The top spot on Taylor Cullison's Christmas wish list this year is a Barbie doll.
Like many girls her age out and about with their parents and other family members on Black Friday, 6-year-old Taylor said she's not picky. In fact, any Barbie will do.
"Any of the ones I don't have already," the first-grader from Leavittsburg said. "That's what I really want."
Her brother, 9-year-old Gage Cullison, said he'd be satisfied with video games.
Taylor and Gage spent the better part of the day with their aunt, Jane Carrico, also of Leavittsburg, checking out the items on sale at Wal-Mart on Elm Road, Bazetta.
"We're just checking it all out," Carrico said. "It's pretty much what we expected - a lot of people, a lot of traffic, a lot going on."
From Wal-Mart to the Eastwood Mall to downtown stores, area shoppers were out in full force Friday morning to take advantage of Black Friday bargains.
Ken Kollar, general manager of the Eastwood Mall complex in Niles, said he was pleasantly surprised to see shoppers lined up outside the mall when he arrived there at 3 a.m.
"I was hoping for that kind of turnout," he said. "It was nice. I think even with the economy in the state that's it's in, people still want Christmas and they want it as they think it should be. They want it for the kids. I think some people, even my own family, made sacrifices in other areas so they could still count on making Christmas work."
Hundreds of shoppers started lining up outside stores Thursday evening, hoping to be among the first to get through the doors and get the best deals on favorite items. It's the traditional start of Christmas shopping season and the day retailers traditionally offer the best deals of the year to jump-start the season.
Some folks kept warm with blankets and sleeping bags, while others camped out in tents, waiting for stores to open early Friday morning - Toys 'R' Us at midnight, JCPenney and Sears at 4 a.m. and Macy's at 5 a.m. Although several stores at the mall opened earlier, Eastwood opened its doors at 7 a.m., with more than 300 people waiting in line to get in.
"I think there were probably more customers that came through here this year than in years past, several thousand," Kollar said. "I spoke to a lot of people and there was a lot of excitement. Spirits were high and people seemed very happy to be here. It was a great day."
An unconfirmed report said the Niles Fire Department was called for crowd control at one Niles store when shoppers exceeded the store's capacity. Customers were asked to leave and only so many were allowed back in the store at a time.
Amanda Martin, Warren, started her shopping day at 5 a.m. Before arriving at Eastwood Mall around 9 in the morning, the mother of five had already tackled several stores.
"I got the laptop on sale at Wal-Mart," she said. "I was really happy. I got there early and got one. That's a hot item on my list this year, so I feel a sense of accomplishment. I stood in line for an hour and twenty minutes to get that. But I did it."
Martin, who took on the Black Friday shopping challenge for the first time last year, said she encountered more shoppers this year. She said she was pleasantly surprised that she was able to get in and out of stores as quickly as she did.
"You expect the long lines and the crowds, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, with the number of people out shopping," she said.
Shani Kissell of Garrettsville, who also made her way to several local stores, said electronic items, video games and Barbie dolls were at the top of her shopping list.
"But I'm looking for Hungry Hippo and I haven't been able to find it," she said. "I think a lot of people are looking for that. Fortunately, I don't have the hamster on my list."
The item Kissell referred to is the Zhu, Zhu Pet Hamster that, along with Hasbro's Hungry Hungry Hippo board game, reportedly is popular among shoppers this year.
"I know people who waited in line forever to get that hamster, hours before the stores opened," she said. "I'm having a hard enough time with the hippo."
Marty Cohen, owner of Mickey's Army-Navy in Warren, said sales at his store on Friday were up 35 percent this year over last year's Black Friday.
Popular items included work shoes, accessories including gloves and hats, gift cards and flannel shirts. He said the store offered a 30 percent discount on all merchandise from the time it opened at 9 a.m. until noon.
"That really helped," he said. "People are looking for ways to save money and are really looking at practical gifts this year. I'd say we were bombarded the first few hours and had a steady stream the rest of the day. A lot of people were out this year taking advantage of any sales they could. we're really happy. It sure helped us."
At Ace Handy Man hardware on Elm Road in Warren, store manager Julie Reel confirmed shoppers looked for bargains anywhere the could find them.
"You'd think a lot of people would concentrate on the bigger department stores and all," she said. "But we had our share of people coming in here.
''I think this year, maybe more than in the past, people are looking to save money anyway they can. We sold a lot of tools today and kids items like tents and remote control cars. We've been busy in the past on Black Friday, but we've really been busy this year. I think people are trying to get more for less."
Reel said her store, which typically opens at 8 each morning, opened at 7 a.m. Friday. Many customers arrived to take advantage of slashed prices, but most of them wanted to cash in on the instant rebates on merchandise including power drills, tool boxes and other popular gift items, many of which sold out by early afternoon, she said.
Back at Eastwood Mall, Toni Haydu said she got a late start to her Black Friday shopping. The Niles woman said she and her father have make shopping on Black Friday a family tradition.
"We've been doing this for years," she said. "I think there are a lot more people out this year, but it's not as crazy as it's been in the past. They seem calmer or something. I started off at Target around 9 this morning and it was packed. It was crazy. The lines were so long, they were wrapped around in all directions. But I found a lot of really good deals.
''It's worth it if you can shop on Black Friday because you actually can save in the long run, if you can take the crowds and the traffic and keep pace with everyone. You might run into a few problems here or there, but actually, it's not so bad."
