Waiting to shop is the draw for some who lined up for Black Friday deals

By 2:30 a.m. Friday, nearly 100 people had formed a line that stretched the length of Bluffton's Best Buy store to stake their claim to high-definition televisions, laptop computers and other Black Friday door busters.

Moss Creek resident Javier Esteban was the first to arrive. He ate a turkey dinner about 4 p.m. Thursday and headed to the store 12 hours before its 5 a.m. opening to wait for a $197 HP laptop.

Two Bluffton High School students wrapped in warm blankets followed close behind, bringing hot chocolate and cookies. Lindsey Ranz and Shawna Campbell waited to buy cameras for themselves and video games for Campbell's brother and Ranz's boyfriend.

"He better get me something good for Christmas," Ranz said. "Like diamonds."

Beaufort County residents braved 40-degree temperatures to join the 134 million shoppers nationwide expected to take advantage of discounts marking the official start of the Christmas shopping season. About 40 percent of those shoppers were expected to hit stores between midnight and 6 a.m, according to the National Retail Foundation.

Retailers have reported strong crowds, with high definition televisions, laptops, winter coats and toy Zhu-Zhu pets among the most popular items, according to the foundation. Managers at several local stores -- including Bluffton's Tanger Outlets, Best Buy and Target -- said Friday's crowds were larger than last year's.

"We're thrilled," said Gary Tomlin, general manager at Target. By Friday afternoon, he said more shoppers had entered the store and sales were higher compared to the same time last year.

Tanger Outlet Center opened at midnight for the third year.

"We were very busy and pretty much at capacity in parking," said general manager LaDonna Shamlou. "People were out spending and stores were busy and we heard a lot of comments about how great the deals were."

Heather Blankenship and her friends planned to spend all night and morning trekking across Beaufort County in search of the best deals. They started at Tanger Outlets at midnight and planned to continue to Old Navy, Walmart, Belk, J.C. Penney and Target before heading home.

Blankenship planned to finish her Christmas shopping Friday, but she said the crowds were frustrating. Her friends circled the parking lot at the outlets for 35 minutes before finding a spot, she said.

"The lines are very long, and that's why I have no bags yet," she said about 1:30 a.m.

But discounts make fighting the crowds worthwhile, said Amanda Sanders, who drove to Tanger Outlets from Effingham, Ga., for the Midnight Madness sale. She carried bags stuffed full of apparel from Carter's. The store offered a 50 percent discount on all merchandise, and Sanders also had a coupon. The combination allowed her to buy $300 worth of clothes for $100, she said.

"You can't beat that," she said.

Some shoppers who spent the night outside Best Buy said the crowds and odd hours make Black Friday exciting.

Ranz and Campbell gave themselves French manicures while they waited and played cards with the customers around them, including Claude Phan of Savannah. Phan celebrated his 21st birthday in Best Buy's parking lot.

"I'm freezing my butt off, but I've met people," he said. "It's quite entertaining."

Kyle Frey and Greg Ulbrich, two college students home for Thanksgiving break, brought lawn chairs, drank a cooler full of soda and set up a beer pong table in the parking lot while waiting to buy laptops. They played the popular college drinking game with water instead of alcoholic drinks, and friends visited them during their camp-out.

"We just wanted to entertain ourselves," Frey said.