Digital Trends

Fill up the Thermos, dig out an old blanket and stock up on reading material: Black Friday is almost here. In case the name doesn't ring a bell, Black Friday is that all-out shopping spree triggered on the day after Thanksgiving, marking the start of the holiday shopping season for retailers, and often the best deals of the year for consumers. While some will scorn the money-fueled madness and stay home in PJs, savvy consumers will plan ahead of time, camp out, and snag high-end items they've been eying all year at prices that border on absurdity.

There are certainly bargains to be had, but before you head out into the maelstrom for that plasma TV, laptop or home theater system, a quick stop on the Web can help you scope out the best deals and draw up a plan. Retailer lawsuits have put the brakes on leaking circular ads early through the Internet in recent years, but the trend has also pushed them to officially release ads earlier. BFAds.net is a respected central repository for Black Friday ads that can help consumers get a lay of the land without plastering the coffee table in fliers. The site makes it possible to browse by each store, search by item, and discuss different deals on the message boards to consult with other shoppers on the best deals out there. Another smart stop would be FatWallet.com, a year-round deal-spotting site with active forums and a helpful user base. Although it doesn't specialize in Black Friday, the site becomes extremely active around this time of year, and checking in on the forums can help buyers ensure that the products they plan to chase on Friday can't be had cheaper or easier online.

Of course, if the thrill of the hunt isn't your thing, we've rounded up ten of the best Black Friday deals right here, along with some helpful tips on nabbing them.

10. RadioShack – $49.99 USD 5.1MP Digital Camcorder
Chances are, the quality of a low-price camcorder isn’t going to cut it for capturing once-in-a-lifetime family memories, but if you’re just looking for an easy way to capture shenanigans and put them on YouTube, this could very well be your ticket. For $49.99 USD, you can afford to break this one when your next Jell-O wrestling party gets out of hand. RadioShack opens at 6 a.m., and crowds probably won’t be as bad as those at the big box stores.

9. Circuit City – $3.99 USD DVDs
For movie lovers, Black Friday is a chance to stock up on DVDs for only a fraction of what they normally sell for. While a handful of titles can be found for cheaper at other stores, Circuit City has a hefty selection of relatively popular movies to choose from, including Munich, School of Rock, and X2 (check the circular for specifics). Just make sure to bring a friend, since they’re limited to three per person. Circuit City opens at 5 a.m., and though it may not be worth it to roll out of bed in the middle of the night to save a few bucks on DVDs, we would still recommend going reasonably early to avoid the selection getting picked over. 

8. K-Mart - $149.99 USD Nintendo DS Lite Bundles
Yes, every store is going to be loaded up with these bundles – which include either Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass or Nintendogs: Best Friends – this season. And Circuit City even has them for $10 cheaper. But K-Mart is giving away $25 gift cards with them, which trumps a measly $10 cash as far as we’re concerned. Think of it as a big discount on your next game purchase, or one less gift to buy for someone else, if you’re really that lazy.

7. WalMart – $398 USD Desktop w. LCD Monitor (Compaq SR5223WM-B)
When a store is already reputed for having some of the lowest prices on the items they carry, they’ve really got to drag out some impressive deals to convince people to come out on Black Friday. Fortunately, this Compaq SR5223WM-B system should do the trick. It’s solidly equipped with 1GB of memory, a 120GB hard drive, an AMD Sempron processor, and a slick 17-inch flat panel monitor. Wal-Mart opens at 5 a.m.

6. AperionAudio.com - $599 USD Intimus 422 Harmony Surround System
If sitting out in the cold for hours on end isn’t really your thing, here’s a deal you can take advantage of from home. Normally priced at $799, the 422 Harmony is already the most affordable surround system from the high-end audio company Aperion Audio, and it will go for $200 cheaper between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. PST on Black Friday. The best part: after the brief sale ends and prices return to normal, you can maintain your audiophile street cred by telling your friends they were $799. The sales is online only, so visit their website to snag this deal.

5. Staples - $99.99 USD Samsung CLP300 Color Laser Printer
Not only have the prices on consumer-level color laser printers fallen drastically in recent years, Samsung's entry-level model sheds more than half its regular $249.99 MSRP for this deal. You can finally afford to kiss that jammed up, streaking ink-jet printer goodbye without paying a fortune for the upgrade. Staples opens at 6 a.m., an hour later than many other stores, so it may be possible to make it a second stop if you’re quick.

4. Sears - $899 USD Sylvania 42" Full HD 1080p LCD TV
If you've been waiting for an affordable opportunity to dive into HDTV, you won't find one much better than this. Sylvania isn't what most people would consider a top brand in televisions, but with full 1080p resolution, you won't find anything comparable in the price range. Sears has some deals that will last through Friday and Saturday, but this particular one is only good from 5 a.m. through noon on Friday, so stop in first if you hope to pick one up.

3. PepBoys - $79.99 USD Mio C220 DigiWalker GPS
GPS is fast becoming a standard feature on Smartphones and PDAs, but at this price, you can afford to pick up a dedicated unit to hang around in the glovebox, ready to go - and maybe one for the neighbors while you're at it. A number of other retailers are pushing low-price GPS units this holiday season, but PepBoys has significantly undercut them all. The store opens at 5 a.m.

2. Target – $167 USD Westinghouse 22-Inch LCD Monitor (LCM22W3)
Americans love big cars, big houses, big open spaces, and as of lately, big monitors. While 17 inch-monitors used to be the de facto standard, that modest size has become less and less popular with the rise of LCD monitors, and king-sized wide screens now reign. Target has picked up on the trend, and dropped the price on these behemoths, which are sure to sell quickly. Getting to the head of the line at 5 a.m. will be key to getting your hands on one at this price.

1. Best Buy - $399 USD Sony Vaio NR Series Laptop  (VGN-NR110E/S)
Yes, last year every retailer was pushing bargain basement laptops for $100 less than this, but notebook buyers who wanted anything more than a platform to type and browse were out of luck - the next step up the performance ladder usually ran for twice as much. Not any more. Best Buy skipped fishing around in the bottom of the barrel this year and netted some of Sony's newer budget laptops, which actually have respectable specs, and then shaved the price nearly in half. Eager buyers beware: Best Buy is perennially one of the hottest Black Friday destinations, so crowds will be fierce. Plan on a serious camp out.