Expert Says Wait For 'Black Friday' To Get Top Bargains
CHICAGO (CBS) - Many of us wait for Black Friday -- the big sales day after Thanksgiving -- to start our holiday shopping. But not this year! Stores are getting an early start on those sales. But, as CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, waiting for the real thing may be your best bet.
Best Buy in the South Loop is expecting is expecting shoppers to line up as early as 8 a.m. Friday to take advantage of a pre- Black Friday sale.
Just like the day after Thanksgiving, shoppers will be given tickets to purchase featured items. But experts say some of these pre- Black Friday deals may not be the best bargains.
From ads that tout "Black Friday now" prices to those that promote early Christmas specials, this year, more than ever before retailers are pushing pre- Black Friday sales that seem to promise discounts that are as good as those you'll find the day after Thanksgiving.
But is it the best deal?
"If you looked at 100 very good deals, there's five or 10 that are really Black Friday quality," said Brad Wilson.
Brad Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BradsDeals.com, which previews Black Friday sales. His suggestion -- wait for the real thing.
Here's why: instead of a few sale items, the day after Thanksgiving, stores will offer deals on hundreds of items. So you'll get a better price on that TV.
"Between now and Black Friday, you'll see a 15 percent drop," said Wilson.
Wilson says you'll also find more name brands on sale Black Friday and more store brands on the pre-sales.
"Wal-Mart's sale was on Vizio TVs. Vizio is a decent brand, but it's not Samsung or Sony," said Wilson. "And what's tough about store brands is you can't compare the price."
Something else you'll notice on the pre- Black Friday sales: bundling three or four items. Wilson says beware of the fake bargains.
"The reality is you probably don't need the other stuff. It's not worth that much, or you can buy it separately for less," said Wilson. "You can't pull that stuff on real Black Friday."
Overall, Black Friday deals tend to be better because the retailers are competing for your dollars, which means stores like Target are offering dollars.
"They have a deal where if you spend $100, everyone gets a $10 gift card," said Wilson. "And that's on top of the good deal."
For information on Black Friday discounts and deals, visit BradsDeals.com.
