Black Friday officially begins at midnight, and there are those who've spent hours camping out, waiting in line to get the best deals. The crowd at Best Buy in Myrtle Beach is in good spirits and say they've formed their own little family.
Preparing for Black Friday is serious business, not just for stores, but for shoppers.
If you're going to camp out days before, you must have the essentials
"I picked up the military cot at a flea market for five bucks, and it keeps me off the ground, and the sleeping bag keeps me warm," says Richard Worcester.
"I slap together a cooler, then some frozen water bottles, hit the gas station grab some chips and beef jerky and come out here," adds JD Dean.
Wednesday morning, veteran Black Friday camper Dean set up shop hours ahead of the competition, to the dismay of Worcester. "I thought I was going to beat him, but when I found out that somebody was here, I knew it was him."
Dean is now a celebrity of sorts. "Yesterday about seven people came by (and asked me) 'Do you mind if we take a picture with you and put it on Facebook and show our friends?'"
One woman even brought him hand warmers, hot doughnuts, and a drink.
"They were fresh, and the coffee she brought to us was so hot, we couldn't even drink it. That was the freshest coffee I've ever had," says Dean.
As for those who call them crazy for waiting out those deals, Worcester takes it in stride. "They're the ones in the back of the line complaining because they haven't gotten anything."
To prepare for the big crowds, stores like Best Buy have a system in place. For instance, all the carts are outside the store until they open.
As for Dean, he says next year he may start camping out even earlier - possibly even a week.
