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 1)
Belle said 8:44AM on 5-28-2008
I know this article mentions Richard Simmons' coach page...which leads to his website. But, his site / clubhouse at www.richardsimmons.com is truly the best deal on the web. It's less expensive than Weight Watchers, eDiets, etc. and has a much more personal touch... all for less than 35 cents a day!!! If you need help, you can get in touch with a real person who cares. It has food plans, journals, weight loss tracking and all the stuff you expect from a weight loss site. But it's all done with a fun twist and with great, GREAT support. Richard does live chats himself almost every week, and there's a great message board. The site has special events like the annual Cyber Cruise to Lose. It's just a great way to keep that motivation going. There's free stuff too for those who haven't joined yet... like the message Richard writes every single day (and once you join, you can even read all the old ones which have been archived).
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heidi said 9:56AM on 5-28-2008
If you are looking for a free weight loss site, I highly recommend sparkpeople.com. It's a free site and has great tools to aid in weight loss...including a food and fitness tracker. I've lost 48 lbs and have been maintaining my weight for 6 months with online support of other members and the coaches who are a part of the site.
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happyknappsinmotion said 2:29PM on 5-28-2008
Thank you very much for suggesting Sparkpeople.com I went to the site right away and joined and I am very grateful to you for your suggestion. I like that they calculated my BMI and created a schedule for the weight loss that is reasonable. I also like the menu suggestions as they are recipes that I can easily create at home without purchasing alot of extra extravegant weird stuff. I like this site a lot especiallly after paying for several other on-line services. It is a free comprehensive wieght loss site that supports and motivates me to continue in my efforts to obtain my goals. Thanks again for your recommendation.
toby said 11:55AM on 5-28-2008
Try this try that it's a known fact that if you eat too many calories you will gain weight. I weighed in at 250lbs at one time . I lost 75 lbs by doing one simple thing. Stop eating and become more active. I broke the habit of every time I bent my elbow my mouth would open to take a bite. Costly surgery for stomache reduction, lipo suction. or what ever the fad may be only results in one thing spend money we'll fix it for you. Stop eating get off you but or in this case away from the computer and move become active instead of trying to find some quick fix for your problem. See your doctor he or she will tell everyone the same thing.
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Darlene said 2:56PM on 5-28-2008
Hey Toby
is great you lost some weight , but you are putting people down. I belive that everybody have there own way of loosing weight , It is nice if people like you star been nice to other people. their strugglilng to loose their weight , There is another way to loose pounds and is free you still could eat what ever you want , and you still loose weight of these free remedy is by walking everyday and is free , I feel if people read some comments be nice about it is not easy for some of us to loose those extra pounds.