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Black Friday Madness A Game For Some

By David Madden

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) --  If you're one of those serious Black Friday bargain hunters, there's a South Jersey college professor who suggests you're looking to do more than just save a few bucks.

Marketing Professor Robert Schindler at the Rutgers Business School in Camden likens the process of staking out stores long before they open, coupons and flyers in hand, to a game he calls "Smart Shopper".

"Yes, they'll save some money, Schindler told KYW Newsradio, "but if you look at it in relation to the time and effort they put into it, it's hardly something that would be worth the money."

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Marketing Professor Robert Schindler. (Credit: Rutgers-Camden)

He suggests there's a feeling of accomplishment that comes with walking out of a store with that TV or piece of jewelry at a low price, particularly when so many others want it too.

"It's clearly something more than just the money that they're working towards," Schindler said. "The feeling of being smart, capable of feeling of winning against retailers, whatever it is. It's something else more than the money."

How can you tell when you've won? That's all a matter of personal perspective, although Schindler says some people will go to great lengths to justify themselves after the fact. He's even found a few cases of shoppers saying they got the deal because the item was flawed, even when it's clear there is no defect.

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