Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Lora Tab said 3:01PM on 2-20-2008
Why is the Lohan & Hilton contact info such a big revelation? I thought the telephone numbers of courthouses, jails and rehab centers were already listed in the phone book.
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Stanley Harris said 4:35PM on 2-20-2008
People who make negative comments about Paris Hilton are simply revealing their own lack of intelligence. The Paris Hilton portrayed by the tabloids is not the real Paris Hilton, and those who believe the tabloids are demonstrating how the tabloids rely on morons to sell their magazines. Paris Hilton was treated unjustly by the courts and the public, and there is plenty of proof, but I don't have time to convince idiots, especially since idiots are too full of it to find out for themselves.
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Kat said 8:26PM on 4-23-2007
Lohan looks like someone on crack,way to skinny and looks 50 years old.Someone needs to help this girl before she parties herself to death.
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Jill said 7:14AM on 4-26-2007
Why doesn't someone make these girls go get jobs? The whole deal about Lindsey and Paris just makes me sick. Paris needs to go to jail for her crime, and Lohan needs to go get a real job.
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kathy said 8:35AM on 4-26-2007
Shanna Moakler is no better than these two. She ruined the show "Pacific Blue" when she was on there one season and it was cancelled. I wish they would all just go away. What kills me is they are never held accountable for ANY of their actions and thats why they act the way they do.
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mindy klein said 7:55AM on 4-26-2007
My problem is why is a 20yo allowed to drink in bars that have a drinking age of 21. Someone needs to shut these places down or give them fines and see how fast the underage drinking in public will stop. As far as hackers, I DON'T THINK SO!
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K. said 8:01AM on 4-26-2007
Who gives a rats ass about any of these useless skanky bimbos. I certainly don't.
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Misha said 8:44AM on 4-26-2007
"K"
You are my hero! I couldnt have said it better..!!
I am sick of these two. Especially Paris Hilton. Please Please Please, fall off the face of the earth soon.!!
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cherri said 8:55AM on 4-26-2007
You know what cracks me up is that Paris thinks and acts like she is the "it" girl, but if you mention her name to anyone, male or female, they have nothing good to say about her. So why is she still in the public eye?? AND what good has she done in this world? She doesn't use "her" money to help needy people around the world. All she does is party. She doesn't even know how a washer and dryer works! She is a total BIMBO! And for some reason Lindsay envies this girl and tries her darndest to look and act just like the whore that she is.
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lk said 10:19AM on 4-26-2007
K...you hit the nail on the head....
who cares about these people???? they lead charmed lives, which they chose....they bounce from relationship to relationship, rehab to rehab...WHO CARES.,,,, and another 2 cents.... I could really give a flying fig about anything Rosie O'Donnell has to say or what she thinks about ANYTHING.... again, she's a loud mouth with a soap box
This world is going to hell in a hand basket,,,and we all just sit by and watch it go...
Wake up America....make one change everyday...and the world will begin to turn around...My elderly dad is always saying 'I'm glad I'm on my way out, not my way in' THINK about that everyone!
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jerry said 9:37AM on 4-26-2007
"Hacked into a web site" PLEASE These two couldn't get into a locked car if there keyless remote's battery was dead!
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david jones said 10:08AM on 4-26-2007
Lohan, Hilton,Spears,& Trump are all addicted to publicity & cameras. Is their any television camera these lowlife sleeze bags wont coo & endlessly blabber too? This talentless quad should do the world a favor & permantly disappear. Showbiz tonight on CNN is the biggest suck up T.V. show for continually covering their every sleazy move & continuing to bore America to death..!
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sonny said 10:27AM on 4-26-2007
those two are way to stupid to hack into anything except there own cloths......
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charlotte said 10:28AM on 4-26-2007
Just wondering how many stars are really the people who update their pages?
Annie Lennox was updating and online last night, which is rather hard when you are singing at a Disney venue for Idol
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Del said 10:46AM on 4-26-2007
Hey Kat, I'm fifty and look good for my age, so please don't insult 50 year old individuals. We are the better age, no worries and know who we are and what we want and don't want out of life.
Personally, I think any celebrity needs to grow up and face reality, you are in the public eye and you need to curtail your inappropriate behavior. I do not condone this behavior neither do I believe you should shirk your responsibilities.
Paris Hilton needs to be jailed and filed more than what the judge has initially indicated. $300.00 is a sneeze to her.
Lindsay Lohan has no longer the cute appeal she did in Parent Trap. Too much crack and ex.
Britney is just a huge slut who is trying to stay 16.
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Dana said 5:27PM on 4-27-2007
Lindsay and Paris are hackers? These two couldn't hack their way into a zip loc bag!
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PrissyPants said 11:38AM on 4-26-2007
Dana says:
Lindsay and Paris are hackers? These two couldn't hack their way into a zip loc bag!
04/26/07 11:07 AM
LOL DANA!! But.... they could hack their way into a zip loc baggie -- only if it was filled with coke
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Lucy said 12:00PM on 4-26-2007
On Tuesday night I was at a dodger game and saw Paris and Nicki in the bathroom. First, Paris, use your big girl voice, you are not 4 years old. Nicki you could have said hi. Ya know, when women are in the restroom they are polite say hi, the game is great etc. All I did was say hi girls, Paris said in her lil girl voice, "hi." They then ignored me. I asked how they are, again ignored. I said, "look, I don't want your autograph, I don't want your pictures on my cell phone. I was being polite like I am to many strangers so get over yourselves. REMEMBER ME GIRLS!!!
Be kind, be polite and certainly just because you have money doesn't make you any better than any of us. I have it too, but I use it for charity not to become famous for my name.
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JPD said 12:19PM on 4-26-2007
You know the sad thing, worse than all mentioned is that there are actually people in the world that are interested in this crap. It's like the wealty version of the Jerry Springer show. What happened to people keeping their personal life personal... and the media is as much to blame. As far as hacking, I think someone wanted some more attention and needed an excuse to get it. There is the option that they paid a hacker to hack though.
They are good at buying what they want. They still
need to be accountable for their stupid actions.
The rest of us are.
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Michelle said 12:23PM on 4-26-2007
What's scary is that young girls look up these "women" as someone to look up to. Between the to thin bodies and the who cares attitude no wonder our society is falling into the abyss. I don't care who you are you need to be held accountable for what you do wrong and today problems are always blamed on someone else. I'm so scared of what society will be like when my 1 1/2 year old daughter is 13 heck 11!!
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