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 4)
Jono0055 said 3:36AM on 2-05-2008
The internet is great for growing a business. I always wanted to have a way to generate supplemental income but never had the money to stert.
I got involved in an online shopping business that is totally free and you make money with no upfront cash. It harnesses the power of everyday spending. The company gives you a website (for free) that offers people cash back on all their purchases at over 1000 top online stores including The Gap, Sephora, Best Buy,
Target, Macy's, Starbucks, the list goes on. People shop on your site or sign up for their own mall and you get back between 4-55% on their purchases. They also get a percentage as well. And if they recommend to others you get a percentage of that too. Check it out. It's free. What have you got to lose? The site is
http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/109689
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tarin5 said 3:05PM on 11-27-2007
cool,very interesting! go girl
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Denis said 3:12PM on 11-27-2007
Now why couldn't I have thought of that! Way to Go!
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Jennifer said 3:15PM on 11-27-2007
God bless a woman with a little creativity and a sense of humor! Good for her!! (Now if only I could find my "tumbleweed" success!)
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Erwin Cruz said 3:23PM on 11-27-2007
YOU GO GIRL.........BUT, beware.....some coniving-a55 politician will figure out a way to make you pay for some kind of license or how to get their fingers in your pie.......
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Russ said 3:30PM on 11-27-2007
At those prices, I have about $1000.00 worth of them blow through my yard every week.
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john said 4:31PM on 11-27-2007
I have been selling these on ebay and have told hundreds elsewhere. John
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john said 4:29PM on 11-27-2007
I have been selling these on ebay and elsewhere.
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Shelly said 3:36PM on 11-27-2007
This is GREAT!!! I make dog clothes!! LOVE IT.
Shelly
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zylenebody said 3:33PM on 11-27-2007
I have used the web to grow my business from nothing into something. Anyone with imagination and drive can work from home and build an incredible business - and most important have a good quality of life with family and friends not working all the time! www.zylenebody.com
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Leagen said 3:36PM on 11-27-2007
How do you Pack and Ship a Tumbleweed? I bet it is cheap to ship since it can't weigh much.
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Nanci H. Flynn said 3:50PM on 11-27-2007
This gal sounds like a Proverbs 31 woman ... wtg, girlfriend, you're a credit to us all!! I have gadzillions of oak and maple leaves all over my yard ... anybody wanna buy 'em?? NOT!!!
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T said 3:39PM on 11-27-2007
I heard about her years ago and I'm glad she survived the dot com bust. What a lucky woman!
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cyndy said 3:39PM on 11-27-2007
...that is funny!....
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cyndy said 3:41PM on 11-27-2007
check this out: www.mebabyboomer.com
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Ida said 3:49PM on 11-27-2007
In the 1950's after all the kids were gone from home, and she didn't want to buy a Christmas tree, she saw some tumble weeds and took one in. She spray painted it green and put small balls on it and it was a beautiful "tree". The next year she painted one red and decorated it. She was very creative.
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Ida said 3:51PM on 11-27-2007
Sorry, on my previous message I was speaking of my perfect Mother. If she knew she could have made money on that one, WOW!
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Carol said 3:55PM on 11-27-2007
Denis,I haven`t seen anyone else spell their name like you do except for my ex-husband,,,God I miss him ;~( I never should have left. Oh BTW,I have enough tumbleweeds to supply that lady for quite awhile.
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Carol said 4:08PM on 11-27-2007
Hey Denis,,you don`t by any chance team rope and shoe horses for a living do you??? Probably not. You`re probably not him anyway ;~}
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daisy said 4:30PM on 11-27-2007
The internet is phenomenal for growing a business. I always wanted to have a franchise but did not want to put up a lot
of money. I also am a mother of 3 and wanted more of a home business
rather than a bricks and morter.
I got involved in an online shopping business that is totally free
and you make money from day one. The company gives you a website
(for free) that offers people cash back on all their purchases at
over 1000 top online stores including The Gap, Sephora, Best Buy,
Target, Macy's. People shop on your site and get back between 4-55%
on CASH on their purchases. You get a percentage as well. And if
they recommend to others you get a percentage of that too. I have
not quit my full time job yet, but I am looking forward to just doing
this and staying with my kids soon! The site is
http://www.dailyoink.com The site is odd to navigate at first
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