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 8)
Michael said 2:31PM on 7-17-2007
OUR COUNTRY IS BECOMING A MESS OF ALL THESE WHINING JERKS LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYONES
BUSINESS, EXCEPT THE LIFE THEY ARE LIVING!
i STOPPED SMOKING, BUT, YOU NOSY CRUDS LEAVE SMOKERS ALONE. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FREE COUNTRY, LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE, NOT OTHERS.
We have good troops being killed protecting our
rights. Butt out of others business. Michael
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Dick said 2:32PM on 7-17-2007
Pitchfork.com...you were searching innocently there for music??/interestingly pitchfork.com is a horse/livestock site....mmmm
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Mike said 2:41PM on 7-17-2007
The author is referring to http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/
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ROBERT S LANIER said 3:20PM on 7-17-2007
Some of the adds are a little over the top.
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john said 2:38PM on 7-17-2007
whoever made this column is so stupid, of course 18 and over sites are going to be nc-17 material. WHAT KIND OF SUPER IDIOT THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE TOO RACY FOR 18 year olds. AND ALSO, AS long as there's no nudity, why is it racy at all!?!!? Just look at the polls. Whoever started this column should quit life. And whoever Voted that this was racy at all. Its a women in a one piece swimsuit, not even a bikini. OMG this makes me so mad. If you dont want to see this, then you cant even go swimming, or to the beach. Because theres women wearing these, and even bikinis. " oh no close your eyes " GO Press CANCEL on your remote to life.
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Tiffer said 2:47PM on 7-17-2007
I hate to say it but... American Apparel does hang on the edge of too racey. I used to be in the soft goods embelishment industry and would often have books from our vendors around my house. My, at that time, 6 year old niece got a hold of one of my American Apparel books and asked why you could see through the girls clothing. In many of the pictures the girls do not wear any type of underwear and because of the fabric most of the clothing is see through, including the bottoms.
All of their clothing is geared towards a younger and more youthful crowd. As I am aware that many high fashion mags do have some nudity, you don't see many 15 y/o's asking for a $2,500 coture dress.
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Josey said 6:45PM on 7-19-2007
Its known that the percentage of smokers in america is way less than the ones who are non smokers, Just because you choose to light one up and blacken your lungs dosent mean i want to blacken mine when i go to dinner or anywhere else infact if America is all about freedom shouldn't i be free from the smell of smoke anywhere i go?????
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katt said 3:04PM on 7-17-2007
you have got to be kidding me....please, we have a full on war happening, people are dying for this country and their beliefs of whatever may be left of a "free world." leave it alone. its just an ad. try to think of something else....like YOUR life. oh, unless somehow this directly effects you and yours.....and what could that possibly be? your children looking at it? get over yourself this country is going down the drains with too much @#$% already....i dont want my girl growing up thinking she has to look a certain way either, so guess what? im gonna teach her not to. duh!!!!!
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rkipping said 2:51PM on 7-17-2007
Why are any of these ads considered "racy"?
Seen the ads in the Sunday papers lately?
It's the society we live in.....
I hate to mention it, but in a lot of cases, the old adage "Sex Sells" is true.
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Msj said 2:59PM on 7-17-2007
They are so many other things going on in the us that they can talk about, other then this stupid thing. If you don't like the ADD - don't look at it..
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Byron Spain said 3:13PM on 7-17-2007
Last time I checked, we are all born naked. The problem with nudity is between the ears of the beholder. Sick thoughts are not corrected by clothes.
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psm31 said 2:30PM on 7-20-2007
Shouldn't you be working instead of shopping for cloths anyway? I mean you are on company time!
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Andrew said 3:17PM on 7-17-2007
Well todays 40 year old virgins have run out of things to whine about involveing just about evry other thing that you could possibly think of and have moved on to internet ads,Way to go guys and gals way to go.
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jeremy said 3:18PM on 7-17-2007
I agree with Michael, these nosy tree hugging fruitcakes who want to sensor every little thing in the American society.
Well, sorry you freaking fruits, I am one loud, proud, will always voice my opinion no matter who doesn't like it, straight up liberal over here, so get use to it.
If you don't like it, don't buy it, turn the freaking channel, raise your kids in a cave, never leave your house, or better yet just get use to it and shut the F&^%K up about it already.
These people are the beginnings of a communistic society, just because they are so ignorant and paranoid about anything and everything in the world, listening to that garbage propaganda pumped out by the Bush regime, they think we should lock everything down and build a freaking iron curtain around the country, I'll be damned!!!
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anotherkasumi said 4:37PM on 7-17-2007
I don't think that this is racy because the "woman" is wearing a bathing suit, which although women do wear it to the beach, bathing suit ads aren't an appropriate ad to come across at work> You can get sexual harassment charges pressed against you for looking at bathing suit ads at work and that is reality. BUT the important thing about this Ad that makes it DISGUSTING!!!! is this little girl who is posing in a seductive way looks to be about 12 year old. It isn't a little girl looking like she is having fun, it looks like a child porn site. Something for weirdos and freaks. It is horrible.
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anotherkasumi said 6:03PM on 7-17-2007
I don't think that this is racy because the "woman" is wearing a bathing suit, which although women do wear it to the beach, bathing suit ads aren't an appropriate ad to come across at work> You can get sexual harassment charges pressed against you for looking at bathing suit ads at work and that is reality. BUT the important thing about this Ad that makes it DISGUSTING!!!! is this little girl who is posing in a seductive way looks to be about 12 year old. It isn't a little girl looking like she is having fun, it looks like a child porn site. Something for weirdos and freaks. It is horrible.
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atlantis2 said 3:25PM on 7-17-2007
these ads are not racy, people make too much of seeing women scantily dressed.
If the movements or poctures are not seductive then no one such be turned on or affended by an ad
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Ron Chadduck said 3:25PM on 7-17-2007
We Americans are prudes when it comes to the human body. For example, who would dare show any part of a womans nipple in any advertisement. Don't we all have them, both men and women, so whats the secret. Europe, Asia and a few other countries show things as they are. Why are we so infuriated and why the term racy adds.
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Lauren said 3:29PM on 7-17-2007
The point of an ad is to get you to look at it longer than jsut 2 seconds to actually see the clothing and the quality. That is exactly what American Apparel does, just because they do it in a way that some people are uncomfortable about doesn't mean it is racy. As a former employee for American Apparel I was surrounded by such pictures all over the store. If anything AA has started something amazing with its photos. It has taken normal people, some employees and pictured them with out make up or retouching in just the clothing, that is what advertising should be about. If you don't like the clothes or the adds then don't by into it, but don't complain and whine about it.
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MFlynnie said 3:29PM on 7-17-2007
I think there are a lot more important things in the world to worry about other than the AA ads
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