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 $15.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Holly said 4:19PM on 11-25-2009
Anybody starting to "get it" yet? This is the ultimate goal of PETA and its bed-buddy H$U$; NO MORE PETS.
They are well on the way to complete extinction of all companion animals in their goal of severing the human/animal bond, courtesy of mandatory spaying and neutering laws, breed-specific legislation (such as making certain breeds of dogs illegal in some municipalities, claiming concern for human safety), etc.
This is happening right under our noses and we are doing nothing about it. We all look at PETA/H$U$ as the nut jobs they are, but the mistake we make is when we laugh at them and say "nah, it'll never happen here...that's just too crazy"...
..then they get a few clueless celebrities such as Oprah, Ellen, etc in their hip pockets to preach the "animal rights" mantra, followed by some equally clueless politicians, and voila! No more (fill in the breed of your choice) allowed in your town and all puppies over age 4 months must be spayed/neutered...or else.
And the "or else" can be very frightening.
Is this story just silly? Of course it is, but it indicative of our media's fascination with PETA and H$U$, and its willingness to run to them as the authorities on all things animal. Neither organization runs a single shelter or rescue; they are simply political action and fundraising organizations...period. They do NOT rescue animals. They care only about publicity and fat paychecks for their people at the top, and funding lobbyists to keep themselves in business.
Also, this story illustrates the power PETA has in dictating to others how they must live, think, and function. They don't like bulldogs, they don't like DOGS...and want them all replaced with stuffed toys and robots.
What a lovely future for our next generations; no more pets....because PETA and H$U$ said so.
Anyone want to wake up now...and realize just how dangerous these home-grown terrorist groups really are??
www.PetaKillsAnimals.com
www.AnimalRightsExposed.com
http://tinyurl.com/HSUSExposed
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Steve said 5:52PM on 11-25-2009
PETA is even a bigger joke than our government. That says it all...
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