For some people, the holiday season conjures memories of family gatherings, presents under the tree and extravagant meals. For others, the season exists for one purpose, and one purpose only: Boxing Day sales.

Other people frantically scour the stores before December 24 for the perfect gift, and remain snug in their beds the day after Christmas – stomachs full and wearing their new socks. I don’t subscribe to that philosophy. I rest up the week before, saving my money and scouring the sale flyers online.

I plan, I make lists, and I know exactly where I’m going, what I’m getting, and who has the best prices. A nighthawk by nature, I’m awake at four a.m. when the line-ups are well underway.

This year I repeated my previous successes – lining up at Future Shop on Yonge Street for the six a.m. opening. But while the masses are flocking to the cheapest LCD television (a product that, by the way, appears to have more corporate collusion than gas in its pricing) I am in search of far less in-demand items: DVDs and computer peripherals, the odd book or Living Dead Doll, and – this year – a Blu-ray player. Still, if you wait until afternoon for limited stock items, you’ll likely be out of luck.

Major retailers like Future Shop and Best Buy start their sales early online – Christmas Eve is the time to shop, if you don’t mind waiting in the checkout queue for two hours. For the real thrill of the hunt however, you need to freeze your appendages off in the bitter cold with other deal seekers. There’s certainly competition between you and your neighbours in line, but there’s also a sense of camaraderie.

Future Shop’s made life more comfortable for those in the cold drizzle, offering free coffee and hot chocolate to people in line just before five. (Some, apparently, had been there since 10 p.m.) Employees surveyed the line-up asking what items shoppers were seeking, and verified that stock was available to meet their needs. The entire process was smooth, efficient and pleasant, despite having to search high and low for the last copy of one DVD.

The Future Shop experience was over quickly — after 90 minutes in a line which extended three blocks at last count. Most in line appeared to be happy shoppers, having obtained everything they were looking for. The Dundas Street Best Buy proved far more challenging, with longer lines and store displays that impeded efficiency. Several items were out of stock within the first 30 minutes, and one apologetic employee admitted that a certain flyer item wasn’t even in stock when the doors opened – but an alternative was only 20 dollars (40 per cent of the sale price) more.

Our plan for the morning (a highly effective one) was to divide and conquer. By splitting up and joining the lines at both stores, we bought everything we were shopping for and didn’t leave empty-handed.

HMV – usually a hotbed of music and movie deals – was a disappointment this year. There were no real “door-crasher” deals, and many of their advertised DVD and Blu-ray discs were cheaper (sometimes by half) at the first two stores. By eight a.m. we were on our way out of downtown and headed for the suburban box stores at Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga. (Even I’m not brave enough to attempt the Eaton Centre on Boxing Day – been there, done that, couldn’t get in the stores to buy anything.)

Traffic, as always, is a challenge, with the rain exacerbating movement on the highways. Stores succumb to the usual problems — debit and credit systems that lag, long lines, short tempers and parking at a premium.

For those who slept late and are just now venturing out, a few words of advice: know exactly what you want, know which store has the best price, and resist the temptation of impulse purchases. Anything still available this late in the day will likely still be available on December 31, when most stores end their Boxing Day deals, so shop around. And, most importantly, drive safely and be patient with others. There is no material purchase worth risking injury for.

Good luck, and happy shopping.