mcwalker

The software limited me to 50 choices per question, so I had to leave some out, but maybe those will make it back next year in exchange for some others that get few votes. Anyone else have a popular store that I missed in the list?

Here is the current list with "soundbar" in the title: Retailer Product Name Price http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/images/layout/earlybird.gif Best Buy Samsung 2.1 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer $167.99 Dell Home Samsung 2.1 Soundbar with Subwoofer $99.99 hhgregg 37" Soundbar With iphone/ipod Dock And Bluetooth Adapter $49.99 hhgregg Samsung 2.1 Channel Soundbar With Subwoofer $99.99 hhgregg Samsung 2.1 Channel Soundbar With Wireless Subwoofer $169.99 http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/images/layout/earlybird.gif hhgregg Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar With Wireless Subwoofer $199.99 Kmart Nakamichi 2.1 Channel 200-Watt Soundbar with Wired Subwoofer (Thur. 7pm) $99.99 http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/images/layout/earlybird.gif Kmart RCA 2.1-Channel Bluetooth Soundbar $59.99 Kohl's Bluetooth Stereo Soundbar $49.99 http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/images/layout/earlybird.gif Radio Shack Auvio 2.1 Soundbar with Bluetooth $79.99 Radio Shack Auvio Soundbar for 32" HDTVs $49.99 Sears Nakamichi 2.1 200-Watt Soundbar with Subwoofer $99.99 http://i.gottadeal.com/blackfriday/images/layout/earlybird.gif Sears Nakamici Bluetooth Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer $229.99 Sears RCA 40" Bluetooth Soundbar $59.99 Sears Samsung 2.1-Channel 120-Watt Bluetooth Soundbar (with Subwoofer) (HWF355) $97.99 Sears Samsung 2.1-Channel 280-Watt Bluetooth Soundbar (with Wireless Subwoofer) (HWF450) $167.99 ShopKo iLive Wireless Bluetooth SoundBar Speaker $39.99 Target JBL 2.0 Cinema Soundbar Speaker $99.99 Walmart iLive 37" Bluetooth Soundbar (Thur. 8pm) $35.00 Walmart Sony 2.1 40" Soundbar Speaker with Sub (Thur. 8pm) $98.00 Walmart Vizio 2.0 29" Bluetooth Soundbar (Thur. 8pm) $58.00

Could it be that you are just being coy so that no one will get to the line of your choice before you do? What will Thanksgiving be without a Port-a-Potty? On second thought, that is another benefit of Amazon--its a Port-a-Potty Free Zone!

In terms of reliability alone, Consumer Reports shows the following for reliability Best: Panasonic Second Group: Dynex, Sony, Sharp, Sylvania, Insignia, JVC, Magnavox, and LG Third Group: Sanyo, Samsung, Toshiba, Philips, Vizio, and RCA Worst by far: Westinghouse I find some of those surprising. Incidentally, I own a very good Samsung 3D Smart TV (my main TV), but also two Westinghouse TVs bought on Black Fridays for bedrooms and a small Insignia TV in our kitchen. The Samsung is great, the Westy's aren't as good, but they are doing just fine, especially for the prices I paid. The little Insignia has developed a dead line of pixels, but my wife just uses it while cooking, so we haven't rushed to replace it and I got it for a good price. Back to your question: I would say Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, Sony.

Fine to include just Thursday and Friday, or the whole holiday weekend.

What stores do you plan to shop at this Thanksgiving / Black Friday? Check all stores that apply in each of the four questions of the survey! If your plans change, I guess you can click "Delete My Vote" and then re-enter your "votes." This is the fourth year I have done this poll. The format has changed in response to limits of the new Forum software. There are now four questions in the poll. Tell us about any other stores in responses to the thread. There will be another poll to follow soon. Enjoy!

There are a number of surround sound systems in the listings now. Look under the "Electronics" category. This is a key item that I am shopping for. Two that I have seen good reviews for are not in the ads: First is the Energy Take Classic 5.1 Home Theater system. Amazon has it for $350. Its speakers are larger (and better sounding) than some of the small speakers that come in some of the advertised packages. Amazon listing is here: http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Classic-Theater-System-Black/dp/B001202C44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384737497&sr=8-1&keywords=energy+take+classic+5 Another is a direct competitor to the Energy Take 5.1, produced by www.Monoprice.com, which is a favorite site for electronic cables, TV mounts and many other items at unbeatable prices. Their Premium 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with Subwoofer, which goes for $250, can be found here: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=10565&seq=1&format=2 I should add that these are not wireless. See the listings for some wireless systems.

