Black Friday Starts Early For Some Tulsa Shoppers

Christmas shopping started Thanksgiving afternoon for a lot of people as stores kicked off their holiday sales.

A Best Buy store and many other stores reopened at 5 o'clock Thursday, and there were big crowds waiting.

At a Best Buy in the Tulsa Hills, the line started at the door, wrapped around the front and side of the building, and then some.

Hundreds of people waited for hours.

The woman first in line arrived at 6 am, hoping for a deal on a TV.

The man behind her arrived at 7:30 am for the same TV. 

Best Buy drew a crowd by advertising a 50 inch, 4k TV for $179.

The first few got an orange ticket, reserving one for them.

“We all get a ticket and they reserve it for about 3 hours,” said shopper Christian Sharp. 

There were 19 tickets at that store.

But Cameron Fry was 20th in line.

“Probably not a chance now. Not unless someone up front changes their mind,” said Fry.

At 5 o'clock, the doors opened and the crowd surged in.

There was no pushing, and not much running, and while people were buying everything, the focus was on those televisions.

Outside, the folks further back in line, there was hope for some other deals, even for the people who arrived mid-afternoon.

“Not early enough, but maybe, if they all want the TV,” said shopper Amanda Maledon. 

Shoppers were lined up to check out, and they didn't have to rush for that one television.

Those were stacked up in the back, hand-delivered to the buyer's car to make sure those first in line got what they came for.

“It was worth it. I think they knocked $320 off it, so. No, not at all,” said shopper Trey Wilson. 

And small car or not, that handful of early birds got the deal they wanted.

“So, spending five and half hours here, it was totally worth it,” said shopper Jacob Miller. 
The Best Buy at Tulsa Hills won't close until 1 am, then it reopens in the morning at 8.