Booming BUSINESS

AVON PARK - It's 4:30 a.m. Friday. A woman parked in front of Belk department store. Two children also got out.

"Get in line," she instructed the pre-teen boy and girl. They didn't move fast enough.

"Run like your life depends on it," she yelled. They giggled and made it a race for the back of the line, while she walked more slowly.

An after-Thanksgiving sale crowd of 200 people was already waiting to get in, and Christina Starcher was first.

She held up a sale flyer from the newspaper, and pointed to a silver-colored Fossil watch with a black face for $115.

"It's normally, like, $230," she informed.

A few minutes later, Belk Manager Tina Bloeser unlocked the doors.

"You might want to watch out," advised the man with Starcher. There could be a human surge for the door, which didn't happen today. Everyone had to stay in line to get those free gift cards.

Bloeser and her staff of managers would pass out 250 cards before 5 a.m. They were worth between $5 and $5,000, although the Sebring store didn't necessarily get the top prize.

It was just like the airline as passengers were embarking. "Good morning," each manager greeted each customer as they walked in and accepted a plastic card. They'd find out how much each card was worth when they got to a cash register.

"Have you had your coffee yet?" one customer asked.

"About four cups already," Bloeser replied. She'd been there since 3 a.m., preparing the staff for the onslaught.

"Are we in the right place?" another man queried in a wry tone.

But before the first sale was rung up, three customers got their cards, then ran next door to Sears.

This was how customers played the retail game on Black Friday morning. JC Penney opened at 4 a.m., Belk at 4:45, and Sears at 5. They bounced from store to store, catching the biggest bargains for the earliest of Early Bird sales.

Jeannie Sanders, a Missouri woman who lives in Highlands County now, was in line at Sears. What she bought will remain a secret until her husband receives his Christmas present, but she got a $200 discount from her gift by being there before noon. Plus, the Sears flyer had a coupon for another $10 off its Super Wish specials.

And since there may have been limited quantities available, she got there about 4 a.m., and became second in line.

Other advertised door-buster bargains: a 50-inch Samsung HDTV for $800 and a $300 Compaq Presario laptop computer at Circuit City, and a $15 DVD player at Office Depot. The most advertised special on the front pages of the flyers seemed to be a hand-held GPS in various brands, some selling for a little as $80. It's a digital map of the earth, which uses satellites to find its own position and give directions to the user.

Sears, which normally opens at 10 a.m. Friday, had more than 300 people in the store at by 5:15 a.m. As the public address system played "Feliz Navidad," customers were 20 deep at the checkout line, holding tools, a half-price $15 Craftsman wet/dry vacuum cleaner, and a $200 KitchenAid mixer.

By then, Starcher had already made her Belk purchases, and was at Sears holding an inflatable snowman.

"I'm looking for one of those tool chests that stand about this high," she said, raising her hand to eye level. Problem was, all the associates were so busy, she couldn't get their attention.

Just outside the Sears entrance to the mall, GameStop wasn't open for another 45 minutes. But three customers found chairs and sat outside the door.

They were waiting for last year's hottest gift, which may be this year's least accessible as well. Their big prize was a Wii, a wireless Nintendo game console. The player can use a joystick, but most prefer to use a Nunchuk, a controller which allows a bowler, for instance, to move his arm to release the video ball, just like an actual bowler.

Forget the fact that it was $250, and that game cartridges, like "Zelda, the Twilight Princess and "Metroid Prime 3 Corruption" are $50 each. They felt lucky just to find a console in stock.

John Hensley of Lake Placid got to Kmart on Thursday, but not before 6 a.m., and they were sold out of Wiis. Circuit City was also out, said Lisa Hicks of Sebring, who was about to finally score a Wii for her son, Matthew, 6. She likes the game because it's interactive, and it gets kids off the couch. She's also got Stephanie, 14, Mason, 20 months, and Jacob, 3 months.

"The whole family will play," she said.

"I'll play," Hensley volunteered. He has two children, Andrew, 14, and Evan, 13.

He also went to Wal-Mart. All gone. So at 4 a.m. Friday, he got in line, joined at 5 a.m. by Hicks.

"I'm just glad to know I'm going to be able to purchase one today," she said.

At 5:20 a.m., it was still pitch dark in the parking lot, and it began to sprinkle. Shoppers were leaving.

Two rows away, a woman set off her car alarm. The car blinked its lights and blew its horn for five seconds, she turned, and walked toward it.

"This rain was well timed," said another woman, as she headed to her car without getting too damp.