By 6 Thursday evening, Amanda Daffron of Vicksburg had started the line outside Goody’s, awaiting her chance to buy a small computer for less than half its usual cost.

By the time the doors opened at 8, there were about 75 people in line behind her.

“They have them (Adroid Tablets) for $50,” Daffron said. “That’s why I’m here.”

The Vicksburg Mall store also was drawing in customers for its prices on adult boots, foos-ball tables and telescopes.

Goody’s manager Kimberly McGaheran said she was surprised by the size of the crowd for the store’s first-ever Thanksgiving Day opening.

“We were hoping for it, but we really didn’t expect it,” she said.

McGaheran said the small touch-screen computers were the hottest items.

“Everyone flew in for it,” she said. “We were out within the first 3 minutes.”

Goody’s had been scheduled to close at midnight, but shoppers already inside at the stroke kept the store open until 1:30 a.m.

Charlene Eichelberger of Vicksburg was in the group outside early on.

“These are some of the nicest people I’ve met in a long time,” she said. “All that stuff about people pushing and stuff, that’s not true. Everybody here has been very nice and kind.”

Shoppers said shoving was reported from a line outside Walmart, but Vicksburg police Capt. Bobby Stewart said at midmorning nothing of police being called.

Walmart managers declined to comment.

Like Eichelberger and Daffron, Sharon Sumerall and Jermika Marshall, both of Port Gibson, showed up early at Goody’s for an early start on Christmas shopping.

“I’m here to get some boots, jackets, perfume and jewelry,” Marshall said. “We’re going to go to Belk after this.”

“It’s nice doing this instead of getting up early,” Sumerall said. “This is our first time, so I’m kind of excited.”

Mary Johnson of Tallulah was outside Coach at the Outlets at Vicksburg a half hour before its 10 p.m. opening.

“I’m just looking for a sale,” Johnson said. “This is really early for me. I may go to the mall after this.”

When asked if she would be doing any shopping today, Johnson’s answer was emphatic.

“This is it for me,” she said and laughed.

Mike Carlisle is the general manager of the Vicksburg Mall and was preparing the Belk entrance for the anchor store’s doorbuster.

“Last year, there was well over 250 people waiting outside Belk,” Carlisle said.

Twenty minutes before Belk opened, more than 400 people were in line outside the mall.

“This is the biggest line I’ve seen,” said Crystal Pettway, who said she has been one of the early shoppers at the mall store in years past. “I just want to see what they have going on.”

Pettway, and many others, were keen on boots, some priced as low as $20.

Belk Manager Ricky Smith said the shoppers started thinning out at about 3 a.m.

At Walmart, the sales kicked off at 8 p.m. as the parking lot filled to the brim with more than 300 people lined up outside. Less than 20 minutes after opening, shoppers with carts full of televisions, video game systems and bicycles were flocking out of the store.

This morning, Cook Tractor Company manager Adam Cook was making final adjustments in preparation for opening at 7 a.m.

“It’s our first time doing a Black Friday sale, so we’ll see how it goes,” Cook said.

He said he expects trimmers, four-wheelers and other ATVs to be the popular items through the holiday season.

At Tractor Supply Company at 7:45 a.m., manager Kevin Lomansey said gun safes, some reduced by up to $300, were selling steadily since the store opened at 5.

JC Penny caught the morning rush with more than 200 people outside when doors opened at 6, manager Cheryl Locke said.

“They’ve really been coming for any of the sale items,” Locke said. “It actually went pretty smoothly, so now we can catch our breath.”

Shopping was expected to continue full-steam through the weekend with the National Small Business Saturday and Downtown Vicksburg’s Old-Fashioned Christmas from 1:30 until 5 p.m. Sunday, which will see many stores open and Santa Claus making an appearance at The Valley.