OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — On Thanksgiving, hundreds of people stood in a line hoping to catch a good deal at Best Buy.
At the store on 115th Street and Metcalf Avenue, the line snaked around the building with an hour to go before the doors opened.
Jackson Rush from Overland Park was toward the back.
"It’s kind of have been a Thanksgiving tradition for all of us to come out here," Rush said.
Each one of the people in line were looking for a bargain this Thanksgiving.
One man had been standing in the line since sunrise.
"Last year I saw people put a tent here the day before," Olathe resident Mahpoob Alam said.
Some didn't have luck on their side.
"I’m looking for a 55-inch TV, but unfortunately it’s tomorrow morning," said Javid Atter, from Overland Park.
A voucher system kept order outside the store.
"It’s a little bit right now the calm before the storm, making sure everyone is in the right places and knows their roles," Emily Fuentez, the store's general manager, told 41 Action News.
Fuentez gave her employees a little pep talk before the rush.
"Let’s make sure that we do our very best to give the very best experience to every customer that comes in this building, can you guys all do that for me?" Fuentez said during the speech.
At 5 p.m., the doors opened.
"I was going to pass out from turkey anyways, and so we might as well go here and not like passed out I guess," said Colton Lammers, who was visiting from Iowa.
While some shoppers made a single stop at Best Buy, others had a serious game plan.
"We’re doing it all night: Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart — everything, we’re doing it all," Overland Park resident Heidi Cudnik said. "I got my credit cards ready to go. I called to get my limits expanded or what do you call it when you get your limits up so you can go in and spend, spend, spend"
So, ultimately, why do they brave the crowds?
"I think it’s fun. I used to think people were crazy to do this, I really did, but now it’s exciting and you meet the nicest people in line. I feel like you make friends, like you’re bonding over this," Cudnik said.
Best Buy closed at 1 a.m. Friday but reopened at 8 a.m.
