By the time Target opened its doors at 5 p.m. Thursday for its Black Friday sale, Crampton, of Fort Dodge, had been standing at the front of the line for three hours.

That was a bit of an accomplishment for Crampton, who had been further back in line during the last two years.

“I’m stepping up every year,” she said.

Specifically, Crampton was hoping to find a deal on a TV.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Wearing their “Black Friday Shop ’Til You Drop” shirts, Janelle Chaplin, from left, of Iowa Falls; Callie Beach, of Le Grand; and Chaplin’s daughter, Kenley Chaplin, 14, wait in line for Target to open. The trio said they go Black Friday shopping every year.

Just behind her in line was Angie Lee, of Paton, who has made Black Friday shopping an annual event.

“We camped out,” she said, adding that she had been in line since about 2:30 p.m.

This year, Lee added something new to her Black Friday arsenal; a folding chair.

She did that because her legs hurt if she’s standing for too long, so the chair gave her some extra comfort.

Lee also brought a sleeping bag, which had two purposes; one was to keep her legs warm while she waited for the Target doors to open. The other will be using it this morning while waiting for Menards to open.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Bryce Van Langen, left, of Blairsburg; Victor Calles, of Webster City, and Elycia Obrecht, of Webster City, wait in line at Target underneath a blanket featuring characters from Disney’s “Frozen.” Calles, a first-time Black Friday shopper, said the blanket was needed because it was cold.

“Our big Christmas list is at Menards this year,” she said.

But she had a plan for Target as well.

“We came for stuff for our grandsons,” Lee said, adding that she loves Black Friday shopping.

“I wouldn’t miss doing it for nothing,” she said.

In fact, she even admitted that, one year, she ordered pizza from Dominos while waiting in line for the store to open.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Alexis Crampton, of Fort Dodge, rests at the front of the Black Friday shopping line at Target Thursday evening. Crampton said she stood in line for three hours before the doors opened at 5 p.m.

Her only disappointment about waiting in line?

“Too bad they didn’t have a hot cocoa cart,” she said.

First-time Black Friday shopper Victor Calles, of Webster City, used a blanket to keep himself and two friends warm.

“It’s very cold,” he said.

But he wanted to come out to get a deal on a PlayStation.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
As 5 p.m. hits, the crowd of about 200 people slowly files into Target to start their Black Friday shopping on Thursday evening.

Veteran Black Friday shoppers Janelle Chaplin, of Iowa Falls, and her sister, Callie Beach, of Le Grand, showed up prepared for waiting in line.

They, along with Chaplin’s 14-year-old daughter, Kenley Chaplin, all wore matching shirts that said, “Black Friday Shop ‘Til You Drop.”

“We do it every year,” Janelle Chaplin said.

“We order what we could online,” Beach said. “We come here for what we couldn’t.”

They decided to go shopping Thursday after Thanksgiving dinner at their parents’ home in Webster City.

While they were near the back of the line — which had about 200 people standing in it by the time the doors opened at 5 p.m. — Chaplin said she didn’t mind.

“Typically, we’re right here before the door opens,” she said of standing near the end of the line.

And what does her daughter think of Black Friday shopping?

“It’s fun,” the teen said.

“We introduced her to it last year,” her mom added.