Walmart Black Friday doorbuster deals leak out early, we'll sleep in

If you skipped Walmart's pre-Black Friday festivities pat yourself on the back, as -- despite its lawyers hard work C&Ding unauthorized early ad postings into oblivion -- CNNMoney reveals the "doorbuster" highlights probably not worth getting trampled for this year. Between 5-10 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving the already-discounted Magnavox Blu-ray player drops from $198 to $128 (a BDP-S300 might still be a better value), 50-inch Samsung plasma of unspecified resolution is only $798 (720p, bet on it), and Xbox 360 + Guitar Hero III & wireless guitar pack (all the real plastic guitar aficionados have moved on to Rock Band 2) drops in for $199. Slightly lower profile are a $398 HP desktop PC and $175 gas grill but c'mon, we all know it's the high definition (it'll be a lonely holiday without the suddenly too-good for us Vizio) that will have you shivering outside your local retailer with the soccer moms and other deal hunters.

[Thanks, Jason]

[ProjecT TimeZ @ Nov 14th 2008 9:56PM]

This is why I'll be doing my black Friday shopping on a comfy chair on my laptop in my house. Then I'll go back to bed.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 14th 2008 10:26PM]

Something tells me you won't be the only one.
It would take some seriously incredible deals to get me to the mall this Black Friday... but I think the real problem is, everyone is cash strapped. The news media has been saying that consumer spending is currently the lowest in 25 years and I really doubt that this season is gonna see retailers happy. There are no game console releases besides a run on Wii's that will happen, and there aren't many must have items that can be sold at a profit. Netbooks flooding the market have caused laptop prices to decrease due to competition - I was expecting there to be some Black Friday netbook deals but so far nada.

This is shaping up to be the worst christmas season ever. Circuit City is Chapter 11 for godssakes.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 14th 2008 10:51PM]

LOL Circuit City is selling $199 Xbox 360 Arcades with a 20GB REFURBISHED Hdd.

That sounds tasty.
http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/black-friday-3218-Xbox360ArcadeHolidayBundlewExtraController20GBHD.html

[Jeremiah @ Nov 14th 2008 9:55PM]

It seems a few places have decent deals on some plasma screens...too bad taxes aren't in. Although...I am content with my 51" RP-HDTV

[Jeremiah @ Nov 15th 2008 5:00AM]

I am confused, All I said was I liked the TV set I had...I get low ranked and spam? Seems odd.

[Ellianth @ Nov 15th 2008 5:25PM]

Sounds like you're bragging.

[OneLove @ Nov 15th 2008 7:41PM]

its nothing personal, we just dont like you. :)

[obijon @ Nov 14th 2008 9:56PM]

Sweet, I've always wanted to go to Walmart when there weren't so few people in line to check out.

[Dan(o) @ Nov 14th 2008 10:03PM]

Blu-ray on the cheap is exactly what I have been waiting for. If you ask me though, it seems like this year is just as good as last year as far as loss-leader products go.

[mahmud @ Nov 14th 2008 10:08PM]

I can't wait to not get in line for 12 hours!

slickdeals.net > bleak friday

[dnas @ Nov 14th 2008 10:36PM]

This will be my first black friday shopping online. What are the best online sites to shop? I mainly want a 40" 1080p Samsung LCD.

Thanks.

[Ford Mustang @ Nov 14th 2008 10:51PM]

Are you kidding? Xbox 360 AND Guitar Hero AND the wireless guitar for only $199. You don't think that is a great deal? I'm not saying I'm going to be there banging down the door but come on.

[Duke @ Nov 15th 2008 12:30AM]

Yeah, the 360+GH3+Guitar is a solid deal, since the GH3 guitar is about a million times better than the ones that come with either Rock Band, even if you're going to be playing Rock Band/2/GHWT with it.

This is a good deal for someone looking to move to a 360 from a PS2 for GH/RB. Since they still seem to use a dongle for the PS3 plastars, I think I'll take my chances with the 360.

[AJR @ Nov 14th 2008 11:45PM]

so I guess I should go ahead and buy that 500gb hard drive on payday and forget about waiting until Black Friday, Huh?

