Black Friday: Best HDTV Deals Might Be Now


Black Friday causing HDTV lust for those giant new screens? I know I’m suffering from that particular urge. But it is possible the best HDTV deals might be available now and not on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

According to a study conducted by NerdWallet, Black Friday sale prices have increased from 2011 to 2012. Many of the Black Friday leaked ads have the exact same items from last year. For example, the Black Friday deals from Ikea and Staples are 90 percent the same if you compare the Black Friday ads. The median item price at stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have gone up by 2.2 percent.

To make matters worse, data from consumer-price research firm Decide Inc. shows that many of the holiday’s most popular gifts, including flat-screen HDTVs, are not sold at their lowest price on Black Friday. For example, the Wall Street Journal reported that a Samsung 46-inch LCD television averaged $1,159 in October from 2008 through 2011, but sold for around $1,355 on Black Friday!

I’ll give you an example from my own shopping. BJs plans on selling their LG 55-inch 1080p 120Hz Edge-Lit LED HDTV for $799.99 on Black Friday. Just the other day, I saw an already-expired deal from Frys for the same exact model…but for $698!

So far the only Black Friday HDTV deal that has made me sit up and take notice is a Mitsubishi 73-inch 1080p 120Hz DLP HDTV. The normal price is $1,599.99, but on Black Friday it is half-off for $799.99. Yes, it is a DLP, meaning it will not be ultra-thin like the other HDTVs, but they are no longer the fat man from yester-year. This particular models has a depth of 18 inches and weighs a reasonable 76 pounds (that LG 55-inch weighs 56 pounds and is 13 inches deep). If you expect to buy a similarly sized HDTV screen that uses plasma, LCD, or LED-LCD technology then the price is going to skyrocket to well over $1000.

The final thing to keep in mind is that other people are planning on upgrading their HDTVs this Black Friday. Thus these people will likely be trying to sell their HDTVs right now for amazing deals. On my local craigslist directory I’ve already seen a 60-inch HDTV going for $300.

Good luck on your Black Friday HDTV holiday shopping and keep the true reason for the season in mind when you are standing in long lines!

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