It’s the Super Bowl of shopping, the Olympics of overspending, the ultimate culmination of consumer exuberance. It’s Black Friday!
Here’s a list of retail stores and their time-limited doorbuster deals. Be sure to check out Techland’s Black Friday Awards on the final page for an overview of where to find the best (and worst) deals.
Best Buy: 5-9AM
Best Buy uses a ticketing system to avoid stampedes, so make sure to get there early if you want a shot at the better deals. Stores open at 5AM Friday morning, with tickets being passed out up to two hours beforehand.
Samsung 32-inch TV with Nintendo Wii console: $399.99
Toshiba 15.6-inch laptop: $189.99
Nintendo Wii console with Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Remote Plus: $169.99
Nook Wi-Fi eReader: $99.99
Samsung Fascinate (Verizon): Free with two-year contract
Panasonic 50-inch Plasma TV: $699.99
EA video games normally priced at $59.99 for PS3/Xbox 360: $34.99
Toshiba Blu-ray player: $59.99
15.5-inch Sony laptop: $399.99
Insignia 10-megapixel digital camera: $59.99
GameStop: 5AM to Noon
Xbox 360 (4GB) console with Madden NFL 11 or Medal of Honor: $199.99
Nintendo Wii console with Just Dance, Wii Sports, and Wii Sports Resort: $199.99
PS3 (160GB) console with God of War I, II, and III: $299.99
Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360/PS3): $19.99
PS3/Xbox 360/Wii accessory bundles: $29.99 each
Kmart: 5-11AM
Zenith 42-inch Plasma TV: $399.99
Nintendo DSi + Mario Party: $149.99
7-inch Android tablet: $139.99
Kohl’s: 3AM to 1PM
Sharper Image Literati color e-book reader: $99.99
Panimage 7-inch digital photo frame: $29.99
Vivitar pocket camcorder: $29.99
Kodak webcam: $16.99
Under-the-Cabinet MP3 docking station: $39.99
ION USB turntable: $69.99
2GB MP3 video player: $24.99
iHome clock radio/iPod dock: $39.99
iLive indoor/outdoor wireless speakers: $74.99
ION Discover DJ computer DJ system: $74.99
All video games 30% off
Office Depot: Open at 6AM, no doorbuster deals
15.6-inch Lenovo laptop: $279.99
15.6-inch HP laptop: $329.99
17.3-inch HP laptop: $399.99
Compaq desktop PC and 18.5-inch LCD monitor: $379.99
LG 20-inch LCD monitor: $99.99
Samsung 23-inch 1080p TV: $219.99
Samsung 27-inch 1080p TV: $299.99
OfficeMax: Open at 7AM, no doorbuster deals
32-inch Vizio TV: $299.99
15.6-inch HP laptop: $369.99
15.6-inch Toshiba laptop: $429.99
HP wireless all-in-one printer: $69.99
Hitachi 1TB external hard drive: $49.99
Radio Shack: Open at 5:30AM, no doorbuster deals
19-inch LED-backlit TV: $149.99
Flip UltraHD pocket camcorder: $129.99
10.1-inch Acer netbook: $179.99
15.6-inch HP notebook: $349.99
TomTom 5-inch GPS: $99.99
Sam’s Club: Open at 5AM, no doorbuster deals
42-inch Vizio 1080p TV: $488
17.3-inch HP notebook with Blu-ray: $499
55-inch Vizio 1080p LED-backlit TV with internet apps: $1,498
Nintendo Wii console with two Wii Remote Plus controllers, two Nunchuk controllers, two Wii steering wheels, Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and Mario Kart: $299
Hitachi 42-inch 1080p TV: $498
Xbox 360 (250GB) console with Red Dead Redemption, Forza 3, Alan Wake, Modern Warfare 2 demo and headset: $349
Sears: 4AM to Noon
Samsung 40-inch 1080p TV: $497.99
Zenith 42-inch Plasma TV: $399.99
RCA 24-inch LED-backlit 1080p TV: $229.99
Panasonic 46-inch Plasma TV: $499.99
Toshiba 46-inch LCD TV: $649.99
Panasonic 42-inch Plasma TV: $549.99
Panasonic 37-inch LCD TV: $469.99
Panasonic 32-inch LCD TV: $399.99
LG 60-inch Plasma TV: $1499.99
RCA 26-inch LCD/DVD TV: $299.99
Sylvania 22-inch LCD TV: $189.99
Samsung 55-inch LED-backlit TV: $1499.99
Samsung 46-inch LED-backlit TV: $999.99
Samsung 40-inch LED-backlit TV: $747.99
Samsung 55-inch 3D LED-backlit TV: $2199.99
Sony Blu-ray player: $99.99
Nintendo DSi + Mario Party: $149.99
