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)
calig said 3:56PM on 6-10-2008
Why hasn't anyone mentioned the REAL idiotic part of the story. Never mind that he was selling stolen goods. That's all too common. The real kicker is that when he packed it up, and placed the address label for shipping, DIRECTED TO HIS OWN WORK ADDRESS, this didn't ring a bell in his head???!!!!
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Terry Wagar said 2:00AM on 1-01-2009
Eric Carlson and Joan Wagar, A,K,A, Doubleclick and Mrs Dash,( yes those are there nicknames they gave each other.) admitted to poisoning me while I was a plasma donor back in 2005.
Eric Carlson pedofied me behind prison walls and then framed me as a pedophile on march 26th 2007, I caught the crime on a audio recorder I put in Joan's purse.
there were people in authority helping them with this and nobody in authority will help they pretend nothing happened and refuse to investigate this.
Eric Carlson changed his hair color and his name but this is not hidden, only ignored by the authority's and media
I'm disabled from being poisoned and the hospitals refuse to admit I'm poisoned.
My Family is in danger from these people and I have no other recorse but to make these charges public.
My name is Terry Wagar,Im from Portland Oregon and I'm backing up these charges.
I have been threatened with harassment charges by a Sargent Walker, She is a portland police officer stationed at the OHSU hospital, for the non crime of reporting a multi murder conspiracy within that hospital.
They dont give a s4!t Joan and Eric was poisoning a plasma donor!
And how many god damn john ray's in authority are there in portland oregon!
You damn serial killer.
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Heathereeee said 7:21PM on 12-28-2007
LOL...What a moron.
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ascatal said 12:44AM on 12-29-2007
*cough idiot cough*
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peninsula said 1:19PM on 12-29-2007
omg... http://www.greatvideo.mactanque.com
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twofirst1 said 1:39PM on 12-29-2007
Usually the scum bags just go to the local pawn shop and hock everbody elses stolen property but I do know that some of them that are sitting around fugitives from justice under phoney names putting everthing that they can on e'bay and other computor sites trying to raise money for thier expensive drug habbits, real scank bags. Just refuse to get a regular job and pay taxes and pay anything at all for rent just rob everbody else blind.
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lolly said 11:29PM on 12-29-2007
ohh myyy.
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Andrea said 4:27AM on 12-30-2007
What's sad is he is not the only one out there doing that. We had a guy at a movie theater I worked at sell all the old film posters for IMAX movies and regular movies on e-bay. He got fired. hum steady paycheck or hoping someone buys a lot of the stuff you post on e-bay. I would go for the steady paycheck myself.
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Kathy said 7:59AM on 12-30-2007
The trouble is the attitude exhibited by the author - "admit it, you all do it" - is out there. I remember being told the cabinet in the hall full of office supplies was for everyone, and encouraged to take what I wanted home for my own use. Well, once I took a pencil home that I actually used at work and I brought it back... it didn't feel right - that is how I was brought up, not to take stuff! Stuff at work belongs at work, and "office supplies" are not bought for you to take home.
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SuZy said 10:08AM on 12-30-2007
Ebay allows stolen and fakee goods to be posted on its site every day of the week. Buyers are ripped off daily by the scam artists who traffic in stolen and pirated mechandise.Ebay profits off of this activity..it's all about getting those fees. The rules Ebay has are a joke. Anyone who has every been ripped off on Ebay knows exactly what I'm talking about. Ebay needs to be shut down.
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JBJG said 11:27AM on 12-30-2007
IDIOT WITH A CAPITOL "I"
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L. Wayne said 12:03PM on 12-30-2007
First point, Grant Ross, you're a dummy!You were selling stuff that you stole from your own job! You laughable fool!
Point # 2, When Terence O'Brien says "You all do it, admit it" what that sounds like is that he does it.
I don't steal from work, Most of the people that work in my department don't steal from work, some do. The people that I suspect, or are obviously carrying home "minor items" are passed over for raises and promotions. Supervisors value honesty!You don't win this one. Leave the work materials at work, you'll be better off.
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deadacated1 said 12:18PM on 12-30-2007
I don't understand why this is newsworthy. Ebay is the biggest operation for fencing stolen goods in the country. Everyday stole stuff is being sold on ebay, and ebay could care less as long as they get their cut.
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Drezo said 6:34PM on 12-30-2007
What an idiot. I feel guilty taking home an ink pen from work, and this moron steals property from work and then tries to make a profit from it!! Talk about a dummy.
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jamiep said 11:19PM on 12-30-2007
And this is "news"?
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Reevo said 6:19AM on 1-04-2008
I Never stoled anything from Work due to having an honest personality. But many people steal every day. it doesn't have to be pens,paper or things like that. time is the Largest Item stolen on a daily basis. If you treat your people honestly and fairly, you won't need Unions or have to worry about theft. unfortunetly, there are very few companies like that. most are run by a bunch of Idiots that don't cultivate Loyalty.
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John F.C. Taylor said 7:36AM on 1-04-2008
Makes it that much tougher for us legitimate eBay users. hE'S GETTING OFF LIGHTLY WITH ONLY 6 MONTHS.
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Elizabeth said 7:37AM on 1-04-2008
It's obvious this guy is an idiot!! Didn't anyone notice he still gets to work 200 hours without pay (he probably made more money from stealing than his paycheck anyway)and his sentence was suspended..What a nut case for a judge!! This is why people do it again..That's not punishment!! If I caught someone stealing from me I wouldn't have them anywhere near me ever again!! I don't steal!! My parents taught me "you get back what you give".
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Muriel said 8:45AM on 1-04-2008
I resent the idea that everybody does it! If I carry something home forgotten in a pocket, it goes back the very next day. Everyone who steals from their employer likes to rationalize that everyone does it, but it doesn't make it so!
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joe said 8:24AM on 1-04-2008
our court system is run by bleeding heart liberals, they say there is an overpopulation in our prisons thats why the sentences are so light, the guy probably made at least six months salary selling good, why would he care if he sits around in a jail cell getting 3 squares a day, medical and dental at tax payers money, cable tv, exercise equipement, ping pong, recreation, and no responsibilities. you start giving maximum sentences for these guys then they might worry about it. take away the tv, make them do hard labor, ewww big deal i have to go out in public and pick up trash.. wow.
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