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By RICHARD MULLINS

rmullins@tampatrib.com

Published: November 28, 2008

Only brave shoppers storm the stores the day after Thanksgiving. Success is as much about survival as finding the sales. So to help you make it through Black Friday, here are our own, arbitrary and personal self-defense tips.

Prepare For Battle

The first usage of the term "Black Friday" for the day after Thanksgiving may date to 1965, when police in Philadelphia began using the term in regard to customers so rowdy they were causing crowd control problems.

For retailers, it's the unofficial kickoff of the holiday season, and could mean a business will end in the black financially - a good thing. To make the most of the day, you have to prepare for battle. Check out our favorite Black Friday sneak peak at FatWallet.com/forums/black-friday, with its spreadsheet of stores and their deals.

Dodge Parking Trolls

Don't waste willpower battling strangers over a space 50 yards closer. You're going to walk a mile inside the stores anyway, so head for the end of the parking lot instead.

Put That Gift Card Down!

This might not be the year to buy that special someone a gift card. Retailers are struggling, and many are lining up at bankruptcy courts, possibly making that card worthless. We love our retailers, but we're just saying this might be a good year to give cash and a nice note.

Attack With A Map

Unless you have the layout memorized, or enjoy wandering, find mall maps online. International Plaza has one here: www.shopinternationalplaza.com/IM/index.html. Print and take it with you so you don't have to backtrack.

Evade Gridlock

Stay to the right. It's the American way in malls, and on the road. But if you feel like a salmon swimming upstream, think outside the box(store) and go *around* the mall. Enter stores from the outside like a bee circling a hive. Less scenic, but fewer people.

Escape Hi-Def

Prices for HDTVs will likely plummet after the holidays. Two reasons: stores will need to clear unsold inventory during these tough economic times and U.S. officials just fined three major LCD TV makers for colluding to keep TV prices artificially high. Just as flash memory prices collapsed this year after a similar federal action, look for HDTV prices to drop into next year, fast.

Manage Meltdowns

First, don't bring the kids. If you must, bring the essentials for survival: Snacks, drink boxes, small games. Include kids in the adventure by giving them something to hunt for. When the inevitable meltdown occurs, don't blame them. Blame society and bail out. Good parents pick their battles, and Black Friday counts for less than your children.

Control Your Inner Shopper

Mentally prepare. Bring your iPod full of soothing music. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Water and coffee. Wear running shoes. This isn't the day for showy heels. Avoid the food court madness. Bring lunch or go outside the mall for a mental break. At all costs, avoid a fight with other shoppers. Jail time isn't worth it, and more people carry guns lately.

Master The

.....Doorbuster Deal

Don't fixate on the mythical, elusive 5 a.m. $10 DVD player. Instead, pick your one Biggest Prize - and have a Plan B at another store. If there's a violent frenzy at your first stop, quickly regroup, ask a manager for a rain check or discount on another item and redeploy to the next. Also, don't bother gift-wrapping at the checkout. If you must wrap, go to the charity kiosks.

Practice Patience

Crowds can bring out the worst in people. So do your part. Don't talk on your cell phone at the checkout. It's annoying and slows the flow at the register. Remember what Mom said, "Say please and thank you." Actual humans work at the stores. They appreciate a "Thank you."

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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