Black Friday. We all know the term, but do we know where it originated? Maybe or maybe not, as it actually has more than one origin. The first known term traces back to 17th-century English school kids who bemoaned the exams that inevitably occurred on Friday.
Black Friday Started Out Pretty Dark
But that may have just been an isolated use. In the US, the term has two origins, both significantly darker than its current connotation. The first use in the US dates back not to the Friday after Thanksgiving but in September of 1869 after two notorious Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould, and Jim Fisk, had been steadily buying up as much of the nation’s gold as they could to drive the price up in a pump & dump scheme. On Friday, September 24th, the conspiracy was exposed, sending the stock market into free fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.
“Black Friday” being applied to the day after Thanksgiving was first used by Philadelphia policemen to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving. Hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Keep in mind this is less than a decade after World War II, and the country was full of proud Army and Navy veterans. Philly cops not only couldn’t take the day off but had to work extra-long shifts dealing with large crowds, traffic, and even a significant number of shoplifters who took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise. The term caught on in the city even as Philadelphia merchants tried in vain to coin the term “Big Friday” instead to give it a positive spin.
“Black Friday” lingered in Philly for decades before making its way to the rest of the country in the 1980s when the idea of retailers’ finance sheets “going from red to black” due to sales became the accepted understanding of the term. And Black Friday deals to draw shoppers became a tradition.
Valley Hi Toyota’s Month-Long Black Friday
The massive crowds that first of those Philly days still resonate with the term. But they don’t have to. At Valley Hi Toyota, black Friday savings can be had all month long. And Valley Hi has the inventory for it. As of this writing, Valley Hi has over 69 Camry’s and 24 Camry Hybrids to choose from. There are also 36 conventional and hybrid Corollas and 51 RAV4 models, including hybrids and Plug-in hybrids. If Trucks are your tea, Valley Hi is more than ready with 40 Tundras and 45 Tacomas.
And it is not just new vehicles ready for you in November. If you like the reduced cost of a used model but the reassurance of Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) inspections and warranties, we currently have 18 CPO models in stock of many of Toyota’s most popular models.
Suppose you want to avoid going shopping altogether. In that case, Valley Hi Toyota has the SmartPath process where you can shop inventory, arrange your own payment estimate, apply for financing, and even have your new car delivered without leaving home. You can even quickly get a Kelly Blue Book estimate of your trade-in all on our site.
So stay home on Black Friday, or maybe take the extended for a drive in the brand new or new-for-you Toyota you purchased with no fuss from Valley Hi Toyota.
Connect with us
Recent Blog Entries
- Toyota Prius Prime Is Listed by ACEEE as the Greenest Car You Can Buy
- Camry Earns Both Best Midsize and Best Hybrid Car by U.S. News & World Report
- Tacoma TRD OFF-Road is the Undisputed Winner in Car and Driver Comparison with Colorado ZR2
- The Legendary Land Cruiser Returns for 2024
- U.S. News & World Report Names Highlander Hybrid the Best Hybrid SUV for Families