When people meet Bill Nadeau, of Lewiston, they know he’s a fun-loving fellow always ready to brighten up the day with conversation and humor. In fact, many people go to his Auburn eyewear store, Affordable Eyes, not only to make a purchase, but to indulge in his easy-going banter.

But talk about Black Friday shopping with Nadeau, and this mild-mannered Rumford native bypasses the light conversation and starts speaking with the intensity of a general going into battle. For at least the past 20 years, Nadeau has approached Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year and the official kick-off to the Christmas buying season, as a ritual not to be missed.

“On Thanksgiving night, the family sits down with all the sales circulars to see what’s what,” said Nadeau; they chart out a detailed plan for the following day. He explained that everyone comes up with a list of what they want and what stores have the items.

“Let’s say that I wanted a crock pot at Kohl’s while someone else wanted perfume and another wanted boots,” said Nadeau. “One person will go to Kohl’s and buy everything while the rest of us spread out to other stores.” With shopping lists completed, Nadeau’s family begins to detail the travel route and number of cars that will be needed to complete the mission. Where their travels begin is often determined by which stores offer free items and how early they open.

“Some places have ‘freebies’ for the first customers in line,” said Nadeau, noting that one year JC Penny offered free snow-globes and Big Lots offered free gift cards. “We start the day at these places.”

And no matter what the store opening times might be, Nadeau arrives about a half hour in advance to join the oftentimes lengthy line of shoppers. After the “freebie” locations, the brigade branches out to other nearby locations to complete the buying mission. Since each shopper brings along a cell phone, Nadeau said that it’s easy to keep in touch and monitor each other’s progress.

“Sometimes you can get the items really fast, but you can have a long wait in the checkout line,” said Nadeau, admitting that some shoppers lose their patience and become angered and frustrated when things don’t go exactly right.

“For the most part, people are in a good mood and help each other,” said Nadeau. “Last year, there was a pregnant woman shopping alone and we held on to her items and place in the line while she went to the rest room.”

While he truly enjoys the excitement of shopping on Black Friday, Nadeau said that he especially likes the bargains that can be found. He’s purchased items that were usually $200 or more at discounted prices of $49. He’s also had good luck with discounts on jewelry, videos, and other impulse buying items.

In trying to boost sales, many retailers have already launched Black Friday specials well in advance of the actual shopping day. Nadeau has not been impressed by their efforts.

“I’m not in the mood to shop right now,” he said, preferring the buildup to the day after Thanksgiving. He did admit that he might go online to websites like www.blackfriday.com to get a sneak preview of the Black Friday circulars. Nadeau’s shopping mission usually winds down somewhere between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at which time he and his family gather for their traditional after shopping breakfast. “We talk about our morning and compare what deals we got,” said Nadeau.

For shoppers considering a Black Friday journey, Nadeau is the voice of experience. “Be aware that if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. If a store runs out of items, don’t get discouraged, just blow it off. Most of all, the whole idea is to go out and have fun,” said Nadeau.

And if someone is still hesitant about shopping on Black Friday, what should they do?

“Give me a call,” said Nadeau. “They can come along with us!”