Filled to the giblets with turkey, stuffed with stuffing and brimming with holiday madness, shoppers lined the parking lots this morning, hoping to catch the first Pokemon and other great deals on the first official day of the Christmas shopping season.

Friday, November 26, 1999

Filled to the giblets with turkey, stuffed with stuffing and brimming with holiday madness, shoppers lined the parking lots this morning, hoping to catch the first Pokemon and other great deals on the first official day of the Christmas shopping season.

A steady stream of patrons armed with sale circulars hit Ames in Ironton like a whirlwind.

List in hand, and checking it twice, three generations of shoppers in Ironton resident Janice Wilson’s family made their way through the electronics department.

Selection is important to the savvy shopper, and for this family, the variety definitely helped cross another gift off the seemingly endless list.

"I didn’t get exactly what I came for, but they had another item that was comparable, so we got that one," Mrs. Wilson said, showing off a newly-acquired portable CD player, complete with headphones. The player is a birthday and Christmas gift for her grandson, one of many December birthdays in the family.

With her daughter, Cheryl Jenkins, and her granddaughter, Heather Jenkins, 11, watching for deals, the family is sure to stock up before moving onto the next stop, she added.

"We’re shopping for just about everything we need, and today’s a good day to shop," she said, speaking from years of experience. "There are some really good bargains."

Rather than the mad rush the store usually experiences, this year, as Ames instead of Hills, the store was open on Thanksgiving Day, which means the sales –  and the rush –  started a bit early this year, floor associate Anita Jenkins said.

"The rush comes and goes today," she said. "It’s not as packed as it usually is, but it’s steady. I think with us being open (Thursday), some people got out and did some shopping then, too."

Although it’s not necessarily a long-standing tradition for Phyllis Craft’s family, shopping the day after Thanksgiving definitely means bargains galore.

"This is on the second year we’ve been off work to do this, but we’re going to make it a family tradition," Mrs. Craft said. "If you shop the day after Thanksgiving, there are a lot of bargains. You definitely save a lot."

Christmas shopping wasn’t Mrs. Craft’s only consideration, either.

"We’re just doing general shopping, too, getting things we need," she said. "There are sales either way."

While parents rushed in to catch the best deals on electronics, Pokemon items and Draggin’ Ball Z, others sought refuge in more familiar territory.

Safely ensconced among items for home repairs and car necessities, Franklin Furnace resident Chester Carter bagged up some batteries and perused the more masculine aisles.

While visions of bargain hunting dance through his wife’s head, Carter envisions carrying armloads of packages and parcels instead.

"The wife wanted to get some of her Christmas shopping done today, so I just came up with her," he said with a grin that only a man can understand during the Christmas rush. "I’m really just looking for some other things we need right now."

After all, there are only 29 days to go.