A bit cryptic on the lead-in, but this is very funny and I had not seen it. Very "Black Friday." (But a warning on adult language in the video.)

Check out the new "Appliances" category added recently for various choices. Note that some ads or parts of ads might not be included in the listings, so be sure to scan through the ads, too. So far washers and dryers have been listed at Best Buy, Kmart, Lowes, and Sears. There also additional appliances in the Sears ad that have not been typed up yet.

More of the of the printed ads this year have increased references to shopping online, either general comments about shopping online or specific item by item information. In particular some of the ads give specific reference numbers for locating specific items in the ad online. For example, look at the Macy's ad: almost every item has a "Web ID number" where the items will be available online. The implication in the ad it that all of these items will be at the advertised price. You can search for some of these now and they link to the item, but at current price; some other numbers are not currently active in their system. The JC Penney also has ""jcp.com" reference numbers under most of the items. I have seen more of these in the ads this year than before. We have not included these in the item listings, so you have to look at the can pages to find them. Of course Brad will be adding direct links when available.

And another link to a report on the 8:00 PM opening (same AP reporter, carried by different news org): http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20131111_ap_1dfef28068c24841aa7a7d85d7efdddd.html

Not really a Black Friday topic, but Amazon-related anyway. Amazon is teaming up with the US Postal Service to provide delivery on Sundays. The service will start in New York and Los Angeles metro areas first, and be rolled out to many other areas next year, including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, and Phoenix. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20131111_ap_6beba4c80af149e583009d4ccd079f22.html

Target opening at 8:00 PM. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20131111_ap_1dfef28068c24841aa7a7d85d7efdddd.html

I like the scavenger hunt ideas, requiring people to look though ads or perhaps one of the Forums. It could be very specific where people need to find a set of particular items, or more general: find a narrow type of item in any of the ads and report the add and page number.

I think they will still mostly be in the Thanksgiving Day paper in most areas, since most stores will still open hours after those papers are delivered Wednesday night/early Thursday Morning.

I think those plastic flag "poles" are quite flexible, as they are meant to be hit in a bike spill or low garage ceiling. I don't think breakage is likley. And it will be pointing up, not at people. Sounds like a good idea.

It is a sign of the struggling print news business. A bit surprising, though, since the advertisers pay for the inserts to be printed, but I suppose the paper still has increased handling costs for the larger papers.

As the pharmacies go, I find this to be quite good, especially the items that are free or very cheap after Up Rewards. Definitely a stop that I will make sometime Thursday or Friday. (Pharmacies are the one place I might visit before 8:00 PM Thanksgiving, and there are two Rite Aids within a few blocks walk of my apartment (CVSs and Walgreens a bit farther away). As is typical for the pharmacies, the deals here are a step well above what they normally offer on a weekly basis. Some good stocking stuffers in these.

I would be curious to see the actual report, which I don't see on the wgrz web site. That said, I am skeptical of this report because the economics don't work. While an individual can certainly sell a few doorbusters and pick up some extra cash, the discounts aren't generally large enough to cover the real costs of reselling, renting u-hauls, paying people's time to collect and process the items, etc. Plus the fact that after making the investment, they might come up with few items due to limits imposed at the stores. Also the idea that an NBC affiliate station would resell items from its retail advertising clients (the stores) through its own web site?? The report sounds fishy.

I am a big fan of IKEA kitchen cabinets (if that is the kind of cabinets you are talking about). They are truly worth a 2+ hour drive. I wouldn't go there on Black Friday for that, but it might be OK Saturday or Sunday--suggest that you get there early. If you are working on kitchen cabinets and need to talk to an associate about layout, I think you can and should make an appointment in advance.

I probably didn't need anything there anyway this year, but I will not be shopping TrU this Thanksgiving due to their opening time, even if I find something I would like to give.

and Item Listing: http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridaySales/Store/Goodys

and Item Listing: http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridaySales/Store/Stage

and Item Listing: http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridaySales/Store/Peebles

Staples opening at 8:00 PM Thanksgiving. Just went on Staples site to look for something. Clicking on individual stores in the find a store section has a special green posting after the regular store hours that says: Open Thanksgiving 8pm to midnight! Open Black Friday 6am to normal close.