When we went to Paul Bunyan Land when I was a kid, my parents always bought me a "mystery" bag for girls at the gift shop on the way out. Of course, it didn't cost $345 but a mystery bag is not without precedent in the US.
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'Lucky Bags' Go on Sale at Japanese Apple Stores, Big-Ticket Items Included
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When we went to Paul Bunyan Land when I was a kid, my parents always bought me a "mystery" bag for girls at the gift shop on the way out. Of course, it didn't cost $345 but a mystery bag is not without precedent in the US.
The US got the 12 days of apps this year and look what happened.The App Store is a total mess and most are whining because they think they're entitled to more than they're being offered.
We're not culturally stable enough in the US to have something like this. Everyone has $345 to blow, especially when it mean they're getting $1,000+ worth of stuff. Look at what happens on Black Friday.
Yup.
America doesn't deserve this (I mean that).
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Dead on.
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I am embarrassed to be an American every year on "Black Friday" "Gray Thursday" whatever, when I see on television what goes on on these days (and those images get broadcast around the world).
...and I'm so glad that Tim Cook refused to open Apple Stores on Thanksgiving.
Hawaii celebrated Fukubukuro yesterday, but Apple wasnt one of the participating merchants BUT Microsoft was. :/
See my previous post. Apple did do this in the USA and none of the FUD predicted here happened.
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Here is a link for the details.
http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/lucky_bags.html
Almost makes my think of getting these at adventure world, only to lots of goodies inside...
Crap, by today's standards, but the feeling is still there.
Now, it's a bag of tech....
I don't need a lucky bag to get one of those t-shirt, I already have three
Crap, by today's standards, but the feeling is still there.
Now, it's a bag of tech....
I don't need a lucky bag to get one of those t-shirt, I already have three
Good analysis of why we won't get lucky in other countries!
I have long been curious why companies like QuiBids, Beezid, and the other penny auctions are not categorized (and regulated) as gambling.
I have long been curious why companies like QuiBids, Beezid, and the other penny auctions are not categorized (and regulated) as gambling.
Embarrassed to be an american because if the chaos on Black Friday? Calm down.
Yeah, like it never happens anywhere else and with anyone else. I suppose all those asians standing in droves inside and outside of the U.S. on launch day of an iPhone buying them just so they can turn around an immorally scalp them is definitely something to be proud of in terms of their culture's actions.
And let's not start with the people in Iraq (not the american soldiers). Yeah, their country has idiots that don't know how to act either.
Embarrassed to be an american because if the chaos on Black Friday? Calm down.
Yeah, like it never happens anywhere else and with anyone else. I suppose all those asians standing in droves inside and outside of the U.S. on launch day of an iPhone buying them just so they can turn around an immorally scalp them is definitely something to be proud of in terms of their culture's actions.
What happens on "Black Friday" is an embarrassment unique to America.
It was very well publicized. Remember this is not free or a 19.95 deal. Outside of the Mac faithful I doubt the general public would stampede the apple store for a lucky bag.
You are just making stuff up. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/broadcasting-contests-lotteries-and-solicitation-funds
Permitted - lotteries that are authorized or not otherwise prohibited by the state in which they are conducted, are conducted by a not-for-profit or governmental organization, or are conducted as a promotional activity by a commercial organization and are clearly occasional and ancillary to the primary business of that organization.
Yeah, Black Friday is all ours. But it's not like people acting stupid dumb is exclusive to America. Idiocy knows no racial, cultural, or national boundaries.
No, but America excels at it like no other nation on Earth.
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It wasn't well publicized. The "Mac Faithful" are the about only ones who really knew about it. Was it advertised on national television? No. Did the average Joe on the street know about it the way people know about sales at Walmart the day after Thanksgiving? No. And for 345 dollars to get the chance of a Macbook Air, maybe an iPad, and well, everything else in there that is valued in total way over 345 dollars, more than just the "Mac Faithful" would do it.
Apple DID try this in the USA in 2004. It was a black bag with a tag that said "Do you feel lucky?"
Same bag as they did in the UK for the Regent Street opening, no drama, no fighting, just the people who got there early got the bags.
Its a sales weekend following thanksgiving and people enjoy it. Some go overboard fighting over small stuff but that usually happens at Walmart and that's Walmart's fault for not handling things properly. Target and other stores don't have that problem. I think Walmart enjoys the craze anyway, it's good for their business. I can come up with a laundry list of embarrassments unique to countries outside of the U.S.
But you need calm down about it, it's really not that serious. If you feel of it as an "embarrassment" then that's a personal problem and no one can help you there.
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Well not really, someone already posted (which made me remember because I forgot about it) a pic showing that Apple had a "grab bag" day here in the U.S. I didn't participate it in because I don't care for making mystery purchases. IMO that's for people who have money and time to burn.
I'm perfectly calm and mean what I say.
P.S. I'd hardly call people going to the hospital or being trampled or killed or having fights in parking lots or, IIRC, a SHOOTING "small stuff".
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Actually, while the concept of a "grab bag" isn't, Fukubukuro *is* a Japanese culture thing. Fukubukuro is a New Years tradition in Japan and other stores in Japan do it as well at specifically for New Years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukubukuro
When I said "small stuff" I was referring to products of small worth. People tend to fight over stuff like that on BF. You're taking it much further than reality. Shooting and brawls in parking lots isn't common on BF. I should know, I go out every BF and shop many stores throughout the night. Most people are very calm, it's just a lot of people out in the streets store hopping.
As I mentioned, Walmart is the creator of much of that stuff. It's up to the stores to handle that properly. Again, you're making it out to be much more than it is and yes calling black friday "A embarrassment for America" is being overdramatic.
Good analysis of why we won't get lucky in other countries!
I have long been curious why companies like QuiBids, Beezid, and the other penny auctions are not categorized (and regulated) as gambling.
They are not gambling. They are obviously rip-offs (and the only time I've ever complained about a TV advert here in the UK was about madbid.com, and that was actually successful and their ad was not repeated), but they are officially "games of skill". Now the most skilful players are those who don't even compete in these games, but the outcome is completely determined by the actions of the players.
What annoys me most is that they appeal to and rip off the poorest people, who for example can't afford to buy an iPad and think they can get one for £20. Your chances are a lot better if you go to a game casino and bet £20 on one number and go home with £720 or nothing.
It's weird agreeing with DJP on something, but he's right. You're taking what are ultimately isolated incidences and applying them to the country as a whole.
Black Friday is a nationwide sale that practically everyone participates in. With that many people going out shopping all at once, you're bound to get some idiocy from the select few idiots who are now out and about with everyone else. It's not like everyone suddenly loses civility all at once, and the whole country turns into a frenzied Thunderdome style melee on that day.