Black Friday bargains and busts
Some people dream of this day all year long, relishing the predawn moment when they can run the door-buster gauntlet.
But is making the early morning quest worthwhile?
Here are some pointers to help you decide what to pick up and what to pass on this Black Friday:
· Beware of lowball pricing. Is it the latest and greatest, or just a leftover from past seasons?
· Black Friday is about cheap stuff at cheap price, so circulars will be filled with off-brand merchandise. Retailers might sell a 46-inch LCD television for $350 but not a top-of-the-line 3-D model.
· There are a lot of inexpensive tablets on the market. Cheaper versions will have less memory, so they won’t hold a ton of music and movies. But you could start with a lower-priced version before deciding if you want to buy an iPad.
· Want a GPS? Prices are plummeting as more people use their mobile phones to get around.
· Black Friday isn’t the best time for buying high-end televisions, as prices tend to drop in January leading up to the Super Bowl.
· Black Friday is the best time of the year to buy boxed sets or complete seasons of television shows.
· Need to buy gifts for the little one? Hold off on Black Friday. Starting the week of Cyber Monday, toy prices tend to drop on thousands of products for all age ranges, including name brands such as Lego and infant toys by Fisher-Price.
· Luxury items tend not to be discounted on Black Friday.
Remember, you have all year to research and find good deals. Retailers work hard to create a sense of urgency in consumers’ minds.
