Black Friday a big hit in Eastern Iowa

EASTERN IOWA - The economy, cold and crowds had no effect on the decade-long tradition of the Malichky women from Riverside.

They bought a few newspapers on Thursday to look at the ads and spent the day making their Black Friday plans.

“We're not football people; we're shopping people,” Miranda Malichky, 29, said.

That's not totally true, actually.

“I don't even like shopping,” said her mother-in law, Carol Malichky, 57, “but (Black Friday) is a lot of fun.”

They arrived at Coral Ridge Mall at 5:30 a.m. – “We slept in,” Miranda explained – and by 9:30 a.m. were making their third trip to the car to load up bags.

Williamsburg and Coralville

All those people who start their Black Friday at 4 a.m., they're amateurs compared with Jackie Oster.

The 54-year-old left her home in the small town of Industry in western Illinois Thursday evening with her sister and best friend and arrived at Tanger Outlet Mall in Williamsburg at 10 p.m.

“We do our Thanksgiving dinner and then we power nap” she said.

Still going at 7 a.m. Friday at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, they expected to call it a day at 10 a.m. and head home.

Eric Ogoli, a 42-year-old from North Liberty, and his two daughters got to the Coral Ridge Mall Target at 4:10 a.m. to try to get a 42-inch flat-screen TV he wanted, but they were too late. Walmart was all out, too.

They were going to try Best Buy for the TV.

“I really want that TV,” he said with a laugh.

Cedar Rapids - Half Price Books

Nicole Krajnovich, 34, from Cedar Rapids had a simple plan for getting up in time to search for Black Friday values.

“I wore what I was going to wear this morning to bed so in the morning I could just brush my teeth and go,” she said.

She was one of about 150 people who lined up outside Half Price Books in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Nov. 26, 2010,  for discounts and free gift card giveaways.

Krajnovich began her shopping trip around 4:00 a.m., but rather than risk her Christmas gift plans on fighting a crowd, she planned ahead.

“We draw names in my family during the summer, so I've had 75 percent of my Christmas shopping done for about a month now,” she said. “I picked up one thing for my parents, but mostly I'm shopping for myself.”

Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids

Many shoppers from the surrounding region were perusing the sales at the Lindale Mall. The shopping trip to Cedar Rapids has become a family tradition for Rosie Moorman, 61, from Manchester.

“We stop at the Manchester WalMart first, then we come here, get some dinner and we're back in Manchester by the afternoon,” she said.

Moorman mainly was buying clothes and athletic apparel for her children and grandchildren.

The trip also is traditional for Patty Briggs, 45, and her husband, Mike Briggs, 44, from Manchester, although they started later this year at around 6 a.m.

“We're usually in the stores at about 4 or 5 a.m., but this year our kids' wish list didn't need us to get up as early,” Mike Briggs said.

The wish list included iPods, digital cameras and video games.

“The lists just didn't match the sales,” Patty Briggs said.

As Black Friday veterans, the Briggs said they were surprised to see the mall appeared to be less intense this year compared with previous trips.

“The crowd seems pretty mellow,” Mike Briggs said. “It doesn't seem like as many people are out as in the past.”

Some shoppers, such as Jeanette Baumler, 30, of Strawberry Point, weren't there to buy Christmas presents.

“I'm here mainly for myself,” Baumler said. “I can do most of my Christmas shopping online.”

Baumler said she can find better presents through Internet shopping as well as take advantage of post-holiday sales.

“I'm going to wait until after Christmas for some things because I have another family I celebrate Christmas with after Christmas,” she said.

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