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)
Jacob said 4:07PM on 8-15-2007
As usual, Americans don't even know themselves. The poll results say that 93% know email scams, yet the indepth survey showed that over half DON'T. That's how you end up with an idiot, criminal President.
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Jim said 4:25PM on 8-15-2007
Jacob, you are the real asshole in this story. I'll bet your family tree does not fork!!
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clovclbrn said 5:51PM on 8-15-2007
mail scam's also!!!
I got a check for $4,880.00 to deposit & was told to send a cashier's check for $2,995.00 to a place in Cananda. I would have been out the $2,995.00 plus all charges, from my bank! Think about it! If it sounds to good to be true it IS!! The letter said I had won a lotto for $250,000.00! HA!
clovis colburn
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adrian said 6:10PM on 8-15-2007
I tried to sell my car on line and I got a bunch of email from nigeria. One of these dudes sent me a check. I took it to a bank who reported that it was phony. I also tried to contact by phone an address in Texas, but the address did not exist. But this sort of scam is not the most dangerous one: the really bad dudes are those who are pretending to be eBay and Amazon.com. They email you, saying that there is a serious problem with your account and provide you with a link. You click on the link, and it takes you to a site that looks exactly like Amazon.com or ebay.com. And then the site asks for your name and password to enter. Guess what happens when you put in your password. You have just given these crooks the means to get into your real Amazon or eBay account. So gang, never click onto a link from inside your email. Close out your email, and approach Amazon or ebay from the outside.
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Steven said 4:15AM on 10-17-2007
The main problem with these scams is that they are in fact working. The people who are being affected are the ones who are taken for a ride in real life as well. I happen to be one of these people who almost got scammed. I now have a mail security system that stops all these mails before they get to my inbox. It costs nothing compared to the cost of a scam.
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me said 2:46PM on 10-21-2007
it is no surprise to me , about half the people i meet are too stupid to be breeding and need to get OUT of the gene pool
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watcher said 4:52PM on 10-21-2007
I don't know about Jacob's family tree, but I do know that we have an idiot, criminal president.
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