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)
MadMike said 3:46PM on 5-11-2009
I liked the idea of the Friendship trench. A 2,000 mile long, 100 foot wide by 160 foot deep trench filled with water and piranhas.
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wayne8734 said 4:46PM on 5-11-2009
shame they can't have a electric current running through their virtual fence. lol
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Wyverndude said 6:56PM on 5-11-2009
The whole concept of a fence -of any kind- is unworkable. And even if they built the ultimate wall, that does nothing to address those that enter legally but stay after their visa expires. And not ALL illegals come from Mexico.
Illegal immigration is the rampant problem that it is because it's worth it. The risks are negligible, the rewards are large, and it's too hard to immigrate legally.
What's really needed is reforms to make it easier to get a green card, huge fines for employers who hire illegals, and rewards for turning in an employer of illegals.
If those who take advantage of illegals knew they were facing huge fines and jail time, they wouldn't hire them. If nobody's hiring them, they won't come.
Then untangle the mass of red tape that it takes to get a green card. Just reverse the risk/rewards balance and the problem disappears.
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Daniel Herzer said 8:19PM on 5-11-2009
Wyverndude, this is one of the best short statements about the situation I have read. I would add that the relative success of some historical border fences, eg the wall in pre-unified Germany, was due to the fact that much of that fence was actually a double fence with the area in between a killing zone.
joeinbost said 7:43PM on 5-11-2009
Only reason the immagrants come to this country is JOBS Make it illegal to hire an ILLEGAL and that woudl stop the flow. Two Years ago they caught 150 people using the same Social Security Number, at a Meat packing plant in Catcus Tx. The owner was Tom Hicks owner of the Rangers Mancheaster Union and Dallas Stars. He is the next door Neighbor to George W Bush. Lets change the law you get caught hiring an Illegal you loss EVERYTHING
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