Black Friday 2008 Plans

I hear that the beach shop is going to have the blue swim rafts on sale that day, better be in line at 5am they only have 2 of them.

Bob

i love watching all the people fight over crap.
i like watching the old ladies cuss at the young people cause they are in a rush and knock them down. i love listening to the security people telling people not to run...but they do anyway. PRICELESS!!!

Stay home, I'm betting the prices will very good closer to Christmas. Besides being retired I don't have a lot of extra money, anyway.

I know retailers have been hit hard this year, I wonder how many truly great deals will be out there on Black Friday.

I got my Best Buy Ad in the Houston Chronicle for the week of November 16-22 and it lists a Nuvi 285W for 399.00. They might want to let Garmin know of this new addition to the Nuvi line up as Garmin.com does not seem to know it yet (unless I am missing something, in which case I feel like an idiot).

This looks to be similar to a Nuvi 265WT with an MSN adaptor. This may be be a BestBuy only unit. Reviews aren't that good at the BestBuy site.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9037446&type=p...

I've heard a few rumors (I'm not listing any sources until I can confirm the info), that some retailers are going to actually jack up the prices, and offer rebates with some shady instructions on them so that they can claim the rebate invalid and not honor it.

Also, there are rumors that the big ticket items will be on-sale but everything else in the stores will be much higher. They're hoping to catch you up in all the frenzy of buying that you won't notice the prices are higher.

Beware people, do your research, and make sure it's a good deal before you buy it.

And by a good deal I mean this.... If the price AFTER rebates is the only factor you're looking at, DON'T BUY IT. Be willing to not get the rebates and still get a good deal out of it. If hte price is good BEFORE teh rebates, then go for it and then the rebates (if you get them) will just sweeten the deal. Of the deal sucks before the rebates - Run, don't walk, RUN AWAY!

I hope not rgroves.

On the subject of rebate, I hate them. Half the time you never see anything from them, and it always takes months and months to get anything. I try to look for deals where you don't hassle with rebates.

i haven't seen any deal that's super blazing hot thats worth getting in line at 4 am

Here is another site listing sales for this coming black friday:
http://www.blackfriday.info/

I have purchased dozens of items with rebate offers and have never even one time not received the rebate. I have to admit that sometimes I had to do some follow up by phone or email to finally get it but I always received them eventually.

I will admit there have been times when going in I was skeptical as to ever seeing it but to my surprise the ones that I was most nervous about came through without any hassle.

Sometimes the rebate offer has been the final push that has convinced me to go ahead with the final purchase.

I'm glad you've had a good experience with them.

I agree that rebates are good when you receive them, but I still wish they'd get rid of them altogether and just come up with a good price. They probably won't do that though as they are counting on many people not applying for a rebate and pocketing the money. Also that money can gain interest in the months it takes for them to mail you a check.

I'm not totally anti-rebate...I just wish there were a better way.

I went out with my family once about 5 years ago. I nearly got knocked down trying to get into Circuit City when they opened the doors. I haven't been since.

You are right,I have a friend who is the CFO of a major light bulb co. He told me that the number of rebates that are sent out is about 20 percent. the rest is extra money for the company. People just don't bother, because it is a hassle for 1 or 2 dollars.

I'm off - I usually hit the web for deals.

No tax, no shipping charges; products come to me - best of all, no lines and no hassles!!!!

The only FLAW in this strategy is that most of the years I have tired this, the store servers are SO BUSY you can never get a connection to them. Then by the time you DO GET a connection, the sale hours are over.

I agree with you spullis.

I hate going to stores and fighting crowds. Just the thought gives me claustrophobia. Any Black Friday deals I get, I'm going to get online.

My wife is taking a trip around Christmas, and I'm going to stock up on groceries, supplies, etc. so I don't have to go in the crowded stores.

Now we know who is responsible for Circuit City filing bankruptcy.

Interesting article: http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/141878

I don't see any really good deals out there - it seems if you look around and compare online you can find similar or better deals easily - not just on Black Friday.
With retailers struggling one might have thought that they would have the biggest sell off ever this year but seems not so much.

I've always liked this site for hunting down some good deals:

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/sales.php

Bass Pro Shops Garmin nuvi 255 GPS w/Free Case $169.94
Bass Pro Shops Garmin nuvi 750 4.3" $219.94
Best Buy Garmin nuvi 205 $119.99
Best Buy Garmin nuvi 260 4.3" $189.99
Best Buy Garmin nuvi 780 4.3" w/MSN Direct $349.99
Circuit City Garmin nuvi 260 3.5" $149.99
Circuit City Garmin nuvi 265 4.3" w/Bluetooth $249.99
Dick's Garmin nuvi 205 Widescreen $149.98
Gander Mountain Garmin nuvi 255W 4.3" $199.95
Office Depot Garmin nuvi 205 $129.99
Office Depot Garmin nuvi 205W $149.99
Office Depot Garmin nuvi 225W $199.99
OfficeMax Garmin nuvi 205 3.5" $129.99
OfficeMax Garmin nuvi 205W 4.3" $149.99
Radio Shack Garmin nuvi 250W 4.3" $169.99
Radio Shack Garmin nuvi 255W 4.3" Widescreen $229.99
Sears Garmin nuvi 205 GPS System $124.99
Sports Authority Garmin nuvi 205 $129.99
Staples Garmin nuvi 205W 3.4" $149.99
Target Garmin nuvi 200W $119.99

