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.
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
aj121489 said 5:27PM on 3-30-2009
As much as I hate Mark Cuban, this is bullshit. He's the owner. It's not like one of the players or coaches doing it during the game, I can see how that would be different. What's next, they're gonna fine fans at the game for tweeting about the refs?
Reply
gunnergoz said 10:17PM on 3-30-2009
Why should I care about some rich SOB who shrugs off a $25K fine like it was a quarter spent in a parking meter? What possible value do people like this bring to a world full of misery, want and suffering? Do they care about ordinary people? Give a rip about those in need? No, they're busy twittering their life and their millions away on senseless pro sports that are a big rip off industry to begin with. When this creep starts spending his time and money helping others in real need, then I'll show him some respect. Until then, he's just another rich jerkoff wasting air and resources that others could better use.
Reply
okmusic said 10:18AM on 3-31-2009
You have no idea the amount of money Mark Cuban (and other wealthy people) have given to support the poor and needy in our country and aroudn the world. The problem is, you greedy punk, you want it to come your way. For some reason you think you deserve the money he has worked for. Who do you think pays the players salaries on the Dallas Mavericks? (Don't say the fans - he is responsible for their salaries even if a fan never shows up.) Men like Cuban and others in corporate America have risked everything and put their rear ends on the line time after time to accumulate what they have gotten. Sure, there are those very few who have come by their money dishonestly. But most are hardworking Americans who have been able to achieve the American dream. No you don't read about all of their philanthropy work, because they do it without fanfare or hype. The question to you is what do you bring to a world full of misery, want and suffering other than your whining, sniveling and complaining.