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Dig into ‘Dark Meat Thursday’ deals
What do you call “Black Friday” when it starts on Thanksgiving?
I am going with “Dark Meat Thursday.”
Whatever you call it, the annual shopping ritual has been so successful at luring dollars out of shoppers’ wallets, major retailers are starting their “doorbusters” earlier every year.
A while back, it was customary for stores to open at 6 a.m. Then came midnight. Then, 9 p.m.
This year, shoppers will find 8 p.m. starts today at such Black Friday stalwarts as Kmart and Walmart.
Today’s annual largest newspaper of the year features a cornucopia of advertising sections. If you have some shopping to do, here are some quick highlights:
Big screen TVs under $200. The big draw this year once again looks to be electronics, with many top stores trying to break the $200 and even $100 barrier on HD TVs. Now, these are not great TVs for movies or sports but probably would do OK in a bedroom or for a gamer.
So, where should you wait in line tonight?
Start at Sears (8 p.m.) and try for the $97 32-inch no-name. If that fails, head to Target (9 p.m.) for the $147 Apex 32-inch. If that doesn’t work, try Walmart (10 p.m.) for the $148, 32-inch Emerson or h.h. gregg (10 p.m.) for the 32-inch Toshiba for $179.99. If you strike out altogether, since you are up anyway, Best Buy (midnight) has best of show with a 40-inch Toshiba 1080p for $179.99.
Kmart is kind of going its own way at 8 p.m. with the lowest-priced (and smallest) TV deal with a 24” Seiki for $88 and one of the biggest deals, a 50-inch 1080p Proscan, for $288. This is a good deal for the money, but it is only 60hz (you want to aim for at least 120hz for sports and movies), plus the ad claims a regular price of $699.99 and there is no Internet substantiation anywhere near that retail price (sells elsewhere for $399 or $499).
Tablets are the other hot holiday gift. Here’s what you need to know: Because of price-fixing, Apple iPads all pretty much cost the same ($499.95 for a 16GB model) so look for ones that are bundled with gift cards (Target’s comes with a $60 gift card) or shop for refurbished ones on Apple.com. Samsung Galaxy is a lower-cost, popular alternative, and Best Buy (midnight) has a deal on a 7-inch model for $179.99 which includes a $20 gift card. Almost every store has a dreary Android tablet for about $80. Better bang for the buck: Consider the $159 Kindle Fire on Amazon.com.
Late-night deals. Kohl’s (midnight) is back with its $15 coupon for every $50 spent and still has the best deal for NCAA hoodies at $21.99. Buy five and go shopping again next week with a free $30. Be careful, though: Not every Kohl’s deal is worth chasing those $15 coupons. Kohl’s makes you choose between the Disney doll or the matching toddler dress for $14.99 each, while Target has the Disney doll/dress combo for just $19.99.
Meanwhile, Macy’s (midnight) has a coupon for $10 off $25 in clearance for bargain hunters. Macy’s also is one of those retailers on the front page of their insert reminding shoppers that many of their deals are available online with free shipping. If you hate standing outside, read today’s ads carefully and find out which deals can be had without missing a single down of football.
A few quick hits: The first 250 shoppers at Walgreens today (9 a.m.) get a free Redbox DVD rental; buy a fourth-generation 16GB iPod Touch at Toys “R” Us (8 p.m.) for $199.99 and get $50 in gift cards; if someone on Santa’s list likes sock monkeys (really, who doesn’t?) there’s a 38-inch-tall one at Big Lots (7 a.m.) for $19.88 and a matching hat at Five Below (5 a.m. Friday) for $5; Walmart looks to have the best collection of on-sale video games; and Sears wins the Nook Simple Touch battle with it’s $39.99 doorbuster, though the company guarantees only four per store.
OK, it’s your turn to tear into the inserts. Make lists, check them twice and have fun out there or online.