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)
Adrian said 9:30PM on 12-03-2008
I believe that so long as you are telling the truth, you have a first amendment right to freedom of speech. I had an ex-therapist that seduced me, outed me to the whole community. caused me to loose my whole family and have to move to a different part of the country. Her own children moved clear across the country to get away from her. She still practices and has a life coaching practice on the internet. I posted a website describing my abuse at the hands of this witch and she actually got a lawyer and forced me to take my web site down. She was reported to the New York State Licensing and the person doing the review happened to have been an ex-lover of hers (she has been around quite a bit) and he said that there was nothing they could do. The Blog was my right to tell my story.
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Taylor said 11:08PM on 12-03-2008
The Colorado Law is Unconstitutional and will be struck down by the US Supreme Court. A person cannot go to jail where they are subjected to rape and murder for telling a mean lie about someone in an open forum. Think about how that will chill free speech??!! the remedy for defamation is to sue for damages. Colorado is clearly out to lunch when it comes to an understanding of the US Constitution.
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onlooker said 11:25PM on 12-03-2008
if this was the case all politicians wud b in jail
onlooker said 11:24PM on 12-03-2008
If this was the case politicians would be in jail.
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onlooker said 11:25PM on 12-03-2008
If this was the case, wouldn't most politicians be in jail?
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Tracy K Manzo said 4:21AM on 12-04-2008
My question is then if they can do this then why the hell can't these celbrities get help. These people go thru the garbage jump over fences which should be against the law no hands down Follow and and stalk them and there families. Can anyone answer that one for me.
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Me said 5:23AM on 12-04-2008
oops.I retract my earlier post.....don't want to get sued!
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Tom said 6:06AM on 12-04-2008
Seems like this guy is getting Scr**ed! If what he did is so bad then maybe they should check out all the women that bash men on a regular basis on dontdatehimgirl.com. Every woman on that has posted on that web site should go to jail.
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