Rumors of an early morning cat fight between two women at JC Penney over a medium sweater spread through the line outside Sam's Club that formed just before 6 a.m.

Shelly Tygard said she had "a little blond who was very determined" threaten her over some DVDs at Wal-Mart.

"She was like, 'I'll take you on,'" Tygard said. "I told her it was no big deal to me."

Tygard, who shops on Black Friday every year with her daughter, Megan, awoke at 3:15 a.m. to be at the mall when JC Penney opened. She said this year was just about as busy as other years but more hostile and tense.

Despite the country's economic woes or maybe even because of them, scores of Casper residents flocked to the mall and local stores as early as 4 a.m. Friday for $2 DVDs, the hard-to-find Wii Fit and many of the other bargains and sales stores offered for one day only.

About 200 people flooded the three entrances at JC Penney when its doors opened doors at 4 a.m., according to Greg Rice, store manager.

The store sold more from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. Black Friday than it did during last year's first hour, he said. Last year was one of the best Black Fridays the Casper store ever had.

As the morning progressed, Rice said the store was on pace with last year's numbers.

"The true proof for us will be this afternoon," Rice said. "Luckily, in Casper and Wyoming, we hurt less than the rest of the country."

He said the morning ran pretty smoothly, because veteran shoppers who brave the mall on Black Friday know to expect and how to handle the frenzy under most circumstances.

By about 9:30 a.m., Sam's Club had sold 64 of the 66 Wii game consoles it had in stock, according to Jason Armstrong, the store's hardlines manager.

This was on pace to be the store's busiest year yet -- Sam's Club has held Black Friday sales for only the past four years -- but Armstrong said it was relatively uneventful. He handed out tickets for the Wii game consoles and Wii Fit to minimize fights and disappointed customers.

Though, people waiting in the lines for tickets chatted about scuffles that took place at other stores.

Some shoppers crossed items off their holiday lists while others took advantage of Black Friday deals to purchase larger items they had been eyeing for weeks.

Shelly and Megan Tygard bought a computer and printer for Megan to use at Casper College. Though they purchased some expensive items Friday, they said they would be cutting back their holiday spending this year.

The Connors, Hal and Marilyn, compared prices for a new television and other electronics at several different stores.

"We're self-indulging," Marilyn Connor said. "We need a new TV. Ours is dying. The people's faces are purple."

Contact Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.