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 2)
Jim said 11:24PM on 6-19-2008
Now thats shocking as hell LOL
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Candi said 1:15AM on 6-21-2008
I think a personal protective dog is always someone's best bet. It's the only form of personal protection that can not be used against the owner/handler (unlike guns and tasers). A good dog is also on alert when it's owner is sleeping, which makes me sleep easier!
julie said 12:45PM on 6-20-2008
great for self defense, but what happens when a child or irresponsible teen gets hold of one of these? they don't have a 100% clean safety record, by the way. they have caused a few deaths, so liability is going to be an issue. besides, i thought they were illegal.
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wdlathome2 said 8:29PM on 6-20-2008
Actually, they're not illegal in most states. You can check your state laws for more information. I carry a tazer in my car when I travel because I'm not comfortable carrying a handgun. I carry pepper spray in my purse for traveling about on foot. As for safety and deaths, tazers cause far fewer deaths than most forms of self defense, and for that matter, baseball bats have been responsible for lots of deaths during the years (let's face it, baseball bats make bludgeoning someone easy), yet carrying baseball bats in your trunk or back seat isn't illegal. Lots of kids use them too, but we're not pulling baseball bats off the shelves because bats make effective weapons. Children should always be surpervised anytime they are at risk of injury from any potentially harmful item; certainly tazers should not be within their reach, but anything can be lethal to children, even the plugs in your walls if your kid decides to stick a screw driver in one. One must use caution and prudence anytime a child is around to make sure that child is safe. As for this writer, though, I appreciate my tazer and feel safer with it.
wdlathome2 said 8:28PM on 6-20-2008
Actually, they're not illegal in most states. You can check your state laws for more information. I carry a tazer in my car when I travel because I'm not comfortable carrying a handgun. I carry pepper spray in my purse for traveling about on foot. As for safety and deaths, tazers cause far fewer deaths than most forms of self defense, and for that matter, baseball bats have been responsible for lots of deaths during the years (let's face it, baseball bats make bludgeoning someone easy), yet carrying baseball bats in your trunk or back seat isn't illegal. Lots of kids use them too, but we're not pulling baseball bats off the shelves because bats make effective weapons. Children should always be surpervised anytime they are at risk of injury from any potentially harmful item; certainly tazers should not be within their reach, but anything can be lethal to children, even the plugs in your walls if your kid decides to stick a screw driver in one. One must use caution and prudence anytime a child is around to make sure that child is safe. As for this writer, though, I appreciate my tazer and feel safer with it.
The Ween said 8:29PM on 6-20-2008
The crime rates are going to go sky high with the economy going into the tiolet, so people are going to have to protect themselves somehow. I'm from a small town, and already theft is up terribly. And whenever school is out for the summer, vandalism is up.
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Andi said 8:24PM on 6-20-2008
I can see these being the new tool in robberies and abductions. A few years ago someone Maced my co-worker and tried to abduct her but she able to escape. She probably wouldn't have had that ability if the attacker had used this on her.
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sam said 11:26AM on 6-21-2008
Owners of these will not be able to restrain themselves. Practice targets will be dogs, cats, and semi tame wildlife such as birds and squrrils. A terrible and dangerous thing to have in ones house
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OTERS said 9:18PM on 6-20-2008
Howdy
guntoting, taser happy country called America.
Your low class society has reached a new low.
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sandy said 10:06PM on 6-20-2008
you, damn skippy and damn proud of it . moron
JUTS said 9:20PM on 6-20-2008
How low can a country sink?
Now I know you hit rock bottom
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wdlathome2 said 9:29PM on 6-20-2008
This country was won with guns (and other weapons) and its freedoms have been protected by guns (and other weapons). Our constitution gives us the right to bear arms. As a petite woman who is the potential prey of rapists, I enjoy the right to protect myself from those who intend me harm. By the way, when did protecting oneself from harm become a "new low?" If someone mugs you, make sure you embrace him and tell him you're so glad you can't defend yourself.
