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.
This may sound like a joke, but trust us, it's true. In Sarasota, Florida, streets were closed after a typewriter was reported as a suspicious package. And while many of us may not remember what one of these pre-PC word processors looks like, the senior citizens in Florida should have no excuse.
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
ascatal said 12:22PM on 12-04-2007
I can't blame them for being cautious but come on this one should have been a no brainer
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Jeff said 5:05PM on 12-04-2007
Paranoia will destroy ya!
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moi said 6:27PM on 12-04-2007
oh jeez. the government has been clever. We trust nothing, no one, not even each other. Success. Big Brother is getting bigger and taking names.
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lori said 6:38PM on 12-04-2007
WAY TO GO CHIEF ABBOTT IN SHOWING THE SARASOTA POLICE DEPARTMENT (SPD) THE TRUE DUMB FUCKS THAT THEY REALLY & TRUELLY ARE. IT STILL GOES TO SHOW YOU WHAT I SAID TO YOUR FACE THAT SPD IS AS USELESS AS A TIT ON A COW (OR BOAR). AT LEAST THE NATION NOW KNOWS HOW REALLY FUCKING STUPID THE SPD REALLY IS. IT ALSO SHOWS HOW BRIGHT THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AS THAT IS WHERE CHIEF ABBOTT IS FROM. ALL HE IS GOOD AT IS STANDING THERE AND LOOKING PRETTY FOR THE CITY COMMISSIONERS.
A CITY OF SARASOTA RESIDENT WHO IS TRUELLY EMBARRASSED BY THIS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
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lori said 6:37PM on 12-04-2007
THIS JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT DUMB FUCKS THE SARASOTA POLICE DEPARTMENT (SPD) REALLY IS. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, STIL ARE, AND ALWAYS BE AS USELESS AS A TIT ON A COW (OR BOAR). A SARASOTA RESIDENT
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J.D. said 6:55PM on 12-04-2007
Greetings,
I have to disagree with the article... The typewriter has been many times used as a weapon of destruction in the past. Just think about how many bogus newspaper articles, sports reports and dear "John" letters have crossed it's keys since it was created. The written word is the most leathal weapon in the world. No mater how you type, write,text it... The accomplish to all of our misgivings were helped along by the typewriter.
J.D.
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Jim said 6:59PM on 12-04-2007
I remember a prank me and my buddy pulled when we were younger, pre-9/11. We took one of his moms old purses and filled it with the most nasty things we could find in his fridge. Then we put half of a dollar stuck in the zipper. We placed it on a street corner and kept an eye from his apartment window. For two hours cars were stopping and looking but had no takers. One guy sat there for 1/2 hour and the police showed up so he left. The cops were looking at it and one opened it and stuck his hand in and quickly took it back out and yelled "oh gross". We were laughing so hard, forgetting the window was open. They shined their flashlights at us and shook their heads and threw it in the trash. Couldn't do that in todays society, but that is one event I'll never forget. I still chuckle when I think about it. hehe
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JBJG24 said 7:00PM on 12-04-2007
BET THE BOMB SQUAD FELT LIKE FOOLS!!!!!
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ssmith said 7:16PM on 12-04-2007
Umm, that's not true. I live in Sarasota, and that never happened.
We did have a gun scare at my high school though, in which streets were closed, but it was an actual thing.
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Gothixrayne said 10:14PM on 12-04-2007
Better to be too cautious than not cautious enough.
Shame on you people -- what if it had been real? Bombs don't always have "bomb" written in block red text on them; they're disguised to look like other things, probably even typewriters.
Thank you, bomb squad, for being paranoid and saving a few more lives for every real bomb you catch.
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jude said 7:47PM on 12-04-2007
The Children's Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves.
Particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities.
CDF encourages preventive investment before children get sick or into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown.
CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. CDF has never taken government funds.
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robert said 7:48PM on 12-04-2007
WHY DON'T THE COPS GO AFTER REAL CRIMINALS LIKE PAMELA KAYE MAGEE IN BOISE IDAHO WHO STEALS OTHER PEOPLES IDENTITIES. ARE ALL COPS JUST STUPID OR ARE THEY JUST PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED FROM EATING TOO MANY DOUGHNUTS ?
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Jenny Craig said 8:06PM on 12-04-2007
Duh!!! Idiots!!!
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WILLIAM said 8:10PM on 12-04-2007
THESE COPS KNEW THIS WAS NOT A BOMB THEY WERE JUST SHOWING THIER AUTHORITY
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not a bumb said 8:14PM on 12-04-2007
I know of some bums=sexy asses closing down streets never a typewriter=bomb.
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DORFMONT said 8:26PM on 12-04-2007
Oh, come on guys. How many IEDs in Iraq don't look like IEDs but like ordinary objects? It could have been wired to explode and only looked like a typewriter. There is a lot of room in the case for explosives and mechanism. I don't blame them for blowing it up.
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rambo441 said 4:46PM on 12-10-2007
Smith-Corona RULES !!
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Barbara said 8:56PM on 12-04-2007
Kind of funny in a sad,pathetic way. Reminds me of an old show I saw once about a woman who was travelling on a bus and thought she had a rattle snake in her suitcase. Turns out it was her electric toothbrush that got turned on by accident.
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Mike said 9:01PM on 12-04-2007
I agree with Dorfmont, and I've seen IED's. Most IED's were created to look like everyday items. It takes a trained professionals like the bomb squad to distinguish the real thing from a look-a-like. Those professionals put their lives on the line for your protection. I have only the deepest respect for people who may or may not one day give up their lives to protect us.
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Sandra Carrillo said 9:06PM on 12-04-2007
Rambo, people dont even know who that is! I however agree.
What would all you naysayers be saying if it were a real bomb and it blew up in someones face, it wouldnt be quite so funny then huh?
It is a sick sad world that we live in, that this is even an issue.
The cops were just doing their job, like we have asked them too. If you think that there is something wrong with that, then it truly is YOUR problem
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