
What not to buy on Black Friday
Sure, day-after-Thanksgiving sales are a great time to find good prices, but not everything is on sale. Here's what you should wait to purchase.
This post comes from Lindsay Sakraida at partner site Dealnews.
It's easy to fall into the common Black Friday trap of thinking that literally every item on your shopping list will be at its lowest price of the year around the upcoming Black Friday shopping weekend.
That statement may be true for a variety of categories, but it's important to note that there's a handful of things you should not buy on Black Friday. Here's our top 10 to look out for:
1. Toys: We've said it many times already, and we'll say it once more: Black Friday is not the best time to buy toys for the holidays. They likely will be discounted -- and it may feel pretty good to get your shopping done early -- but you won't love that sinking feeling you'll get when you see those toys listed on Dealnews for less about two weeks before Christmas.
2. Top-brand TVs: Black Friday is an excellent time to get a cheap TV, with numerous sizes prepped to hit their lowest price points we've ever seen, but don't expect the best deals to be flooded with brand-name sets. Those will come with a bit of patience.
3. 2012 calendars: Wait until the end of January or early February to see the first significant discounts on 2012 calendars, and keep your appointments in your smartphone in the meantime. Wall calendars are mainly just eye candy for your cubicle anyway, right?
4. Christmas decorations: While you'll get fantastic deals on Christmas items the closer you get to the holiday itself, and of course after the holiday, you can still score a relatively good deal if you skip Black Friday and shop on Cyber Monday for these festive goods.
5. Jewelry: This entire category is flagged "do not buy" for the holiday season. Jewelry can be tough to avoid this time of year (especially if you're set on buying something sparkly for a lady friend), but as you might imagine, the discounts on jewelry before the holidays are nowhere near as good as times when people are less inclined to be gifting something special. Post continues below.
6. The North Face Denali jacket: This is one of the brand's most-popular standard styles, and its price goes up and down as new colors are released each season. But the lowest prices we've seen on this style in the past three years have come in the late spring through summer months (with the occasional outliers).
- Special coverage:The holidays on MSN
7. Roku 2 XS: This media player is on Amazon's list of best-selling electronics, so it's reasonable to think that shoppers will be on the hunt for a deal on this popular item come Black Friday. But let's take a look at the deals we saw on last year's hot Roku, the XD model: We saw an excellent offer on Black Friday from Amazon, but then an even better deal (again from Amazon, but for $8 less and bundled with a streaming media credit) came along in mid- and late December. Therefore, we'd recommend holding out until December for the Roku 2 XS this year.
8. Game console without a bundled item: As we've suggested before, now is not the smartest time to buy a console that's several years old when two of the major names are planning refreshes in the next year. However, this advice is mainly geared toward people who already have a console and are thinking about replacing it. If you just can't wait to jump on the gaming bandwagon, you should at least make sure you're getting a sizeable free gift card or a few top-name game titles with your purchase. (Price check the games though, as you might be able to get the bundle cheaper if they happen to be on sale over the Black Friday weekend.)
9. Winter apparel: Although we'll see some of the best coupons of the year from numerous clothing retailers during Black Friday weekend, you should consider using them on items that are already heavily discounted in the sale section to get the greatest value. Winter apparel will see better base discounts in January.
10. Watches: Just like jewelry, watches usually don't see their best prices during Black Friday weekend, likely because of the proximity to the holiday season. We see far more Editors' Choice caliber deals during spring and particularly summer.
Keep in mind that nothing is written in stone, and we still may see some stellar deals on items within the above categories; however, it's more likely we'll see so-so offers.
More on Dealnews and MSN Money:
I have a better way to avoid Black Friday and totally ignore Corporate America and the big banks. Make up your gift certificates and hand them out to family and friends.
To the old widow down the street give her a gift cert saying that you will make sure her front walk and stairs are kept cleared of snow this winter.
To your friends having a hard time due to illness or job loss: Get them a gift certificate to the local grocery store. Having a nice meal on Christmas day in a time of want will be remembered long after the holiday is over. And much more appreciated than the game program or new fangled item that got tucked between the cushions of the couch and forgotten.
