SANTA MARIA - Romeo Martinez says he wanted to be first in line for Black Friday at the Best Buy in Santa Maria pitching a tent and camping out overnight more than a week before the big day.
"I'm not even embarrassed when people come up here and go why are your doing this?", Martinez says, "I tell myself that these are the best deals, you know what I mean?"
Martinez is joined by what's become a makeshift Black Friday community, each staking a claim with a tent on the sidewalk in front of the store.
"My first night was pretty cold", says Patty Hernandez, "this is my first year actually sleeping in a tent, I've always slept in a chair, so my first night was pretty cold, even in a tent, it was pretty cold."
Other shoppers are not impressed with the willingness to brave the elements for a good bargain.
"I don't think its an ideal place to go camping, do you?" says shopper Ralph Clay with a laugh.
Before you say any of these campers are crazy, they've done their price checking, they know exactly what they are waiting in line for.
"We want a TV", says Oscar Lua who's near the front of the line, "like a flat screen."
My daughters are in high school and our only computer broke down", adds Patty Hernandez, "its worth saving more than 50 percent."
Romeo Martinez says he's learned a lot already by being first in line.
"Black Friday is like a special day for everybody to come out and get together", Martinez says.
Most of the campers plan to pack up and wait out the rest of Thanksgiving Day on foot before the doors finally open.
