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)
Jordan said 7:27PM on 11-06-2009
1. Sidekick failure
2. Nationwide service disruption
3. Porno
Has t-mobile done anything right lately? I have AT&T and I'm not their biggest fan, but I mean compared to that AT&T looks downright awesome.
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Tired_ said 5:32AM on 11-07-2009
It's not a bug, it's a feature.
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El8d2PlzU said 8:46PM on 11-07-2009
damn... I have Verizon. Nothing that good happens to ME...
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upurs said 8:47PM on 11-07-2009
these phone companies should be sued,bigtime..the government was supposed to have gotten price fixes on everyone of them by now,but i guess the pay offs wre too pretty..all these companies do is waste peoples money..all the gadgets and the junk,the contracts,the rip-off prices..the un safe driving,while on the phone...i'm glad walmart is giving them a run for their money
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buckybdgr said 9:10PM on 11-07-2009
2 comments. AOL should ban these idiots that keep advertising their sites like Jessica Simpson's sex tape and the rest of their crap. And upurs, Wal-Mart isn't a phone company, they sell their services. And as far as the government taking over cell-phone carriers, if that happened you would no longer be able to afford it.
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Nimblenips said 9:52PM on 11-07-2009
Things could be worse . You could be Nicolas Cage and be Rich/broke . Or you could be Cris Brown ! Or you could be Cris Browns career ! Be happy with the occasional nip show. After all this is not the Superbowl !
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Daniel said 10:31PM on 11-07-2009
I'm switching to T-mobil! Where do i sign up !!
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joseph said 11:08PM on 11-07-2009
The downside to the nudie pics is........?
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JoPk said 11:09PM on 11-07-2009
Quit using cell phones. They are just another way that these companies are ripping you off. You can live your live with just a land line phone. We do it every day and we don't see the benefits of having a cell phone. Plus, cell phones can cause cancer.
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Ztruth said 11:53PM on 11-07-2009
Just another form of trafficking women - that's the downside - no respect - lets just take advantage of the porn whores and use their images for free! After all, women are props - they're here to cater to men - fathers, brothers,uncles, neighbors -hell - any male will do - their job is to play the secondary role, not the lead, they're just good for .....is this really fine with everyone????
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BiBi said 12:49AM on 11-08-2009
Z-truth..I'm with you. I am so sick of it all. I quit going to the movies because of female nudity all the time; if women are objectified on tv, I don't watch it, I even quit getting VS magazines. If all women would just make a stand and stop this crap then most of it would go away. I only wish that the future for women is better, but I don't think it will be. Men would not want porn to go away, that is the problem.
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wlfrnfdjf said 1:01AM on 11-08-2009
Some people aren't porn fanatics Joseph!! There is something wrong with nude pics if your not expecting them!!
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ladyaenj said 1:30AM on 11-08-2009
i have t-mobile and i still like it... every company has problems at one time or another... its normal
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christalflores86 said 2:08AM on 11-16-2009
I have T-mobile and I seen what they are talking about. I love porn but it was not the porn I wanted to see. What came up on my profile was a woman having sex with a horse. Ya... and I thought maybe someone had sent it to me to be funny so i exit out and logged back in and there was more porn. I have not logged in a weeks so i do not know if its still there.
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cessnatx said 2:38AM on 11-08-2009
I get absolutely nothing out of saying this...But I've not had better service with any company over ATT...The others have enticing packaging and so called freebies..but it all comes down to the bottom line where you're paying the same money anyway by the time you get what you want...Quality isn't free...and it's worth an extra $5 bucks if need be face it
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david said 5:31AM on 11-08-2009
Get tired of hearing of the exploitation of women. Who forced them to take off their tops at gunpoint? Camgirls abound on the net. It is a choice , and they choose to do it. The men who pay to chat and look are the exploited ones.
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bargainbayusa said 6:21AM on 11-08-2009
I NOW USE ONLY PRE-PAID CELL PHONES * I DONT GET STUCK WITH THESE FAKE CHARGES THAT SPRINT & ATT & TMOBILE & THE REST COME UP WITH * PLUS IT COST A LOT LESS & THE QUALITY IS THE SAME * "CAN U HEAR ME NOW" $30.00 FOR 300 MINUTES & THEY CARRY OVER I HAVE GOTTEN BY WITH A $30.00 CHARGE LASTING ME 2 MONTHS * GO TO WALGREENS OR WALMART & FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF ************
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Darlene Cross said 10:36AM on 12-09-2009
Users should be very responsible in using their cellphones or any other technology means. I've wrote a research papers about human trafficking/ exploitation.
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