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.
If Terrence O'Brien hadn't tipped us to this disturbing little number a few days ago (not for those with weak stomachs), we wouldn't hesitate to lambaste Simon Buckhaven and his "humane," lobster-stunning device. Well, we've hesitated. Let the lambasting begin.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Angela said 12:01PM on 11-22-2009
I think the CrustaStun system is a bad idea for taking lobsters meant to be eaten. Lobsters begin to degenerate from the inside out immediately upon death. The only way to safely cook and eat lobster is to kill it immediately before cooking, or dropping live into a boiling pot of water or oil, or to immediately freeze them for later use.
However, if you are scuba diving or snorkeling, the CrustaStun might come in real handy should you or your group meet a shark, a sea snake or whatever else might be above you in the marine food chain. Although it might not kill the shark, it should repel it quite effectively....
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mesaman said 3:23PM on 11-22-2009
I'm working on an invention called a 'PETA-STUN" designed to limit the frothing and foaming at the mouth of Peta-activists when they encounter something they find distasteful or obnoxious; which, I might add, is about everything that they did not conjure themselves. The only problem is this; if the Peta-Stun is cranked up past the 90 decibel level, it causes their brains to ferment. No, that's not so, most of them were suffering that malady before we noticed the 90 decibel study.
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tonidistrict008 said 1:42AM on 11-25-2009
The most humane way to kill a lobster is to put it in the freezer for about 30 -40 minutes. The lobster will slowly go to sleep and then pass on without the trama of being dropped into a boiling pot. After about 40 minutes in the freezer, you can then drop him in the boiling pot.
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ads9935 said 6:15PM on 11-22-2009
Political correctness on parade. Why anyone listens to these nutjobs is beyond me!
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wolf said 7:50PM on 11-22-2009
The peta Nuts are the same Fanantic nuts screaming Globel Warming.They all need duct Tape and nice padded cells so they cant Hurt themselves or others.
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What?! said 9:08PM on 11-22-2009
Remember that it was the PETA who told Obama that he shouldn't harm a housefly "animal". They are very, very dangerous activists. I'm not kidding.
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