JCPenney and Best Buy continue to bring in early morning shoppers to the Black Friday fun in Spokane

A line wrapped around JCPenney before 5 a.m. Friday in a ritual that hearkened back to Black Fridays of yesteryear.

“The prices are so good, you know,” Peggy Rieben said.

A line of at least 20 people wrapped around to the corner of Spokane Valley Mall’s JCPenney. The store’s tradition of advertising the chance to receive different discounts and prizes throughout the day was a big draw for those hardcore shoppers.

JCPenney deals this year included the chance to receive a mystery coupon worth at least $500 for first customers and the chance to win diamond earrings later in the afternoon.

Rieben said she has been Black Friday shopping for the past 10 years, usually making Spokane Valley’s JCPenney her first stop because of all the different deals.

Just a few minutes after heading in, she had a couple of dress shirts and Adidas sweatpants for her husband. Her top shopping item, though, was a smokeless grill.

“If you have something specific in mind, you can’t go wrong,” Rieben said.

Even though Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, she said there are still deals worth an early start .

Paige Gonzalez joined her mom, Kim, on the Black Friday fun after coming home for the holidays to see what it was all about.

“I actually was the one who brought it up to my mom. I was like, ‘Could we go shopping?’ ” said Paige, a student at Grand Canyon University. “This is my first Black Friday.”

For Kim, it was an easy yes.

Kim said she’s been Black Friday shopping for the past 10 years, even going to stores on Thanksgiving hoping to find the best deals. JCPenney continues to be one of the first stores she checks out.

“We saw the line and decided to wait in the car until they opened,” Kim said. “We were still able to get one of the mystery coupons for $10 at the door and a tiny snow globe.”

Paige said growing up she remembers her mom and family members would be out for hours.

Although they said they weren’t looking for anything in particular, Paige said she hoped to check off Christmas shopping for her brother and her dad. They were planning to head to Best Buy next.

“I just thought it’d be fun and also have it be a mother-daughter day,” Paige said.

Others were taking it as a day of fun after the era of the Black Friday frenzy.

A small line began just a few minutes before Best Buy opened its doors, where cousins Gio Carlino and Bryce Stockton stood waiting for them to open.

Carlino said they’ve been making it their first stop for the past four years – and this year was no different.

“We’re just keeping the tradition going,” Stockton said.

Stockton said they stay the night at their grandparent’s house every Thanksgiving, which is how he thinks the idea of going Black Friday shopping was brought up.

Carlino said he doesn’t remember who brought up the idea either but believes it was around the time Stockton received his driver’s license.

“Our best purchase by far has been an Xbox,” Stockton said, as Carlino nodded in agreement. “We’ve gotten a few deals, though.”