This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In just a few days, it will be Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, when you'll hear news stories about someone getting trampled to death as the doors open at Walmart or a shopper getting stabbed during a fight for the last Zhu Zhu Pet.
Despite the craziness, it's also a time when really good deals on tech toys are revealed.
You can go to sites like http://www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com or http://www.bfads.net to get a heads up on the best deals.
This year, some of the biggest discounts are on new high-definition televisions. Nearly all of the deals are for non-3D sets, because manufacturers want to clear them out to make way for the new TVs that will support 3D. Since there are questions about whether 3D will become mainstream, 2D-only HDTV still seems like a good choice.
After scouring the web, here's just a sampling of phenomenal deals I've found:
Best Buy • The electronics store has Flip HD camcorders from $99 to $119.
The HTC Droid Incredible or Samsung Fascinate (both Android-based cell phones) will be sold for $1 with a two-year Verizon contract. The store is selling a Toshiba Blu-ray player for $60.
A 32-inch LG LCD HDTV goes on sale for $370, as well as a Panasonic 42-inch plasma HDTV for $499. An older 32-inch Samsung LCD TV will sell for $327.
Costco • This popular wholesale store is one of the best places to shop for electronics because of its outstanding return policy, and it will have a few great deals on top of its already lower prices.
An HP desktop computer with a quad-core processor and a massive 25-inch LCD monitor will sell for $799. And the store is giving discounts anywhere from $50 to $190 off on five of its Vizio HDTVs.
Sears • The department store is selling a Panasonic 5.1 home-theater-in-a-box system with speakers and receiver for $129. The store is also offering sale prices on a wide selection of flat-panel HDTVs, including one of the few 3D TVs that will be discounted — a 50-inch Samsung plasma 3D HDTV with two pairs of 3D glasses (which usually run about $150 each by themselves) for $899.
Target • The department store will be selling a Panasonic pocket camcorder like the Flip for $49 and a Sony Blu-ray player for $99 (players normally run about $150). It's also selling an older-model Samsung 32-inch LCD HDTV for $327, as well as a 40-inch LCD HDTV for $298. And the store will have a sale on many of its video games, discounting some from $59 to $35.
Send your tech questions to Vince Horiuchi at ohmytech@sltrib.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ohmtech.