(ABC7)

These Black Friday shoppers will not be denied their slightly cheaper big-screen television.

Two California women, ABC7 reports, have been camped outside of their local Best Buy since the middle of last week. The friends, equipped with blankets and snacks, are set to post up for a solid three weeks, hoping to be first in line when the store launches its Black Friday sale the evening of Thanksgiving.

And, no, it’s not even the newest Apple gadget they’re after (the typical prize for electronics-loving sidewalk queuers) — it’s a $199 50-inch HD TV, regularly priced at $499.

“The point is to get the sales, because everybody is on a fixed income and we don’t have that kind of money to splurge,” the husband of one of the women, who is there to hold their place in line in case either have to leave, told ABC7. The TV the group hopes to get will replace a set that recently “gave out.”

So good deal on a TV, sure. But forfeiting the majority of November with the single goal of outfitting your home entertainment system on the cheap may still sound like foolishness to many.

RELATED: Time Is Money: Chrome Extension Tells You How Many Hours You’d Need to Work to Afford That New Gizmo

Get their bargain TV they will, however. And being ahead of the pack could save the pair from dealing with the fuss and violence that regular Black Friday-goers caught smack in the middle of the yearly deluge of deal-seekers have been known to experience.

A not-so-merry site, blackfridaydeathcount.com, actually displays a running tally of the number of Black Friday injuries and at-least-sort-of-related fatalities that have occurred each year since 2006. And a simple YouTube search will bring up a plethora of videos showing the dark side of Black Friday crowds.

So much for holiday cheer, right?

The good news: The earlier and more segmented Black Friday launches this year, coupled with time-frame windows of “guaranteed price” deals (like what Walmart does), could do wonders to break up the large, late-night packs of disgruntled and sleep-deprived shoppers we’ve seen in past seasons. So if snagging the best gadget present for yourself or a loved one is your focus this year, it might be more doable (and safer) than ever before.

Which really makes us ask: Why are these two women already in line for a TV? Wonders never cease.

Have questions, comments, or just want to tell me something funny? Email me at danbean@yahoo-inc.com.