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)
wendygoerl said 2:41PM on 11-20-2009
Serves 'em right for going after bootleg movies. If they keep it up, there won't be any movie theaters anymore, which may not bother those of you who can afford to sink five and six figures on a home theater system, but denies the experience to those of us who don't have a theater-friendly house, or can only afford the local subrun's $3 tickets.
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Stoormsinger78 said 4:20PM on 11-20-2009
Ummm, exactly where in the hell are these 3$ tickets you speak of? Screw the greedy theater jerkwads that charge 10-15 buck so I can have the pleasure of listening to a crying baby, or Shanequa and her possee yellin from the back row.
wendygoerl said 12:31PM on 11-21-2009
Crescent Pitcher Show, Shawano, Wisconsin. Matinees $2, evening shows $3. And we've got people whining about THAT price and trying to haul monster stollers in so they don't have to buy a seat for the kid. I heard ther was a place up north somewhere that had $0.59 movies, but that was about five years ago.
ruby2070 said 2:46PM on 11-20-2009
Serves those idiots right for liking Twilight enough to be lazy and not go to a theater.
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jbjg24m said 3:22PM on 11-20-2009
anybody that falls for these scams are complete idiots !
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john said 4:02PM on 11-20-2009
Why is anyone surprised that these companies and, not hackers mind you, are spreading malware on the internet. Its not targeting bootleggers their smart enough to know to use bit torrent their targeting teen girls looking for pics and interviews of the cast of the movie. As for affecting the movie in a theater. Theaters are a primitive dinosaur who's day has come and gone. the profit is nonexistent on screening movies, theaters make all their money off concessions which is why its 20 dollars for a popcorn and a drink!! A large screen T.V. can be had for $400 dollars or less thats LCD/Plasma 1080i. A decent surround unit, under $150 and a Blu-ray player for around $200. Well under $1000 dollars. with modern technology new movies could be offered at home in pay per view formats in 1080 hi def. and these giant movie studios would make a thousand fold more profit. and I don't have to put up with constant interruptions from teenagers making out to people who just cant stop talking in a movie!! any new movie would be 3 dollars to download unto a blue ray for a six hour time limit. The technology already exists. then their wouldn't be a need for bootlegging and Old people or teens wanna go to a theater for whatever reason then god bless them. However the original point is these company's spreading malware and viruses into computers just to try to sell their product is ridiculous and should be outlawed, its akin to blackmail if your an antivirus company infecting a computer then offering your service for $19.99! And most people on a computer have absolutely no idea how it works, neither do 2/3 of the people driving their cars on the road so thats an irrelevant argument!
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Rich said 5:05PM on 11-20-2009
"As per usual, malware purveyors are..."
As per usual? Come on now! Who are the writers and proof readers here? No wonder our children are "left behind". This is where they get their material!
OK, a little lesson here; it's either "As usual" or "Per usual" . It is NEVER "As per" ANYTHING!
Yeesh!
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gerald said 5:30PM on 11-20-2009
Kids should not be concerned about this movie anyway. Any movie which does not contain a Progressive message should not be even on our radar. These kids need to be more concerned about the social lessons they are being taught in our public schools.
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wendygoerl said 12:43PM on 11-21-2009
I, for one, got tired of shows alway preaching a lesson of some kind or another. My favorite cartoons WEREN'T the preachy ones.
I suppose you'd feel better if, in the original Twighlight, she was driving around in a brand-new car that "God" somehow granted her and not the old pickup that her dad rebuilt for her? Or go off to some rock concert instead of a casual beach party where she could get to know her classmates? Or decide that legends of the "cold ones" was some old wives' tale that had nothing to do with the "now generation"?
And if you only see "progressive" messages (whatever that's supposed to mean) how are you ever going to see the warnings signs of a "non-progressive" danger?
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wendygoerl said 12:52PM on 11-21-2009
As I said in my earlier post, there is a quality to a theater experience you can't get on a TV. I know I will never be able to afford "surround sound" in my home and will get that experience olny in a theater. I missed Speed Racer on the big screen, to my eternal regret. I heard some people got motion sickness watching that one in theaters; ain't gonna happen in front of a TV.
As to the argument about "companies" doing it deliberately, no legitimate company in America would install agressive malware under the guise of anti-virus software. Stuff spyware in a package maybe. But the people sending this stuff out are fly-by-nights at best, and professional criminals more likely.
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