The Skinny on Post-Holiday Sales

Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:43PM EST

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Sure, HDTV deals abound, but nothing beats the discounts you get on electronics after the holidays. Retailers eager to move gadgets and components in time for the new stock in February (fresh off the announcements for new products and technology at January's Consumer Electronics Show).

Ideally, you'll have a hefty gift certificate or card to apply to heavily discounted big-ticket purchases.

Now, you can start flipping through the circulars that will come in newspapers most likely to find deals, or you can use a much more efficient method by visiting a site like Dealnews, which rounds up the best deals on all kinds of items throughout the year. Like last year, Dealnews plans to offer specific information as early as December 25 on post-holiday sales and deals at more than 30 electronics retailers, including Amazon, RadioShack, and Geeks.com. You can also check online comparison sites like BizRate and Yahoo! Shopping or visit sales blogs such as The Bargainist or The Consumerist.

What kinds of things can you/should you look out for: I'd say HDTVs (CRT, DLP, or flat-panel LCD). Ignore the EDTVs or SDTVs that'll probably be heavily marked down and pushed. You can also get deals on cameras, GPS systems, refurbished iPods (follow the happenings at the January Macworld Conference and Expo for a new product announcement of some sort, most likely), among other items.

Other post-holiday deal roundups are sure to surface: Check through some of the earlier posts on Yahoo! Tech about holiday shopping deals for Web addresses and sites to find deals (see links below).

Related links:

Online Shopping Strategy for the Weekend
More Holiday Shopping Deals

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Comments on The Skinny on Post-Holiday Sales

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  • 46 Posted by mxpklup1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    worthless article. equally bogus are the posts from sales rats saying don't wait.

  • 47 Posted by mixgirl48 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    i SEE NO POiNT iN BUYiN A HDTV WHEN iN 2 YEARS LASER WiLL BE THE NEW PLASMA. JUST AS FAST AS DVD`z TOOK OVER ViDEO CASSETTE THE SAME WiLL BE THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR HDTV. DONT BUY iT UNLESS iN TWO OR THREE YEARS YOU WiLL HAVE 3 MORE GRAND TO BUY ANOTHER TV. iTS TRU

  • 48 Posted by clintcowan on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Better to Wait? Of course its better to wait. Three good reasons why: 1) the cost of an HDTV set is only one of the costs involved. This is a fixed cost; you also have the variable (monthly) costs of the upgraded digital service and the box to get HDTV. These can run an additional $25 or so over your current monthly cable bill. Its unlikely these costs will come down, so you need to understnd them, but their not the reason alone to delay a purchase 2) the very limited number of HDTV channels currently being broadcast. You can use the HDTV to see all the channels you normally watch. But only a small percentage of those will be actually broadcasting in high definition. So you'll be spending a lot of money for the HDTV, and more money on a monthly basis to get the HDTV programming, but you won't be able to take advantage of the HDTV broadcast for most of the shows you watch. Instead, it will look a lot like your regular old CRT TV most of the time--and could look even worse in some cases; 3) since the HD DVD war has not settled, we don't know who's going to come away with the "standard" for high definition DVD. And since there are very few HD DVDs available today, you can't watch most movies in true HD. The conclusion, if you wait: more channels will be available, the HDTVs will cost less and have more features, and the HD DVD standard will be finalized, and you'll be able to watch your favorite movies in HD. Of course there's nothing wrong with the decision to by an HDTV now--if $2500+ up front and $100/month cable bills make you feel empowered and strokes your ego, I say go for it. It will just drive prices down even more for me when its my time to buy. In the meantime, my $300 35" TV fits the bill just fine.

