Black Friday: A sport to some, an abhorrent tacklefest to others who still look at the ads anyway. (This also applies to the Super Bowl. But if you’re in the latter group about Black Friday, see my post on alternatives the the shopping bloodsport.) Black Friday sales have good years and bad years—some years the sales are unbelievably good, some you might as well drink a glass of eggnog and wait for a nice Tuesday afternoon.
This year isn’t among the more amazing, but because of a late Thanksgiving and thus an unusually short holiday season, we may see more sales as we get closer to Christmas. You’re still not going to find discounts on Playstation 4s and Xbox Ones, but if you’re interested in the older models of gaming consoles, you’re in luck. TVs are also getting cheaper by the second.
Below is a roundup of some of the things you probably have your eyes out for. Note that some of these offers could be available only during certain hours or not in your area, so be sure to check the ads before you get too attached to one. I’ve also offered Amazon (or other site) links on many of them (where it’s possible) so you can get a start checking the regular/online prices to decide whether the Black Friday deals are worth standing in line for. You can also check The Tracktor to see historic Amazon prices for the item.
Gaming
| $149.99 | Nintendo 3DS Luigi’s Mansion Handheld Bundle | Best Buy |
| $319.97 | Wii U Black Friday Bundle | Best Buy |
| $259.99 | Wii U Skylanders Bundle | Toys R Us |
| $299.99 | Wii U Skylanders Bundle plus $25 gift card | Gamestop |
| $199.99 | PlayStation 3 250 GB Holiday Bundle | Best Buy |
| $199.98 | PlayStation 3 250 GB Holiday Bundle | Sam’s Club |
| $199 | PlayStation 3 250 GB Batman bundle | Wal Mart |
| $149 | PlayStation 3 12 GB | Wal Mart |
| $300 | PlayStation 4 | Wal Mart |
| $99 | Xbox 360 4 GB bundle | Wal Mart |
| $189.99 | Xbox 360 Kinect bundle | Target |
| $499 | Xbox One | Wal Mart |
| $99 | Nintendo 2DS | Wal Mart |
Tablets
If you’re considering a Kindle, check the comparison chart to decide which you really want. When it comes to any tablet, be sure to compare specs so you know you’re comparing apples to apples, and confirm which model of an item is on sale.
| $49.99 | Kindle eReader | Best Buy |
| $99.99 | Kindle Fire HD 7″ 16 GB (previous gen) | Best Buy |
| $79 | Kindle Fire HD 7″ 16 GB | Staples |
| $169.99 | Kindle Fire HD 7″ 16 GB plus $10 gift card | Office Max |
| $169.99 | Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 16 GB | Office Max |
| $179.99 | Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 16 GB plus $20 gift card | Toys R Us |
| $299.99 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10″ 16 GB bundle | Sam’s Club |
| $169.99 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7″ 8 GB bundle | Sam’s Club |
| $249.99 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8″ 16 GB bundle | Sam’s Club |
| $189.99 | Google Nexus 7 tablet 32 GB | Wal Mart |
| $199.99 | Google Nexus 7 tablet 16 GB | Office Depot |
| $199.99 | Google Nexus 7 tablet 16 GB | Staples |
| $299 | iPad Mini | Wal Mart |
| $299 | iPad Mini with $75 gift card | Target |
| $299 | iPad 2 with Wi-Fi 16 GB | Best Buy |
| $479 | iPad Air Wi-Fi 16 GB with $100 gift card | Target |
| $79 | Nook 7″ HD 8 GB | Target |
Skylanders
Some part of the Skylanders product line has been in Amazon’s pre-Black Friday sales week nearly every day. Shop around and be sure you’re getting what you (they!) want.
| Buy 2, get 1 | All Skylanders characters | Target |
| Buy 2, get 1 | Swap Force characters | Best Buy |
| 70% off | Swap Force characters | Toys R Us |
| Buy 1, get 1 | Skylanders and Skylander Giants characters | Toys R Us |
| $37.49 | Swap Force starter pack (Thursday) | Toys R Us |
| $49.99 | Swap Force starter pack (Friday) | Toys R Us |
| $38.96 | Swap Force starter pack | Wal Mart |
| $37.98 | Swap Force starter pack | Sam’s Club |
| $49.99 | Swap Force starter pack | Best Buy |
| $49.99 | Swap Force starter pack (Wii) | Gamestop |
| 40% off | Swap Force Tackle Box | Toys R Us |
Blu-Ray movies for geeks and their kids
If you’re looking for regular DVD instead of Blu-Ray, there are gobs of sales, starting with movies from $1. And as always with DVDs and Blu-Ray, there can be different editions here and there, so that could be worth comparing too. For example, Amazon lists eight different Blu-Ray editions of The Hunger Games! On the other hand, if you’re aiming to pick up a flick for $8, you probably don’t care that much.
| $8.98 | The Croods | Sam’s Club |
| $7.99 | The Dark Knight Rises (2-disc) | Best Buy |
| $8.98 | Epic | Sam’s Club |
| $4 | Hotel Transylvania | Target |
| $7.99 | The Hunger Games | Best Buy |
| $8.98 | Monsters University | Sam’s Club |
| $10 | Monsters University with exclusive content | Target |
| $6 | Pacific Rim | Target |
| $7.99 | Skyfall | Best Buy |
| $8.98 | Star Trek Into Darkness | Sam’s Club |
| $9 | Star Trek Into Darkness | Target |
| $7.99 | Star Trek Into Darkness | Best Buy |
| $8.98 | World War Z | Sam’s Club |
| $9 | World War Z | Target |
| $7.99 | World War Z | Best Buy |
| $3.99 | X-Men First Class (2-disc) | Best Buy |
| $3.99 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2-disc) | Best Buy |
Other cool stuff
| $20 | 31″ action figure (Superman Man of Steel, Power Rangers Red Ranger, Darth Vader, Batman, Silver Batman, or Utapau Clone Trooper) |
Wal Mart |
| $25 | Imaginext Bat Cave | Wal Mart |
| $34 | Imaginext Bat Cave | Target |
| Buy 1, get 1 50% off |
All Monster High, TMNT, Lalaloopsy, Mega Bloks, Vtech, Angry Birds, Imaginext |
Target |
| $249.99 | GoPro HD Hero3 | Best Buy |
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