Bargain shoppers using blankets, bushes to wait for deals

Roberto Hernandez, 17, and his friends have been outside Best Buy since Tuesday afternoon and said they will stay until late Thursday night.

They’re hoping to get a PlayStation 3 game console and extras, which typically cost $350 or more, for about $200.

“You never get a deal like this in your life,” Hernandez said.

The first dozen or so shoppers can save hundreds of dollars on items such as flat screen TVs, game consoles or tablet computers.

Ashley Esteban, 19, wants a TV – “two TVs, actually. Well, she’s getting the other one,” Esteban said, pointing to her friend and roommate, Kirsten Yelton.

“She let me get dressed and shoved me in the car, kidnapped me,” Yelton joked. "I'm freezing for her."

Huddled under blankets, the girls tried to stay warm, but it wasn’t always easy. “Waking up stiff and shivering was bad, but we are doing it,” Esteban said.

Potty problems are another thing the bargain hunters have to deal with.

“We can go over there, we got the bushes … or we can use the two porta-potties,” Hernandez said.

The bargain bunch garnered a lot of attention Wednesday night, with passers-by asking the same question: “Are you crazy?”

“No, we are not crazy,” Hernandez said.