With tents up and generators humming, shoppers wait for Black Friday

Hands off that external hard drive, bucko!

Extreme shoppers are already lining up for Black Friday deals at the Best Buy in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Jonas Allooh, 28, was the first to set up shop outside the big-box electronics retailer, according to Akron Beacon Journal Online. Allooh brought a generator, a microwave, a bed, a TV, and a videogame console. So, yeah, he's prepared.

The paper reports that a short time after Allooh started squatting, another shopper, Tony Avitar, set up his own makeshift camp right next to him.

Fox 8 News reports that Avitar has camped out for deals on Black Friday for the past 11 years.

"It was the second year I did it; nobody had the bright idea of camping out in tents," he told the station. "So, we just did sleeping bags on the sidewalk, and it was freezing rain for 16 hours."

Allooh set up his camp on Monday, which means he will have waited 11 days by the time the deals begin Thanksgiving evening.

Like many retailers this year, Best Buy has been accused of contributing to "Thanksgiving creep," the tendency for stores to open earlier and earlier in an effort to draw in shoppers desperate for the best deals.

Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target, Staples and others all plan to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day.

What do you think of Black Friday madness? Is it all in good fun or a sad state of affairs? Leave a comment below.