HOUSTON – Black Friday begins on Thanksgiving for a lot shoppers these days, and those shoppers are getting a bigger head start every year.
Some are even camping out three days before the shopping frenzy begins.
There were already are nearly a dozen shoppers camped out in tents in front of the Best Buy at Gessner and Highway 59 in southwest Houston on Wednesday.
Hailey Mira is in line with her father. They've been in line since 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. For the Miras it's about more than just shopping.
"It's for the experience to say that we were out here," Antonio Mira said. "We missed the Astros. We missed the Super Bowl. So you know, we gotta do something interesting right?"
Before they can get inside the store for the deals -- they had to claim a spot outside in line and no one did that faster than Cesar Giraldo.
Giraldo knew exactly what to bring to get through the night and he's been camping out in front of the store since Monday night.
Giraldo is a Black Friday veteran.
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"This is my ninth straight year doing this," he said. "And in the last three years I have been the first in the line."
Black Friday is a day that separates the shopping pros from the amateurs. The folks who are willing to brave the elements aren't just hearty -- they also know when they spot a good deal.
"I'm gonna buy a TV, 50-inch," Giraldo said. "I'm gonna save like $350, just on the TV. It's gonna be nice and I'm planning to buy some more stuff. A laptop, maybe a tablet. I'm going to have some savings, nice savings at the end."
Best Buy will open its doors at 5 a.m. Thursday to begin its Black Friday sale.