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)
MCCC said 12:54AM on 11-10-2007
I'm an American that lives in Australia. While, yes, they do talk on cell phones here it is not nearly as much as I have observed in the U.S.; and they don't talk about marsupials, and according to them, we have the accents. Next time, get a little more "meat and potatoes" to the article such as how the phone companies here rarely go over any fine print before signing up customers and the lack of warning to the customers regarding their current usage. But don't represent yourself in the light of being culturally insensitive. Unless you are.
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htdsid said 11:05PM on 11-10-2007
Thank you. I am an aussie who lives in the US and I would agree that americans definately talk more on their cell phones.
I also have family who have been stung by cell phone companies, either because they didn't understand the fine print, or because they weren't given the correct information. My dad just got a $800 phone bill from being on vacation in New Zealand and he spoke to the cell phone company before he left and they seemed to have forgotten to mention roaming and international charges....
I used prepaid before I left so that I knew that I didn't have to worry about getting a huge bill.
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Spooky Snow Flake said 10:49AM on 11-11-2007
MCCC...Please don't sit here and attack Americans because you choose to live in the land of marsupials. Maybe the difference between the Australians and Americans is that WE read the fine print, as most intelligent people do. It appears that for some reason the Aussies neglect to read the fine print and then complain and whine about their bill. TO Bad...Pay Up. Like we do.
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Diesel said 1:33PM on 11-11-2007
I have to agree with MCCC. Its rather insensitive to refer to Australians as having a 'funny' accent. I do not think there was an 'attack' on Americans in that posting. Everyone worldwide needs to read the fine print when signing up for mobile service. Its common sense we all should share, accent or not. I firmly believe that Americans use mobile phones more and more. Even characters on tv and in movies are constantly shown on phones now. I have a very good friend in Australia who rarely calls me direct from his mobile phone because he is well aware of the charges. He uses a calling card which is considerably less expensive.
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