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 1)
Peter Hogan said 6:54AM on 9-05-2008
You say:
spouts misinformation, "Denver has built concentration camps to hold protesters during the [Democratic National] convention,"
Do a google of "REX 84", and then tell me that the government has not built detention camps for US citizens...they have built and are maintaining over 800 (!!!) of them across the US. Don't believe me, look it up for yourself.
Peter
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Matthew said 7:37AM on 9-05-2008
Oh goodie. The paranoid conspiracy theory crackheads have a new spokeswoman.
Val said 9:39AM on 9-05-2008
Yeah, and the detention camps are called, PRISON. Most people who wind up in detention centers usually deserve it. I say most people because the ocassional innocent person slips through. We have a lot of crazy people in this country and then there are the attorneys who defend their criminal behavior. Go figure.
Patricktimothy1 said 8:03AM on 9-05-2008
What is the surprise here? This woman has proven to be mentally ill for years. She had people fired from her tv show for years for the silliest reason. Men and women thrown out of work on a lunatics whim. She threw tantrums on the set daily. Remember the time Tom Arnold got nationwide sympathy after coming out about being sexually abused by his parents as a child? Well, after seeing all the publicity he got, a month later, she suddenly remembered being sexually abused by her parents. I remember her mom and dad crying on interviews saying why is she doing this to us? I realized then, that she is extremely mentally ill. Then her intentionally horrible National Anthom, showing us she is yet another rich arrogant celebrity who hates their country. She is a homely no talent, aging, "has been" who is desperate for attention.
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Kathy Hargrett said 8:56AM on 9-05-2008
Roseanne ROCKS! She is far from washed up! She may be a little crazy...but who isn't? She is definitely entertaining. Loved her Blonde and Bitchin' show! It was awesome! She'll continue to crack me up for years I'm sure! LOVE YOU, ROSEANNE!
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