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It is very easy to feel tempted with all the Black Friday hype to rush out and buy everything on your list so you can get the best products at the cheapest prices, but history has shown that the best prices on a lot of merchandise may come at the end of a season, not at the very beginning.
Shoppers will save money by not buying these 10 items on Black Friday, despite all the hoopla and how tempting the ads sound.
Holiday Decorations
Buying Christmas decorations and other holiday decor is rarely a good deal on Black Friday. When January rolls around, shoppers can find Christmas trees, holiday trim, holiday lighting and gift bags and cards at 75 to 90 percent off.
In the past, Target has been one of the most aggressive stores when it comes to discounting the holiday merchandise to move out quickly, with reductions taken two weeks before Christmas and by December 30, much of it is priced at 90 percent off the original price.
Thrifty shoppers buy these items in bulk at the end-of-season sales and pack them away until the following year.
Exercise Equipment
There may be a few select items promoted on Black Friday in the exercise equipment category, but nothing like you will see closer to December 25 and in January. Choices are too limited during the Black Friday sales. By just waiting about a month, the selection increases and the prices decrease. You will be glad that you waited.
Furniture
Furniture stores do not normally get overly involved in promoting Black Friday deals and hold off on doing the deep discounts until February. That is the month when sales are slow and new spring lines are arriving in stores and there is a need for retail floor space.
You might find a few exceptions on Black Friday, but if you really want to save money, you would do best to wait a few months and then enjoy being able to save substantial money on this big-ticket category.
Games and Toys
Black Friday is not the best time to buy toys, even though there is a tremendous amount of advertising that will try to convince us otherwise.
Parents looking for this year’s hottest toys are not going to find them on sale on Black Friday, or any time close to it. The deeply discounted toys will be those that were hot during previous years. The best parents can hope for is getting around 20 percent off on the most popular toys by using store coupons and charging their purchases with a good rewards card.
For toys that are not on the hottest lists, the best deals will start to show up about two weeks before Christmas, not on Black Friday.
Remember next year to shop for toys around Veterans Day, which is when many stores really cut the prices.
Gift Cards
On Black Friday, gift cards will be in all the stores, many right by the registers, beckoning you to buy one — but do your wallet a favor and wait until December. The closer to Christmas, the better the deals. BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club had several discounted gift cards last December, both in-store and online. If history repeats itself, when December rolls in, the list of discounts and bonus cards will grow significantly.
Jewelry and Watches
Jewelry, including watches, is one category that shoppers should skip, not only during Black Friday, but throughout the entire holiday season. November, December, and February are when the prices are highest. There may be a few items advertised with big discounts for Black Friday, but the selections will be extremely limited and style and quality may be less than stellar.
If you really want to save on jewelry, shop in March after all the holiday hoopla is over. You will find stores more open to negotiating prices to salvage a sale when business is slow.
Linens, Blankets
Is there a bedspread, blanket or some other type of linen on your gift list? If so, you may want to skip buying it on Black Friday. January is traditionally when stores have White Sales, and that’s when linens, bedspreads, blankets, towels, and tablecloths get marked down. Discounts on the holiday lines usually begin two weeks before Christmas.
Tablets and Computers
When it comes to buying tablets, iPads, and computers, things get a little more complicated. Usually, the big deals on Black Friday are comprised of older, slower, basic models from the previous year. That does not mean it is faulty merchandise, but it won’t have all the bells and whistles of the newer models.
The best advice is to know what you are buying by doing your homework and reading reviews. Make sure there isn’t a good reason that the product did not sell the previous year.
Wannabe Real Deals
The “wannabe real” deals are usually in the Black Friday ads, barking the loudest for being extremely inexpensive. Wannabes are the loss leaders, previous year’s models, lesser known brands, or special/seasonal buys that often lack a real track record for performance.
The wannabes can be found in every category, but are most often found in electronics and gadgets, small appliances for personal and home care, gift items that are prepackaged as sets (like jewelry or sock sets) and key fobs and toys that almost look like the real thing.
Winter Clothing and Accessories
Another category that shoppers should hold off on buying on Black Friday includes most winter apparel and accessories. Unless it is an absolute must, shoppers will always benefit by waiting (at least) until the last week in December to buy winter clothing.
Flannel pajamas, slippers, wool scarves, wool hats, sweaters and holiday apparel get drastically cut the week after Christmas. By January, what is left is reduced to as much as 80 percent off the original price.
