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 1)
keith said 3:39PM on 7-26-2007
Typical UNITED cares more about its customers than it does about its employees or should i say FURLOUGHED employees
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Pat Vienna said 10:21PM on 9-11-2007
Oh, now I see what my cut wages, vacation pay and pension $$'s are paying for!!
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Bernard I. Turnoy said 11:38PM on 10-06-2007
All of the gizmo's in the forward cabins of United's aircraft can't make up for their service performance. I sat down to a meal the other day with a friend who had just returned to Chicago from Asia. He was to have flown from Chicago on United to San Francisco and to then connect on another [code sharing] airline to fly on to Thailand, before going on to Japan a few days later. I've never heard such a travel horror story - and I've heard a few. Four hours before his United flight was to depart from O'Hare he received a text message advising him that his flight would be significantly delayed {this was not a weather related delay}. Since that delay would result in his missing his flight out of SFO to Thailand, he sought an earlier flight from ORD to LAX and from LAX on up to SFO. Naturally, his flight to LAX was delayed, as was his flight from LAX on up to SFO. When he got to SFO he'd missed his flight to Thailand and - naturally, his luggage {having been checked thru} whet on ahead without him to Thailand. United's staff - both in Chicago and in San Francisco, were thoroughly unhelpful {and - it would appear, rude}. He regailed me of one person who excused herself from the counter at which they'd been discussing his logistics and - when she hadn't returned after twenty minutes, he'd inquired of her whereabouts with another of United's employees only to be informed that she'd gone on break. In disgust, he booked himself into a hotel near the airport and arranged with the code-sharing carrier to fly diretly to Japan the next day {blowing of his couple of days in Thailand for R&R}. Since his luggage had gone to Thailand - he arrived in Tokyo without so much as a change of clothing. Mind you, United not only left him standing at the counter, but, they neither offered him meal and/or hotel vouchers. So, there he was in an aiport hotel - without luggage, and having been totally insulted by United. This is how they treat their international business class passangers! All of the gizmos in the world can't make up for that kind of treatment. Bear in mind that this person is a partner in a Chicago based accounting firm and, accordingly, he has a say in which airlines members of his firm travel on. He now has a lot to 'say'about United. Obviously, United has just alientated a person who they give lip service to courting business from [the frequent, front of the aircraft business traveler]. However, when the chips are down, don't count on United to get you where your're supposed to go, to facilitate any solution to the problems - of their making, and/or to be anything but rude about the whole thing. This was all relayed to me by a person who is not prone to complain and who hasn't unrealistic expectations. He did, however, expect to be flown to the destination{s} he'd paid to be flown to - both in a timely manner and with his luggage; and he got neither!
Gizmos can't fix those kinds of problems.
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