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)
TokenFag said 7:18PM on 8-04-2008
"Rest In Penis" Playgirl (the magazine) ...
loved the puns btw.
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lindee said 10:24PM on 8-04-2008
Well I'll be dicked.
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vikki said 10:42PM on 8-04-2008
well it just shows you HOW many MENS mags there are out there WHY? because there are more male pervs then women. and i mean that in a light sense. i dont object to nudity male or female. but how many womens NUDIES mags are out there?? there ya go!
that and i think women think these sexy men must all be gay.
theres 2 kind of sexy men. those already taken and those that are gay..(BTW) im not against being gay either. im just saying sexy men are in short supply ;o)
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maranda said 1:34AM on 8-05-2008
I subscribed to playgirl last year, but didn't renew again this year for the simple fact that it was obviously not for women so much as gay men. Not that anythings wrong with gay men subscribing but it is was the only magazine of it's kind supposedly geared for the interest of women. Gay men on the other hand have magazine choices galore. I think that if playgirl had stuck to it's original "for women" format, we would have continued to buy it. Such a shame...
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Dale said 10:08PM on 8-05-2008
Say Larry, how do you know what kind of men have been in the mag for the last ten years??? Hmmmm could you perhaps be one of those "faggots" that you so derisively call them?
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Mike said 10:28PM on 8-05-2008
The online edition will probably be better - the pictures are BIGGER for those near-sighted women (and men, too).
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ROB said 1:44AM on 8-09-2008
I think the male body is beautiful. If a strait guy wants to admire the beauty of another man, that does not make him gay.
Gay is the attraction and desire to be sexually involved with another man.
The use of such rediculous words as faggot, etc, is purely by men who are unsure of their sexuality, or are deep down repressing their sexual attraction to other men.
Please, don't go to all of the famous museums of the world that display male nudes in both incredible marble statuary or oil paintings if you think that they were painted on canvas or carved of marble for the benefit of only gays and women; if you do you are an idiot.
Long live the appreciation for the male and female nude body in whatever media it is displayed.
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PlyGrl said 1:32AM on 8-06-2008
It's about time that piece of trash magazine went soft .......soft as the playgirl photos have always been............steamer photos appeared ,in of all places.....Cosmo magazine.
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Janey said 10:39PM on 11-07-2008
They never had any really hot guys in their mag. The needed pre-short haired Brad Pitt types. Ashton Kutcher type's too would have been good. All they had were guys that were in the gym too long, ie, they love themselves more then they could ever love any woman. They sure were asking the wrong women to pick the men that really make women stop short at the checkout. How about long haired Todd Manning number one. That's who the everyday woman was and still talking about.
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