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)
Ben said 9:11AM on 12-12-2008
Looking at his pants and hearing his accent reminds me of
"We are two wild and crazy guys!"
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ladytonya said 10:16AM on 12-12-2008
Okay, if you've every played any Wii game, you know they tell you about 1,000 times to be sure you have the strap secured around your wrist. I bowl on my Wii all the time and sometimes I get pretty into it, but if I accidently let go of the Wiimote it doesn't go flying because it is strapped to my wrist. This guy is an idiot!
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Bill said 10:38AM on 12-12-2008
Fake as a three dollar bill. A cheap (cheaper anyway) flat screen (probably stolen) and a video camera and there you go. Ten billion youtube views and 15 seconds of fame.
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rocco said 12:13PM on 12-12-2008
hi big problem will be when his wife starts yelling at him to grow up
your nothing but a child, you have to play games at your age.
now were going to have to replace it where is the money going to come from?
you sleep on the couch until you get a replacement
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Pumapayam said 12:30PM on 12-12-2008
Staged, in every sense of today Youtube filled "reality" video.
Epic Fail. That TV deserved a better owner.
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benmully said 12:01PM on 12-13-2008
a) not wearing wrist strap
b) far too close to tv
c) no rubber jacket on wiimote
d) you don't actually need to do it that hard!
e) guy is idiot!
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drktranquillity said 10:46PM on 1-22-2009
Do people really have such a hard time holding on to a remote? C'mon... Break out the masking tape if you're that bloody inept at using an opposable thumb.
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