By Mark Boshnack
There may not have big crowds out shopping on Oneonta's Main Street on Black Friday afternoon, but store managers and owners were optimistic about the holiday shopping season. The sentiments of several shoppers on Main Street and at Oneonta's Southside Mall were mixed on the unofficial start of the holiday season.
"The day has been going very well," said McLauglin's Shoes manger Gordon Breslin. "People are spending," he said. Items such as winter boots and the Ugg line of sheepskin shoes, boots and slippers have been among the popular sellers, but "it's been pretty much across the board," he said.
With temperature dropping about 10 degrees over the last couple of days, "people have been a little more in the Christmas spirit. I'm very pleased," he said.
A woman was shopping at the nearby related McLauglin's Department Store. Melissa Brower of Oneonta was looking through clothing at about 2 p.m. She works at the Bassett Healthcare Research Institute, and was just starting her holiday shopping with her fiance, she said.
"It will be a little more modest because we are planning for a wedding," she said. "We'd rather shop here than at the big box stores."
At the nearby Artisans' Guild, several people were looking through the various items by local artists and crafters.
Shoppers included Kay McBride of Stamford, who was with her daughter, Jocelyn McBride, of Dover, Del.
"We are looking for sales," said McBride, a substitute teacher at Jefferson Central School. When asked how this year's spending will compare to last year's, she said, "It will be about the same for us.
"We like to shop locally as much as we can. I'm not an online shopper," she said.
John Gardner, who grew up in Oneonta and is now an actor in New York City, was visiting his family for the Thanksgiving holiday. He usually has good luck at The Artisans' Guild, but did not want to share his finds because they were a surprise, he said.
His purchases this season will be a little "restrained," but will be better than a year ago, he said.
"We've been steady all day," store manager and co-founder Deborah Blake said. She said she expects Saturday will be busier as people return to the local stores after shopping at the mall.
Also on Main Street, Sport Tech co-owner Ed Lorenz said the store has been "keeping pretty busy" all day. "It seems like people are out," looking at coats and other winter gear.
Items that were selling include Uggs, snow boards, skis and bicycles, Lorenz said.
"It's going to be a good season for us," he said, adding that it will be made better if there is cold weather or snow.
At the Green Toad Bookstore, owner Michele Pondolfino, said "it's a little busier than a regular Friday," but "not outrageous."
Among the shoppers was Oneonta resident Kristin Garland, a Delaware County assistant county attorney, who was with her mother, Judy Rogers of Houston.
Garland said shopping will probably be about the same as last year.
"We make a fairly conscious effort to support local business," Garland said, but she will be doing some shopping online.
At the Southside Mall, Linda Falk of Otego said she started shopping at about 11 a.m. at nearby Wal-Mart.
It "wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," she said. But it will be a "meager" Christmas with two kids in college and money tight, she said.
Also at the mall, Nancy Lewis of Sidney was with her niece, Kacie Nowalk, who was visiting her parents in Unadilla.
They usually don't come out for Black Friday, but were attracted by "some pretty good sales" at J.C. Penney, including some as much as 50 percent off, Lewis said. The pair had bought mostly clothes and were on their way back to use some coupons that were good after 3 p.m.
Lewis, an unemployed worker from Amphenol Co., and Nowalk, a student at the Culinary Institute of America, agreed that saving was important to them.
The manager at the Oneonta J.C. Penney, which had "door-buster" sales from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, had left that afternoon when called for comment.
A call to Wal-Mart, which also had early morning sales, was referred to its corporate office, which was closed late Friday afternoon.
It wasn't only retail stores that were busy Friday. At the Country Club Automotive Group, co-president Scott Davis said with many parents and children home, Black Friday has typically been a busy day. This year was no exception, with many visitors on the lot, he said.
"We have to see how that translates out," but Davis said he expected there would be a number of sales by the end of the day.
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Mark Boshnack can be reached at 432-1000 or (800) 721-1000, ext. 218, or at mboshnack@thedailystar.com.
