Black Friday Deals and Strategy Tips

I typically shun the stores on Black Friday. It's usually the last thing I want to do the day after cooking and cleaning up following a Thanksgiving feast and on a vacation day free to spend with family and friends.

But this year, I'm not cooking, and I'm on the hunt for a Nintendo Wii. So I'll be up early to go to my local gaming store, which promises to have a fresh shipment of Wiis to dole out, first come, first serve.

I will have lots of company, I know. So I've put together a list of tips and online resources to make the search for electronics deals successful on the crazy unofficial starting day of the holiday shopping season. Or, at least, to help make it as painless as possible.

Do your research before you hit the stores (or the web). Know what you want to buy before you look at price leaders in store circulars. Compare prices so that you know if the sale prices advertised are truly sale prices.

Find the deals. You don't have to wait for the Thursday paper anymore to get a lead on the leads. Check these sites for the latest Black Friday deals.

• Black Friday Ads -- The site updates regularly with pre-Black Friday and Black Friday deals. "Sold Out" is stamped on the posts heralding deals that no longer exist. Today, you'll find a look at Best Buy's DoorBuster Black Friday deals and Sears' lead on a Hitachi 42-inch HD1080 plasma TV for $776.99.

• The Black Friday -- This site makes it easy to check the latest deals at several stores. Just click on a store name, and you'll find scads of sale items.

•  http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ -- You get the idea. These sites have a lot of the same info, but one may have a particular store you're looking for.

• Dealnews -- Lots of links to the latest deals and coupon codes.

• A few more: dealhack, techbargains. For coupon codes, check out Bargainist, RetailMeNot, and CouponCode.

Know store and shopping hours, online and off. Stores seem to be opening earlier and earlier every year, and extending deals—or promoting different ones—as web only, many of which are offered as early as Thursday evening.

Know store return policies: Check for restocking fees and the number of days you have to return an item. If you're shopping in haste, you may grab the wrong item or open up a defective one  on the holiday. Get gift receipts to ensure that your gift recipient gets credited for what you paid, not for after-holiday sale prices.

Go in groups. This tip comes from Mike Elgan of Datamation, via The Consumerist. If you're going after one particular item, split up, fan out, and see who finds it first and at the best price. Elgan also warns us to beware bait-and-switch Black Friday scams that add on expensive warranties or needed software or accessories not clearly advertised as separate, required, and expensive.

Finally, wear comfortable shoes. And don't buy more than what's on your list. Enough said.