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 3)
fubar said 2:26PM on 4-08-2008
Lets hope it takes off and other stores follow in best buys footsteps and offer all kinds of lowcost things its about time that walmart gets knocked down a few notches and really start to offer low prices on some topline things not just junk that no other store will sell
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JOHN BUTTERFIELD said 3:04PM on 4-08-2008
MADE IN CHINA NO DOUBT
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Bob said 2:50PM on 4-08-2008
Lets hope they continue to make these bonehead blunders and fall on their face. Maybe they could sue another needy family. I will not shop in this place again!
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The Desert Fox said 5:01PM on 4-08-2008
I think some one really needs to spell check and proof read these articles. I've seen 8th graders with better writing and grammar than the authors of this piece. The article itself is interesting and in fact the story is rather noteworthy. The way the article was written and published, however, distracts from the article and detracts from it's quality.
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FLLady said 3:36PM on 4-08-2008
So, is this the latest & cheapest export we can get out of China? How low can we go?
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Denis said 3:14PM on 4-08-2008
It's really hard to find a VCR that I can hook up to my coaxil cable. Does anyone know of any brands of VCR's that still have coxail hook up? Thanks for any advice.
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Shirley said 3:18PM on 4-08-2008
They won't listen about the PC. They didn't listen brfore they ditched the fabric now THOUSANDS of women are boycotting them and it's gonna get worse!!
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mel said 3:18PM on 4-08-2008
Dennis:
Look at Toshiba, If all else fails try Ebay. GL
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DAVE said 3:27PM on 4-08-2008
I've been using a $400 Everex Cloudbook ultra mini laptop with 7" screen for about 2 months now with Linux operating system and it's great!!
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Ben said 3:37PM on 4-08-2008
Any black eye on Walmart causes my heart comfort! I will never shadow the door of any of their stores for any reason. I was put in the position of calling the police to help me resolve a problem with their customer service!
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Jeff said 3:38PM on 4-08-2008
Denis says:
It's really hard to find a VCR that I can hook up to my coaxil cable. Does anyone know of any brands of VCR's that still have coxail hook up? Thanks for any advice.
04/08/08 3:14 PM
Try a retailer like Radio Shack... I would find it hard to believe they don't have an adapter that is for just this.
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Gundwolf said 4:13PM on 4-08-2008
To the gentleman asking about DVD or VCRs without coaxial....you will notice that these units do not include channel tuners.You'll need to find a unit with a tuner to have coaxial and they are getting harder to find.
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Bee said 4:05PM on 4-08-2008
Boo on WalMart:.....Someone cancelled my WalMart credit card, and now WalMart won't renew it. I never missed a paymen, never late, or over limit. So boo on them. Bee
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Bee said 4:05PM on 4-08-2008
I am also boycotting Walmart. Have to drive 23 miles to buy material.. My WalMart is 5 minuets away. They are not using their heads.
what about quilters, no material. Boo on Walmart. Bee
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brant said 4:16AM on 4-11-2008
4GB hard drive? Yeah this'll work for grandma so she can check her "interweb mails"
Anyone else, this is a waste of $400. No real world application.
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Mike Glen said 4:15PM on 4-08-2008
I will Wait and see,
If this computer works, it will have to have a processor thats usable, Enough Memory, a large enough hard drive and the ability to be upgraded.
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Paul Perry said 4:16PM on 4-08-2008
All you dumb-asses making comments about China don`t realize we been buying Chinese and Japaneese made products for years. It`s just come to light more in the past 2 or 3 yrs. Your so calle d American made products contain all kinds of parts made in other countries., so you might as well shut up and deal with it and quit your bitching.
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Eddie said 4:37PM on 4-08-2008
I dont care where they sell it if its something that I need Im gonna go and get it. Personally I like wallmart. The only thing I dont klike are the long lines......................
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Senile Citizen said 4:30PM on 4-08-2008
Much better computers are available for a lot less money at the HP Outlet Store on the web every day, most are refurbs that carry an as-new guarantee. Who needs Best Buy and the lousy customer service they are famous for.
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DIlbertPCer said 4:36PM on 4-08-2008
It's the software that makes the difference in current PCs. Many manufacturers are stiffing you; befuddling you with memory, harddrive, cpu, graphicsboard, 24 hour call warranty, etc. Simply ask if the PC has Microsoft Office Professional ( or an equivalent ) on it. If it doesn't; then you have been stiffed!
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