Black Friday Shoppers Get in Line 3 Weeks Early

Some stores are trying to resist Black Friday madness by refusing to open on Thanksgiving, but for die-hard shoppers, it's never too early to get ready for the mega-sales. Take Vicky Torres and Juanita Salas, who were already bundled up and camped out in front of the Beaumont, Calif., Best Buy weeks before everyone starts defrosting their turkeys. They've been there since last Wednesday, ABC 7 reports, and they're "good to go" for the duration, Torres says, with warm clothing, hot coffee, and food. "The point is to get the sales, because everybody is on a fixed income and we don't have that kind of money to splurge," says Salas' husband, Jacob Alva.

The two women alternate who stays overnight to save their places in line, though there's no indication from reports that anyone else is actually in said line yet. If both women have to leave for a bathroom break or for any other reason, Alva takes over, he tells the San Bernardino County Sun; he also charges their phones and brings them sustenance. He's not particularly worried about his wife's safety, claiming "the cops and security out here are really good." Torres and Salas did the same "fun" thing last year—Best Buy's Beaumont manager tells the Sun "we love Vicky here." So what's their holiday must-have this time around? A 50-inch high-def TV for $199, they tell ABC. (Cyber Monday might be even bigger than Black Friday.)