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 2)
mcurren said 6:42PM on 3-05-2009
At least Rush can give a speech without clinging to a teleprompter, and when was the last time Rush added over a trillion dollars to the deficit in 30 days?
Welcome to 'change', i.e. extreme liberal socialism, big taxes and Big BIG BIG $pending.
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MadMike said 7:09PM on 3-05-2009
AMEN! :-) Not that I agree with Rush, but the Dems have nothing to snare at blowing over a trillion USD that did, NOTHING for the economy. Wow, a trillion dollar, "oops!"
And to think, $5MM would make $330,000 a year in interest. If I only had $5MM of that $1 Trillion.
JT said 6:46PM on 3-05-2009
El Rusho is a pompous ASS in love with the sound of his own voice.
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james said 6:52PM on 3-05-2009
Rush is the one who told us how great Bush was doing.
By the way, the deficit belongs to W, no one else.
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SolidStar said 7:04PM on 3-05-2009
Yeah, get out of your hole and see the nearly 1 trillion dollar deficit Obama added in his first two months!
Get ready, America, for "change" in your pocket books, and trust me, it's not gonna be happy... Well, not for you, at least, but it will be for your socialist buddy Obama!
Kevin said 7:33PM on 3-05-2009
Rush to Dems..........kiss my azz.
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Bob Sirop said 7:20PM on 3-05-2009
That letter is great, I sent one, I love the fat drug addict, honest !
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Kenneth said 7:21PM on 3-05-2009
yea and guess why the Dems are trying to figure out how to fix the economy..b/c of the idiotic Bush who left the economy in horrible shape and left the US in 2 wars..
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family first said 7:28AM on 3-06-2009
You got that right, and IMO should be charged for his corrupt act's and war crimes tha tmr. cheney and mr.bush did to our country...thankfully his era of disgrace is out !!
Ross Henry said 10:38PM on 3-05-2009
Bush's deficit spending is nothing compared to what has happened in just a few weeks. Most of which was totally unnecessary. This in not about Rush or Bush, this is about a complete takeover of all that we have taken for granted. Obama is punishing the very businesses (Cap and Trade) that we all are trying to get jobs from and hiding behind crisis to do it. Rush Limbaugh is always at least clear on where he stands. He is a private citizen with first amendment rights. We still have not heard one clear conviction from Obama? Why not listen to Rush and then listen to the mainstream media and then do some research to see for "yourself" what truth is? Don't liberals ever truly study the founding fathers and understand how and why this government set such strong limits on government? Socializing everything is not American!
haji said 7:27PM on 3-05-2009
3x divorced no children maybe he should come out of that enormous closet already. does ocxcodon make your head large opposite of what steroids do. speak up i cant hear since i upped my dosage.
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Dumbfolks said 7:57PM on 3-05-2009
You Repubs are sooooo stupid. Bush created this entire mess we are in!
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Paul Bruno said 8:07PM on 3-05-2009
To my Democratic and Republican Politician Friends...
A new bumper sticker...
"Stop talkin...And, Start Fixin!"
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DonGone said 8:34PM on 3-05-2009
Rush's popularity only proves that there are a lot of suckers out there who are desperate for someone else to do their thinking for them. Unfortunately, Rush's agenda is to line his already rich pockets at the expense of people like those who listen to them. Why do you think he's so afraid of the Obama budget, which makes people like him pay more so others don't have to pay as much. Don't be so stupid, America.
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Sparkles Pederson said 11:10PM on 3-05-2009
ITA. Hitler was popular too. popular does not equal good.
Tim said 9:13PM on 3-05-2009
Louisa, you are a MORON! The dem's are laughing all the way to the ballot box at Rush and his brain dead minions. If you had actually been following this farce, or managed to read and comprehend the article, you would have noticed that it is REPUBLICANS who are the ones afraid of Rush :-)
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kpfeif said 9:53PM on 3-05-2009
Why is it that the Obama Administration is using taxpayer money to go after a private citizen? The DNC created a website? Could it be that the Rush thing is to divert attention to the idiocy being pushed by the new Administration?
Obama is trying to out-stupid Carter...and he's doing a great job.
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johnpatrick2 said 9:55PM on 3-05-2009
Coming to your neighborhood, misery, murder, genocide, death and decay. Look at history, the media and non-working types gushed over the great Russian socialist revolution, ignoring the murderous Stalin, even apologizing for the fact that he had to gain control by terror, just like Mao, who out did Stalin and the list goes on. You think you can't go down the same path? It could not happen here? Fools, you are a heartbeat away. You mindlessly repeat the same phrases over and over, like so many endless loop tape recorders, never once critically thinking about what you are saying. The rest of you, just remember that throught history, the good parished with the bad. This warning is not new, read Orwell's "Why I Write".
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pipesmoke67 said 11:53PM on 3-05-2009
DEMS FEAR RUSH BECAUSE HE HITS THE TARGET DEAD ON.AND ITS HURTS THEM TO HEAR THE TRUTH.RUSH IS RIGHT!!!!!!
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RepISRight said 12:16AM on 3-06-2009
The deficit belongs to the dem congress. If you followed actual proceedings rather than the Communist News Network among other so called "news" stations, you would be well aware of that.
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