  • 49 Posted by techhoundark on Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:40PM EST Report Abuse

    I never cease to be amazed at all the armchair experts out there. A couple of comments: Prices going up because of Super Bowl demand? Didn't happen last year. The Super Bowl promotion last year offered the biggest price cuts of the year. It's January people. Moving inventory is the name of the game. Not much of it happening and they'll take every opportunity to sell. It's not about margins. It's about sales. Mixgirl48- using your logic, no one would ever buy a tv. There's always going to be the next big thing on the horizon. Buy a plasma or lcd. You can get a laser later. If you wait for lasers, they'll be thousands of dollars, then you'll wait on them to come down, then they'll come down and a new technology will be just around the corner, then you'll wait on the new technology, then the new technology will be thousands of dollars, then....well, you get the picture. Finally, prices WILL come down after January 1. Count on it. The HDTV market is cutthroat right now. Super Bowl is a marketing point. Retailers will be falling all over each other to be the price point leader. Otherwise, they are going to be stuck with tv's they can't move. A dollar in the bank is worth much more than a tv on the stock room shelf.

  • 50 Posted by y2frankie69 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Anyone buying TV's from BB, PC Richards or any big retailer is just not bright. I just brought a 60" SXRD Rear Projection TelevisionKDS-R60XBR2 with the stand for 3400 delivered. Now go check how much it's at sonystyle. Could have easily cost me 4500 there or at PC Richards, which is the only big retail chain that even offers the TV. This also happens to have the highest quality picture out of all TV's, the lone exception is the Sony Quallia which happens to be a 15K dollar TV. Don't spend your money on LCD's and Plasma's when you will have to buy another TV in a few years. Also there is a rumor that you will be able to get up to date technology on a flatscreen by the end of 2007 for a flat at a much more consumer frindly price.

  • 51 Posted by barazzano on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    that's what i'm gonna do with the PS3

  • 52 Posted by johndeere530tractor on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    I love the Fact the Super Bowl is at the end physical year(Jan/Feb) for most retailers! Absolutly "the" best time to buy. The ONLY time I buy.

  • 53 Posted by joescauri on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    The author is right. I mean come on really, do you really need to be buying a 1000 dollar tv in the middle of the holidays when uve already spent that much on gifts. I been planning to buy my tv post holiday for along time!

  • 54 Posted by joescauri on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    The author is right. I mean come on really, do you really need to be buying a 1000 dollar tv in the middle of the holidays when uve already spent that much on gifts. I been planning to buy my tv post holiday for along time!

  • 55 Posted by joescauri on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    The author is right. I mean come on really, do you really need to be buying a 1000 dollar tv in the middle of the holidays when uve already spent that much on gifts. I been planning to buy my tv post holiday for along time!

  • 56 Posted by werob2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    EDTV and SDTV are almost obsolete already not to mention not nearly as good-looking to begin with

  • 57 Posted by stormdamage20 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    EDTV's and SDTV's arn't HD, so you won't get the same clear crisp quality picture as with the HDTV, the EDTV and the SDTV are glorified tube tv's(waste of money)

  • 58 Posted by edt820 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Prices are already down. The Panasonic plasma that I bought 5 months ago is almost $500 less now. I might buy another one!

  • 59 Posted by cibaknife on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    Amazon has a 30 day price guarantee. If you buy an item from them (not one of their affiliates) and the price goes down within 30 days, they will refund you the difference. All you have to do is send them an email stating the original price and the new, lower price and ask that you be refunded the difference.

  • 60 Posted by rvitberg on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    A fool and his money is soon parted. Impulse buyers are even quicker.

  • 61 Posted by dxqp05 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    how many of the responders who advocate making purchases NOW, are actually tv or electronic sales persons

  • 62 Posted by czar2k4ever on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ahhhh electronics where would mankind be without them?

  • 63 Posted by kibastryker on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    true yes there is always going to be something bigger better and nicer and cheaper down the road... just like computers. i work in a fine retail establishment that specializes in tvs, and really there are many myths and such out there on the different technologies and sales and all this other mumbo jumbo. plasmas are just as reliable as lcds now and have the same life span too. and true best buy does have a 60 day price match but it started several weeks ago and only goes out until feb 5th,(unless you buy a tv after jan 5th then you have the normal 30 day price match.) and tnchaplin if your still reading this post, thats all well and good if you dont ever want to be watching a tv bigger than 34" :) honestly if someone has a question shoot me an email id love to help merry christmas and a happy hoidays to you all

  • 65 Posted by akneitz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    what a big, stinky load of crap!! If you want it, buy it, don't be an idiot!

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