Fats said 2:27AM on 6-21-2008
Do you live in America, OTERS? If so, maybe you should consider getting the hell out. The very freedoms so many take forgranted were won using guns and other weapons. I thank God every day for our gun-toting soldiers and for my right to cary my own weapon. Point is, if you think this country is so low and the people are so classless, please, do us all a favor and move somewhere else.
Dee said 9:31PM on 6-20-2008
I bought a stun gun AND pepper spray for my 19 year old daughter after one of her high school friends was kidnapped in an upper-middle class suburban Kansas Target parking lot in broad daylight, taken across state lines to Missouri and brutally raped and murdered. That happened about a year ago, but it's still very raw around here, as her killer is still awaiting trial. You can say we've reached a new low if you so choose, and while I agree that it's a sad state of affairs that devices such as this are necessary, unfortunately, with the scum that is walking around out there, we have to have a way to defend ourselves. Some women wouldn't be comfortable going to the store to buy these items, or wouldn't even know WHERE to buy them, so I think the parties are a great idea. I'm not sure I agree with using them on your husband, but if he's anything like my ex, he probably has it coming!
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NeonDon said 9:35PM on 6-20-2008
Yeeup, that's the way we handle things here...can't solve the problem...can't stop the bleeding...so find a better band-aid to cover the wound!...Forgetting that every weapon of self defense that's invented is then used ten-fold by perpetraters of crime. I wouldn't want to work in a convenience store these days (or nights). Oh and for pepper spray and mace users...make sure you pretend you're Tiger woods and throw some grass in the air and check that you are up-wind first or you'll disable yourself, too. Tthat ought to give the perp a chance to get to you before you can use it against either of you). What we need are more police, with better tools to prevent crimes, judges who don't go so easy on "juvenile" and first-time" offenders, and parents who give d*mn about disciplining their kids and teaching them right from wrong. Most of us are "never-time" offenders..make everyone else obey the law, too. We won't need tasers, pepper spray, guns...or bats. In the meantime..lock and load.
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Show Me said 10:07PM on 6-20-2008
NeonDon is about as right as you can get. We need tougher laws, and they need to include laws like those on military bases. Your kids get their butts in trouble, you are also in trouble. We need a lot stricter laws on curfews, more supervised things for kids to do, and lessons in grade school on parenting and being one thats responsible. God knows that the classes or lack thereof of birth control education is doing diddly squat. If we wait till Jr High school it's too late, cause so many of them are sexually active already. For the love of pete, why do people want their kids to grow up so d*amn fast for?? Too lazy to do the work to raise 'em? Why'd you have 'em then? Jr High dances with limos etc, grade school girls dressing like hookers. I see them out on Sundays after church at the resturants and little girls dressed like teenager on the prowl. They only get one childhood, quit rushing them. Open your eyes America.
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Paul said 10:38PM on 6-20-2008
In the sixties, I had a supervisor who claimed that the juvenile crime rate would be reduced significantly if, instead of not publishing the pictures of juvenile offenders in the paper, not only the picture of the little darling, but pictures of the parents be published too. The story could read: "This is an animal and these are the parents of this animal." As I get older, I realize that his solution might just work. If you had that threat hanging over you, wouldn't you just take a little more interest in your childrens' direction? Of course the ACLUseless might find fault with this, but so what?
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Bruce Leeroy said 10:52PM on 6-20-2008
Just so you dreamers know the truth, tasers aren't all that effective.
My 17 yr old cousin was tasered by a local cop.
He then bodyslammed that cop onto the hood of his own patrol car.
Cops partner tasered him (a 2nd time)
Cops partner was in the hospital for over a week healing from the beating my cousin gave him.
BTW, my cousin is in prison now, where he belongs.
People at my workplace stungun each other for fun, i've warned them all that the 1st one to stun me, will recieve a broken arm in exchange for it.
Real guns work much better.
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wdlathome2 said 11:16PM on 6-20-2008
Why didn't the cops shoot your cousin instead of stunning him since he was beating their butts?
Paul said 2:30AM on 6-21-2008
I'm happy to read that you're cousins in jail, and that you feel he belongs there, but next time, it won't be a tazer, it will be a gun. Shoot to kill if I were a cop. He's lucky to be alive. for a while longer anyway.