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)
WoW DeathKnight! said 8:58AM on 1-06-2009
You have got to be kidding me. I have been playing WOW for about 7 months now. Its just an escape from reality for an hour or 2. You get to go in, meet people, and just have fun. Yes, there are addicts out there that probably spend way too much time playing, but there are addicts out there that have way worse habits and addictions too.
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Brandon - WOW player said 8:20PM on 1-13-2009
WOW! really?
I have played wow since the realse, going on...3 years now. And work has never suffered because of it. I work in IT...and no i don't play wow at work.
Some people i guess have a hard time seaperating virtual reality and reality.
When the game is ruining real life, then it's time to make a change and start getting your priorites in check.
Oh and the nail in the coffin... if you deny me employment because in my free time i play a certian game...isn't that discrimination?
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Matt (WoW player) said 6:22PM on 2-02-2009
This is absurd! What they are not covering is the fact that playing mmorpg's such as WOW promotes teamwork, being goal oriented, among many other desirable qualities. Gamers in general gain better experience in many areas that corporations are looking for. Of course this might not give the impression that many people like, that gamers may in fact be contributing members to society, but in my own experience I have found that these qualities have grown in me since I started playing WoW. Society looks down on gamers there is no way around that, when there is really no difference from someone who puts "Student council President" on a resume to someone who puts "Raiding Guild Master" and in all actuality it is the Guild master who deals with more types of people and probably has better conflict management and people skills. Corporations want people to fit a set mold and if any experience seems "unorthodox" though it might offer more fruit than others it is deemed as wasting time and frowned upon. And of course there are people who take things too far, but people can make anything addictive. It seems that gamers are the only ones that get chastised because of their hobby. And I think that exclusion upon basis of game play is just as bad as exclusion by race or gender.
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