To the lady (or man) in your life: Give them a gift cert to the local day spa. A day of pampering will be well appreciated by both sexes.
To your parents or siblings: A gift certificate to a local (not chain) restaurant. After all the running around over the holidays a nice meal that you don't have to clean up for afterwards can be a blessing.
To the Neighborhood MOM (or DAD) who is always ready to help out: Give them a gift certificate for a cleaning of their home by a local cleaning service.
Skip the malls. Forget the 60" widescreens and newest cell phones. Support your local businesses that are hurting this year. If more of us did this it would not only send a message to Corp America, but would help our communities in the process.
This article is junk. Anyone notice this part of the article?
"This post comes from Lindsay Sakraida at partner site Dealnews."
Then Item 1 TOYS ends with a shameless plug for the same site. They tell you what not to buy because you MAY then find it cheaper at their site.
"those toys listed on Dealnews for less"
If you're going to shop, support local buildings. Support your community.
To TheJesus and justpinchmee: These forums all seem to bring out the negative doomers, gloomers and "bah, humbugs"!! Just ignore them. They seem to think we are all stupid. Most of us will go to Black Friday sales and purchase what we need/want at reasonable discounts.....or we WON'T! Some of us like the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and some DON'T. To each his own. Merry Christmas!!!
OWS statement is this!
BLACK FRIDAY
BUY small save a small business! Buy American save America!
Fight corporate greed by putting your money where it can be best used in this Nation...Small Businesses are the #1 employer in the Nation.
Put Small Business first before Wal Mart and all the made in China Labels!!!
Save America and put Americans First!
OWS is an idea and ideas are dangerous... They take root!!
question the government stop being the Silent Majority!!
OWS statement is this!
BLACK FRIDAY
BUY small save a small business! Buy American save America!
Fight corporate greed by putting your money where it can be best used in this Nation...Small Businesses are the #1 employer in the Nation.
Put Small Business first before Wal Mart and all the made in China Labels!!!
Save America and put Americans First!
OWS is an idea and ideas are dangerous... They take root!!
question the government stop being the Silent Majority!!
I don't go to any Black Friday doorbuster sales. My Mom went to a doorbuster sale once and bought a TV for me for Christmas. It didn't work and the store refused to take it back. The manufacturer said they would repair it, but Mom would have to pay to have it shipped. Most of the electronics that are part of the doorbuster deals are refrubished, low-quality, or made specifically for Black Friday's sale.
I am spending this Black Friday seeing the new Muppet movie with my family and then going to a Dickens Holiday. If I buy anything it will be a handmade craft from a vendor at the festival.
Also shoppers need to be aware than cheap coffeemakers and other small appliances that the stores say are a one time deal is just that. These appliances don't last over two weeks and they cannot be returned or replaced for the same brand. Skip the small kitchen appliances at the great prices and buy a better appliance between $10 and $40.00. Also the higher price appliances are better than those priced in the 10 to 40 dollar price range.
It is better to pay for an item at the regular price than the sale price in some cases. If you should return the item, then you'll get back the price you paid for the item and not the sales price or in some cases the discounted price. I had an experience once, where I bought something at the Black Friday price, then I found that the gift was broken. When I went to return the item, the customer service person tried to give me a cheaper price than what I paid for. Then they tried to make out like since I opened the package, they couldn't take it back since the item came in one of those plastic sealed packages that you have to have a knife or scissors to open, and then it is an act of Congress to get out. How is one going to find out if an item works or not? I fussed and complained, until they I was refunded what I paid for the item. I no longer shop on any day that gears people to shop in crowded stores. I either shop way ahead and have my shopping done before November, or I give a card with a message saying that their gift will be after Christmas. I rather enjoy the season without a rush of expectancy. This year, everyone is getting homemade food.
go out and max out your credit cards on cheap overpriced chinese crap buying things for people you dont like and dont need or want the crap your giving them just so the big money people selling this crap can have a happy holiday/MERRY CHRISTMAS. Or go out and do something nice for somebody spend quality time with friends & family, help someone in need
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