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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 15)
JAUNVIVAMEXICO said 11:47AM on 3-26-2008
SHOULD OF USED A 38. STORY WOULD OF BEEN MORE BELIEVEABLE. POOR BASTARD DIDNT THINK IT OUT.
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Ken said 11:56AM on 3-26-2008
The old maxim is: "Those too stupid to live, won't."
The apparent correlary to this is: "Those who insist on living in close proximity to those too stupid to live, won't live either!"
Don't make this a "Gun Issue" it's not. It's a STUPIDITY ISSUE!
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butter said 12:05PM on 3-26-2008
Why a gun? What ever happened to a drill?????
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ddhlonewolf said 12:14PM on 3-26-2008
I wonder if they need a dish installed at the Whitehouse Hmmmm.
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tellit said 12:45PM on 3-26-2008
Sounds like a bunch of BS to me. Better check the Life Insurance policies. Probably had her insured up to the hilt!!
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Bear said 12:45PM on 3-26-2008
He just did it so he wouldn't have to share the remote....! No, seriously though, what kind of redneck idiot shoots a gun thru his roof to drill a hole to run a cable?!? Did it even occur to him he might hit electrical wiring or a water pipe, or ANYTHING else in his house? Absolutely, this was not a gun issue, it is a STUPIDITY issue. Sure hope they didn't have any children.
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plburroughs said 1:42PM on 3-26-2008
A 22 slug will probably not leave a big enough hole for an RG-6 cable. Certainly not for two cables if it has a dual LNB.
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LeslieK007 said 1:39PM on 3-26-2008
It just HAD to be someone from the SOUTH....I'm from New York and lived in Georgia for 10 years...Geeze. I believe it. A little thing called a drill ?...a hammer and a really long nail ? ...Who knows? Maybe,this idiot had success with this method in the past...lol... Now that I have lived there and experienced it, I believe it...As they say.."You might be a Redneck if..."
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eric_barbaric said 2:07PM on 3-26-2008
Wow...ever heard of using the right tool for the job moron? I really hope this guy gets charged with manslaughter. By the way LeslieK007, Missouri is the midwest, not the south.
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Joseph Murphy said 3:46PM on 3-26-2008
LeslieK- I don't know where the guy is from, but if you're referring to Missouri as "the south," you are way off. I have lived in Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. Missouri is as close to being part of "the south" as upstate New York is.
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Joann said 7:47PM on 3-26-2008
Rednecks are in every state
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Slim said 11:49AM on 3-28-2008
This story is a MUST for the Darwin awards.
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Melissa said 8:15PM on 3-26-2008
LeslieK007 says:
It just HAD to be someone from the SOUTH....I'm from New York and lived in Georgia for 10 years...Geeze. I believe it. A little thing called a drill ?...a hammer and a really long nail ? ...Who knows? Maybe,this idiot had success with this method in the past...lol... Now that I have lived there and experienced it, I believe it...As they say.."You might be a Redneck if..."
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Why does it "HAVE" to be someone from the South? Stupid people live in every state, ya know. And for the record, it happened in Missouri, which isn't part of the South. I live in Tennessee, and here, we use drills for this purpose, NOT GUNS!
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Raymage said 8:17PM on 3-26-2008
Where was this again?...Oh yeah--Missouri! Enough said.
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Mr.Moron said 8:23PM on 3-26-2008
Hey,I need to run a 10" sewer line thru a concrete wall.Anyone know where I can borrow a patriot rocket ? Helloooooooooooooooooooooo
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tfcrow said 8:29PM on 3-26-2008
He should have used a double barrel.
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Dave C said 8:31PM on 3-26-2008
Seemed like a good idea at the time,probably didn't have a drill bit long enough to get through the wall.The bullet must have ricocheted(is that a word)?? and hit his wife. What a tradgedy over not having the proper tool for the job.
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IRMARINE4 said 8:34PM on 3-26-2008
WHAT A DUMB @ STUPID WILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE THINKING ABOUT HOW STUPID HE IS
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Victoria said 8:46PM on 3-26-2008
This story is truly suspicious. For all we know he planned to kill his wife and came up with this lame story to cover up her murder. I mean really, who uses a gun to put a hole in a house to run cable? Shouldn't he have warned his wife not to be anywhere near the area he was shooting? Hmmmmmmmmm.
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Thomas Molina said 8:41PM on 3-26-2008
JUST ANOTHER TYPICAL REDNECK STORY ABOUT SOME DUMBASS DOING SOMETHING STUPID LIKE SHOOTING A HOLE INTO A WALL. HE SHOULD HAVE GONE AND BORROWED A DRILL SO LIKE THAT, HE WOULDNT BE IN THE MESS HE FINDS HIMSELF IN NOW. PENDEJO!!!!
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