MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. -- "I think there's better ways to save money, I think they're nuts," said one shopper about the people who have already set up camp outside of the Best Buy in Middletown in anticipation of Black Friday.
That's a common sentiment among those we spoke to outside of the megastore. It's not so much the camping out for great deals, it's how early some have begun doing it -- and what it takes away from.
"Thanksgiving should be with your family, enjoying health and each other," said Harold Garcia, "not coming in to get a good deal on electronics that you can get somewhere else maybe at a lower discounted price on a different day."
A different day. As in, not on Thanksgiving day. That's when many stores plan to open their doors for the herds of crazed shoppers looking to cash in on some good deals, even if it means cutting out from Thanksgiving dinner a little early.
"That's crazy. How could you miss that?" said Lucia Bosco. "This is America. We do Thanksgiving, then Black Friday the very next day. We're kind of hypocrites. We can't give thanks and then kill each other to get the best deal."
One man inside of the first tent says he'd been camped out for a few days already. When asked how long exactly, he wouldn't say -- because it might mean not being first in line in the future.
Each year, the rush to get the best deals the quickest seems to begin earlier and earlier. While getting your hands on the latest gadget might bring you a fleeting happiness, it's the things that aren't things at all that last forever, Garcia said.
"I've been to many funerals, and I bury no one with their stuff," he added.