RACINE COUNTY - Shoppers said good deals and the camaraderie in the long lines would have drawn them out to Friday's early-morning sales even if the economy were healthier.

"I would've bought more. I wouldn't care about the price," Kerstin Zagar, a mother of two, said just before 5 a.m. as a line progressed toward the entrance of Toys "R" Us, 2433 S. Green Bay Road. "Their face is worth it on Christmas."

Zagar, 20, of Racine came to buy a bicycle for her son and a pair of dress-up shoes for her daughter. An hour later, Alex Salgado Jr. of Racine stood outside Target, 5300 Durand Ave., in a line that snaked around the west side of the store toward Regency Cinema. Salgado, 27, said he has felt the financial pinch while losing overtime hours in his sales job, but the price tag on the recently released NBA 2K9 video game would have lured him to the cold in bullish years, too.

For many, store-hopping on what has become known as Black Friday is an entrenched tradition. Kati Paul, 24, of Racine, chatted with others at the front of the Target line and said she enjoys the ritual. She and sister Amy, 18, of Oak Creek aborted a planned mission to Best Buy after seeing people had pitched tents.

"Those people mean business," Kati Paul said. "I'm not messing with them."

Local shoppers shook their heads over news that an employee at a New York Wal-Mart was trampled to death in the opening rush. Officers did respond to the Mount Pleasant Wal-Mart at 3049 Oakes Road after a woman jumped onto a television she wanted, but Mount Pleasant police said no one was arrested.

Rick Gallo, 50, of Kenosha lugged a Shop-Vac back to his car from Menard's, 3101 S. Oakes Road, the third stop on his pre-dawn list. He said his family has turned out for the sales the past few years, although this year they're "being very much more selective" in their purchases.

"We're buying higher quality and getting a little better price on it," he said.

Several Kenosha County residents drove up to get in on the bargain-hunting. Trisha Patrick, 29, of Twin Lakes stayed warm outside Toys "R" Us with a cup of deluxe hot chocolate. Although there are places to shop closer to home, she said Racine offers the most stores in a small area.

Financial pressures only shifted the focus of some deal-seekers. Normally Sara Nunley, 25, and her husband, Alex, 25, would spend the morning after Thanksgiving staking out Best Buy. This time they stood with their 3-year-old daughter, Lily, at the head of the Toys "R" Us line.

The prize for their 7 1/2-hour wait was a swing set. It was to be Lily's birthday gift.

"We're forgoing all the neat electronics and getting a swing set," Sara Nunley said.

A solid beginning

Several retailers reported strong starts to the holiday shopping season, although sustainability will ultimately determine disappointment or successfully met sales goals.

"We had the strongest start that we've ever had," Regency Mall Manager Curt Pruitt said about the mall's first hour of shopping. He said many people took advantage of sales and 4 a.m. openings at JC Penney and Boston Store, then entered the mall when it opened at 5 a.m.

However, there were differences among stores, Pruitt said, with some behind their usual Black Friday pace by afternoon, and a smaller number ahead of pace.

Among product categories, Pruitt said, "Apparel looks like it's doing very well. … Restockers are being kept very busy."

"I keep hearing that people will give Christmas gifts that are necessity items, clothing being one of them," Pruitt said. But he acknowledged sales of luxury items could be lackluster this season.

At Farm & Fleet, 8401 Durand Ave., Store Manager Mike Cripps said it had been a very good day, as of mid-afternoon.

"We had 200 people-plus in line at 6 a.m., and it's been busy ever since," he said.

However, not all of the currency changing hands was for gift purchases, by any means. Cripps said the store's tire sale, for example - buy three, get one free - was a huge draw.

Dick's Sporting Goods, 2710 S. Green Bay Road, had a good Black Friday, said Store Manager John McElroy. He said the sales seemed to be a mix of gift purchases for others, and people buying things for themselves on sale.

"Sales have been very strong today" from 5 a.m. on, McElroy said. "It's been a steady flow all day."