all the symptoms of physiological discomfort rocketing when men are dragged along by their better halves to shop. I know I experience that. It's the seemingly directionless way women shop - either it's very inefficient or it's very clever and I haven't figured out the algorthim. When I go shopping, I'm in, I'm out like a rat up a drainpipe.

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'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

Men are hunters, women are gatherers. That's why I never take my husband shopping...ever! We have a deal: I do the Christmas shopping and he does all the wrapping. Of course, he waits until Christmas eve to start and every year it gets on my last nerve but he always manages to finish in time.

Shopping is recreational to most women. Just apply the joy men get wandering the tools department at Sears to all other types of shopping, and you will understand the shopping habits of women.

Having the beer concession at Home Depot or Lowes would be a winner. Imagine th guys lining up for a brewski as they stroll the tool section or ponder the fasteners area.

Perhaps the whine and cheese concession for men entering "Gap"?

Though in general I love to shop and spend, my holiday shopping is almost entirely online. Over the year I listen to what my two sons and my parents mention as items they would like. The list grows. If they end up with the item before the holiday, off the list it goes. Lands' End, L.L. Bean, Plow & Hearth, Vermont Country Store, Orvis, King Arthur, Sharper Image and the NH State Liquor Store get most of my shopping attention. All but the last can be hit online and I buy myself the best gifts from those. That's right. I love holiday shopping for myself. Who better than me knows what I want? Heck. My list of parts from FastLane has been growing weekly. I can wrap the items and open them with Brier (my four-legged family member). He is a Bulldog that loves to be spoiled.

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Steve
'87 300TD - 132K - Soon 4-Sale
'84 300D Turbo - 122K - Driving
'77 VW Type II - 77K - Restored
'08 250EX Ninja
English Bulldog (Brier) - My best friend. Passed away 12/02/04 while in my arms.

Apparently shoppers can also get research grants!

Shopping Mall Study

Last night my girlfriend and I were doing some Christmas decoration shopping.

We hit Target, then Walmart. What a difference!! Target was cleaner, had nicer stuff, and less crowded. Walmart was just crowded and the people were less friendly. That may also be due to the high volume of customers.

We went back to Target and bought all our stuff there.

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

Our Christmas shopping is done for the most part. The daughter and nieces have few requests, so the gifts are easily obtainable. We just head for the mall and stroll the stores, watching everyone else wait in long lines to save a buck or two on a "Chia" pet!

I remember the days of trying to procure the "hot toy" (remember "Furbys", Tickle Me Elmo", etc.)...all of which now sit on kids' shelves or in closets, forgotten less than a few months later? Fortunately, no one I had to buy presents for requested any of them.

Anyone remember the early days of internet shopping? Great discounts on the merchandise, but S&H rendered the potential savings null and void?

I find Christmas to be especially stressful when you are hosting for the holidays...trying to make the experience match the lofty expectations of the Christmas card depictions...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I didn't shop Friday, but picked out our wedding rings Saturday