The shopping centers in and around Bel Air did a brisk business the day after Christmas Friday as people were eager to exchange unwanted gifts, use gift cards or take advantage of deep post-holiday discounts.
"The kids, they get a lot of money for Christmas, and the next day, they can't wait to come out to shop," said Edward Bergalowski, who was shopping with his daughter and her cousins at Harford Mall. "Sometimes, there's better deals now than there is before Christmas."
Bergalowski, a Havre de Grace native, lives in Florida, but he spent Friday shopping with his 17-year-old daughter Monae Thurston, of Havre de Grace, and her cousins Nikki and Kellie Hill, ages 15 and 13, of Perryville.
Nikki showed off a multi-colored "Bob Marley bag" she purchased at the nearby K.A. Native Arts kiosk. She said she picked up the handbag, which had the bright green, red, yellow and black stripes that evoke Jamaica and the famed reggae singer, because of "the colors" and the price.
"It wasn't that expensive," she said.
The quartet also browsed the wares at Gift Gallery, including wild animal figurines, dolls and Native American and Asian-themed gifts. They did not purchase anything there, though.
"Maybe another time," store employee Junli Chen said after the group left.
Chen said there had not been too many customers at the gift store Friday.
Foot traffic was steady in the mall corridors and center court, however, and the lines were long at the various dining establishments such as The Pretzel Twister and Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen.
Rodrigo Flores is the owner of the K.A. Native Arts kiosk, which was just in the mall for the Christmas shopping season and will leave Sunday.
Flores, a member of the Otavalo Kichwa native tribe in Ecuador, was selling handmade caps, handbags, ponchos and sweaters, plus jewelry, made in the style of indigenous people in Ecuador.
"During the season, we've been selling really well, and our products have been accepted well by the Americans," he said. "Business has been going well, and I still hope to do some more business."
Nicky Tucker, 40, of Aberdeen, was shopping at the mall with his girlfriend Stephanie Carroll and her 2-year-old daughter Ashlynn.
Tucker checked out the wares at the Silver Galaxy jewelry kiosk. The former Marine and Iraq War veteran said he likes "Middle Eastern-style" jewelry.
"It's hard to find unique stuff in Harford County," he said.
The proprietor, Wazir Jassani, showed Tucker a series of metal and braided bracelets. Jassani said he has been at the mall for 13 years.
"I accommodate people, no problem," he said. "I give a good deal."
Jassani said the post-Christmas traffic had been "pretty good."
Tucker noted he grew up shopping at Harford Mall.
I was able to find a lot of good deals post Christmas," he said. "I was able to get some boots, some more jewelry and come out and see the mall that I grew up in, and [I'm] just having a lot of fun and catching a lot of these sales."
Vehicle traffic was heavy along the main roads of Bel Air. Shoppers could be seen downtown along Main Street, and there were a number of motorists along Route 1 and Route 24.
The parking lots at the mall, and local shopping centers such as the Bel Air Town Center and Tollgate Marketplace were full by Friday afternoon.
Foot traffic was also steady at the Barnes & Noble store and the adjacent Starbucks in Tollgate Marketplace, as shoppers exchanged and returned gifts.
Kennard Dill, 19, of Port Deposit, walked out of the Starbucks with his girlfriend Morgan Harter, 19, of Aberdeen. The couple said they also had visited Harford Mall.
Dill said conditions were "crowded, but not nearly as crowded as I assumed. I was actually able to find a parking spot for once."
Dill's only issue was with the process of exchanging his gift, which he described as "aggravating."
"It took way too long," he said.
Dill noted the process is "never easy," but he was able to get the gift he wanted.
Matt Weaver, 22, of the Rising Sun area, walked toward Barnes & Noble with his friend Jeremy Rudell, 22, of Port Deposit.
Weaver was carrying a kit for a making a model that he already has, so he was exchanging that gift for a model he does not own.
"It's a great place to shop," he said of the Bel Air area. "I mean, there's a lot of traffic in this area, but they've got a little bit of everything."
Weaver and Rudell noted Harford County has the closest major shopping district, and they listed the places they frequent, such as GameStop, Barnes & Noble, the Michaels craft store and restaurants such as the Double T Diner.
"Pretty frequently," Rudell said when asked how often he shops in Harford County. "Normally, I'm around once a week."