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)
Barbie Speer said 2:21PM on 11-10-2009
Funny old world when people go out of their way to publicize their stupidity
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Coop said 2:58PM on 11-10-2009
I'm very curious, especially since this article fails to address it, what the motivation for creating such a site might have been. The name of the site, "Define Statutory," suggests that the site owners may have been trying to make a point. For instance, maybe the site is against the concept of putting someone in jail for having consensual sex with a partner who happens to be below an arbitrarily determined age of consent.
This article doesn't do anything but malign the site and its creators on very superficial grounds. Maybe it was a stupid site. Maybe not. Based on this article, it's impossible to tell.
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MadMike said 3:38PM on 11-10-2009
Coop, I don't think it was entirely against conflicting statutory ages per se. I think they crossed the fine line between arguing freedom of what the government says is an illegal relationship. It's not entirely about where laws meet society and ever changing social norms.
I'm married to a younger woman. She is 27 and I am 37. At our current ages, the relationship is more than acceptable. However, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, if our relationship started 10 years prior, it would be considered illegal unless her parents consented. Now where a 10 year age difference may seem a lot, what about an 19 year old dating a 16 year old? That isn't by any means a large age gap. However, why in some states that considered illegal? Now, don't get me wrong. Women under the age of 15, there shouldn't be a discussion, if your 18+, stay away. However, I think mentally 16yr old women are capable of making consent in dealing with relationships. I met my wife when she was 25, while she was definitely more mature than 17, cognitively she was the same.
I think these guys missed proving a point and just used that issue as a facade for some sort of sick joke or even worse, an intent to rape.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) said 3:40PM on 11-10-2009
i agree. that's one reason i don't read Switched all that much. A LOT of the articles are written in this manor. they take a side and then leave out the details that would allow the reader to make their own decisions on the matter. though at the same time, i guess it is a blog and not a news site, so the author is allowed to opinionated if they want. doesn't help the reader much though.
southboundcowboy said 4:33PM on 11-10-2009
Try it with MY young daughter. You will wish the police got you first.
Cowboy
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