Shoppers line up for 99 Cents Only opening and 99.99-cent iPod Nanos
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Shoppers just can’t say no to the Nano -- if it’s just 99.99 cents.
That’s the latest gimmick from the 99 Cents Only chain, which today celebrated the grand opening of a new store in San Marcos by selling 8GB iPod Nanos at a mere 99.99 cents each. But only the first nine people in the door could get the deal.
The line started forming at 3 a.m. Wednesday. By this morning, the line sitters were hunkered down in chairs, surrounded by pizza boxes and drink bottles.
No. 2 in line was Ricky Longoria, 18, who heard about the new 99 cents store from his father and saw an ad for the iPod Nano 99-cents deal. The long wait was worth it to get an electronic doodad that sells on Amazon for $133.95.
The first person in line was Matthew Roberts, Longoria’s friend.
Q. Ricky, why’d you give Matthew the No. 1 spot?
A. He’s my ride.
No. 9, Art Tello, caught a break at 2 p.m. yesterday when the person who was ninth had to leave because the kids were acting up.
After the Nanos ran out, the next 99 customers were able to buy a scooter for 99.99 cents. The next 99 customers after that get a crack at the ‘Art of Pirates of the Caribbean’ coffee-table book for 99.99 cents and the following 99 customers could buy a Belkin Netmaster mouse for 99.99 cents.
There are also prize raffles and food samples at the store at 155 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road in the San Marcos Village Shopping Center.
-- Jen Leo
Top photo: The new San Marcos 99 Cents Only store.