Just what is it about a sales tax holiday that gets people so excited and willing to get to the stores early and fight the crowds? Why is there even such a crowd to begin with? The reality of this promotion is that it merely saves you 6-10% depending on the state in which you reside. We live in a society that routinely has sales or markdowns all through the year that far exceed any benefit given by a sales tax holiday. It is not unusual to see 40, 50, or even 60% off sales, but we casually stroll by them with little attention given, but as soon as a tax holiday is announced, then its time to set the alarm and get to the store by 8:00 a.m. to stand in line so we can save 8%. We are not impressed or moved into action by a half-off sale, but we will have our shopping list and our plan of action ready for that single-digit savings event that we have been waiting for all year. It makes absolutely no sense that we will elbow our way through the masses of humanity for something that is less of a benefit than we can experience numerous times by thumbing though a newspaper for sales, using coupons, or shopping on the internet that often excludes sales tax as a normal course of business if used selectively. The fact that this campaign elicits such a strong response tells me that people are not really considering the reality of its perceived benefit, or it goes to show the true value of effective marketing. In either case, it is probably better to let others run each other down with their shopping carts in pursuit of the latest Winnie the Pooh backpack and instead choose to shop at another more peaceful time. It may cost you an extra 8% in tax, but you are likely to find greater discounts without all the hype of this exaggerated promotion.