Velocity Micro 7-inch Android tablet: $249.99
Samsung C20 camcorder: $99.99
Libre eReader: $89.99
Staples: 6AM to Noon
HP 15.6-inch laptop: $299.98
HP 14.5-inch laptop: $399.98
HP 17.3-inch laptop: $499.98
Samsung Bluetooth headset: $4.99
Seagate 1TB external hard drive: $49.99
HP Officejet 6500 wireless all-in-one printer: $79.98
HP 20-inch monitor: $99.98
Garmin nuvi 265WT GPS system: $99.99
Target: 4-10AM
Westinghouse 40-inch 1080p TV: $298
Wii Fit Plus bundle (game + Balance Board): $67
TomTom 4.3-inch GPS system: $79
Apex 46-inch 1080p TV: $449
Apple iPod Touch (8GB) + $30 Target gift card: $225
Samsung 32-inch 720p TV: $327.99
Sony Blu-ray player: $99
Boost Mobile Sanyo Incognito/Juno phones: $39.99
Sony PSP + Little Big Planet game and Karate Kid movie: $127
Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii Remote Plus game controllers: $39 each
Walmart: 5-11AM
Magnavox Wi-Fi Blu-ray player: $69
eMachines 15.6-inch laptop: $198
Emerson 32-inch 720 TV: $198
Apple iPod Touch (8GB) + $50 Walmart gift card: $225
Emerson 42-inch 1080p TV: $398
LG 42-inch 1080p TV: $478
Sansui 19-inch 720p TV: $98
Sanyo 50-inch Plasma TV: $498
Samsung 40-inch 1080p TV: $498
Samsung 46-inch 1080p TV: $798
Samsung 52-inch 1080p TV: $998
Samsung 32-inch 720p TV: $328
Samsung 46-inch 1080p LED-backlit TV: $898
TomTom 3.5-inch GPS system: $59
TomTom 4.3-inch GPS system: $79
Flip UltraHD pocket camcorder: $99
HP 15.6-inch laptop: $298
HP 17.3-inch laptop: $398
HP Deskjet all-in-one wireless printer: $44
Nintendo DS Lite: $89
PS3 console (160GB) with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Medal of Honor Limited Edition: $299
Xbox 360 console (4GB) with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Mass Effect 2: $199
Techland’s Black Friday 2010 Awards
Best Black Friday Deals Across the Board: Walmart
Walmart comes out swinging every year, and this year’s no exception. With a 32-inch TV for under $200, the Flip MinoHD camcorder at under $100, and a whopping $50 gift card with the purchase of an iPod Touch, Walmart’s your best bet for finding deals. The crowds can get a little unruly, so get those elbows ready.
Best TV Selection: Sears
Sears has an almost overwhelming selection of doorbuster deals on TVs. There’s one available in just about every size, screen technology, and resolution, and there’s a big 4AM to noon window to find the perfect set.
Best Single TV Deal: Target
Target’s pushing a 40-inch 1080p Westinghouse TV out the door for $298. That’s a good enough deal to warrant braving the elements at 4AM.
Underachiever Award: Best Buy
With roughly ten doorbuster deals, including a washer/dryer set, a $60 digital camera, and a handful of $10 Blu-ray movies, Best Buy is looking at a shellacking this year. Just because CompUSA and Circuit City went out of business, doesn’t mean Walmart and Target won’t eat your lunch, Best Buy.
The store’s saving grace this year is a few deals on TVs here and there—a 32-incher for $328, a 24-inch LED-backlit set for $190, and a 42-inch Plasma for $370—but they’ll be available all weekend.
Best Deal from Out of Left Field: $400 iPad at TJ Maxx
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which TJ Maxx stores are carrying the fabled $400 iPad, but if you happen upon one that has them in stock, buy it.
The “You Guys Know Thanksgiving is a Holiday, Right?” Award: Toys ‘R Us
While Toys ‘R Us didn’t have enough grown-up tech deals to be included in the above round-up, it takes the cake as far as employee scroogery is concerned. Stores open at 10PM Thursday night and run doorbuster deals until 1PM the next day.
Best Bets This Year:
Target, Sears, Walmart
If You Have Time:
Best Buy, Radio Shack, Staples
Not Worth It:
Office Depot, OfficeMax, Kmart