We used to do the 4 o'clock am Mal-Wart, Best Buy, thing, all hopped up on quadruple espresso shots, fighting the mad throngs of crazieness....but no more. We found that some of the same "special" deals for the early birds were magically re-stocked for am 11 o'clock debut too! Like many of you guys too, Christmas is gonna be squeaky tight this year!

In case you didn't get the memo: we're in a recession! LOL

Hi guys,

do you know if any of these models come standard with the European maps as well?

Thanks

We avoid the crazy crowds and do almost all our Christmas shopping through QVC or on-line. I have yet to find anything worth waiting hours for to save a few $$$, if they even have it.

as far away from the stores as I can on Black Friday.

Garmin c330 (rebuilt) at Pepboys for only $99.

I thought I'd have to wait for black Friday, but just checked at samsclub.com and the Nuvi 750 is down to $198.76 both online and at the local store.

Time to take the plunge and get an HDTV !!!!

We took the plunge a couple years ago and now similar sets are less than half the price.

Oh well, we've been enjoying it and haven't had any problems with our set since new.

blackfriday.info

Well the advice in that article sure goes against what I posted before (hold your fire until mid-December for the best deals at lowest hassle factor). I don't know how accurate the advice is, but I agree it was very interesting on several points, and worth checking for any folks determined to get the best prices.

To avoid this dilemma - try going to your favorite web sites as early as Wednesday evening or late Thursday evening. You can often (not always) get the same BF deals.

Especially this year with a slumping economy - many merchants won't hit their numbers this year, so deals may be even earlier.

If people don't start buying and quit walking the malls browsing because of the economy, there will be a lot of Black Fridays. Probably some Black Mondays and Tuesdays too!!

I was advised by a STAPLES employee that the best time to stock up on SD cards for cameras, GPS, etc. is on the day after Thanksgiving. Expect the lowest prices for the year....

That's the truth, Could not agree more!

Oh Yes, only those are partially owned by Government.

Hi All;
Anybody heard of any major stores/e-commerce sites planning some blow-out deals on Garmins for this Friday (day-after-Thanksgiving/"Black Friday")?
Last year there were some phenomenal deals on all sorts of electronics, if you knew where to get in line early enough.....

Just curious.....

EDIT: opps, sorry, I didn't see that this was already posted .....need to get new glasses I guess...

This Friday from 6:00 am to 10:00 am Staples will have the TomTom ONE GPS for $99.99

I agree, this year prices will get better the second week in December and afterwards.

I saw on a TV ad last night that WM was having a 98.00 sale on Garmin 200 series nuvis.

www.dealnews.com is another good one

Micro Center Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS $119.99 http://tinyurl.com/6e3yjg

Micro Center Magellan RoadMate 2000 GPS - Refurbished $59.99 http://tinyurl.com/6e3yjg

Sams Club Garmon Nuvi 200 $96.82
Walmart Garmin Nuvi 200 3.5 $97.50

grush you can try biding on ebay i saw some as low as $228.00 just bid of course that is where i got my 680 nuvi for 185.00

Wishing you all the best of shopping deals!

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05730466000P?adCell...

Coupon code: SWELCOME0058

Not sure it will work on this sale item. Never hurts to try.

The sale at Costco originally posted by visiter555 is still going on - a nuvi 750 for $199.99. The price is good until Dec. 15th.

Because they have skids of them! What do you think is going to happen in the middle of December?

Retailers are going off of last years run of huge sales in GPSr's, and stocked up well this year, hoping you newbs would love the unit you bought last year enough to buy as gifts this year. Then The economy fell apart after the retailers Christmas orders where placed. Hold tight you haven't seen the best prices yet

Last year I shopped Best Buy On-Line around 9 pm Thanksgiving Night. It cost a couple of bucks more, due to shipping, but I got to sleep in and didn't stand in any lines. I got a Garmin 255WT from QVC, as a Special Value of the Day, a couple of months ago for less than $200.

Good Luck shopping on Black Friday everybody!

We wake up early (4:30), so I said to my wife lets take a ride. The weather was cool by Florida locals(58). After a stop at DD,small line, we dove to the local mall. Office Depot very long lines, I would say 150 to 200 people. Khol's store opened at 4:00, but the parking lot full. Bed,Bath and Beyond, parking lot full, Radio Shack, small line (about 100 people). The big box stores (BB,CC, and others) are in another mall. Did we stop and buy anything? No, we went back to DD and then home.