[AJR @ Nov 14th 2008 11:45PM]

so I guess I should go ahead and buy that 500gb hard drive on payday and forget about waiting until Black Friday, Huh?

[AJR @ Nov 14th 2008 11:46PM]

sorry about the double post

[Game_playa @ Nov 15th 2008 12:26AM]

so I guess I should go ahead and buy that 500gb hard drive on payday and forget about waiting until Black Friday, Huh?

[Al Bundy @ Nov 15th 2008 12:35AM]

Sorry, but Wally's World is the last place I would ever look for a deal. No offense to anyone that wastes their money there.

[giantenemycrab @ Nov 15th 2008 12:34AM]

Wow, is it me or do these black friday deals suck? Nothing even comes close to making me fight the crowds and traffic.

[o29 @ Nov 15th 2008 2:06AM]

"CNNMoney reveals the "doorbuster" highlights probably not worth getting trampled for this year."

"Kmart's unloaded some fresh deals upon us today, proving that no matter how matter how completely weak the economy is, come Black Friday (which now encompasses the entire month of November) we'll probably buy up whatever's on sale."

"We apologize for the cloying headline, but just wanted to point out to Best Buy that the whole point of insane deals and "doorbuster" savings is, well, those things."

Obviously just you.

[Julie @ Nov 19th 2008 11:54AM]

I was disappointed not to see deals on Vizio, but maybe they'll come out closer to the day of? I've been keeping an eye on them for when I want to buy my first HDTV, but I did see their 32" went on sale at Sears, so maybe Wal-mart isn't the place to get the deals this Black Friday. Certainly doesn't look that way from what they're posting now!

[The Milkman @ Nov 15th 2008 12:39AM]

Of, btw the tv is 720, one of my buds that works in the tv depo said so, also i believe that Gizmodo had an artical on this, and they too said that it was 720...
This is a sale to miss...

[Timothy @ Nov 15th 2008 12:54AM]

I work at Wal-Mart, and the only Plasma TVs we carry are 720p.

[AaronW @ Nov 15th 2008 10:25AM]

Erm, no. We carry 2 different plasma tv's that do 1080p. Sanyo & Philips.

[digitallysick @ Nov 15th 2008 1:21AM]

Walmart = Fail Why would anyone line up for this stuff? and its not even a good enough deal to work for. Looks like blackfriday will be sad, I will stick with newegg

[Shahryar @ Nov 15th 2008 2:04AM]

I was hoping to see a Ps3 deal like the one I missed last weekend. perhaps somewhere else.

[IsleOfMan @ Nov 15th 2008 2:13AM]

I'm not a WalMart fan, but being able to walk out with a 50" name-brand Plasma and BD Player for less than $1k with tax is pretty impressive. 50" Plasma and 360+GH3+Guitar for $1100 with tax is just as impressive if that's your preference. Of the BF deals I've seen so far, these look to be some of the better options... and if you're crazy enough you can hit WalMart early and still make it to the back of the line at Best Buy or elsewhere.

[Richard Lawler @ Nov 15th 2008 2:16AM]

The problem is, you can find a TV just like that, for that price, online right now. The BD players not much of a deal when you can get a much better one for only a little more, and you can grab that xbox from dell without getting up early, as if getting up early for an arcade makes sense.

[bebop @ Nov 15th 2008 4:50AM]

The whole point of Black Friday is to sucker stupid people into the store to buy more junk than they can afford by offering deals that aren't really such great deals. I'm surprised engadget readers are so naive as to feel let down over this...

[BustedBFads @ Nov 15th 2008 5:36AM]

The consumer is mostly tapped out due to $5 gas this past several months. Add to this massive job losses, other jobs cutting hours and shaving wages (not keeping up with inflation). Even though gas prices have gone down... FOOD PRICES are WAY UP... even generic brands where consumers could save a few dollars have started to inflate due to their popularity with frugal consumers. This BF is a bust! Some stores will have significant problems attracting consumers for early bird specials. Even if gas goes for under $2 a gallon by the time black friday rolls around.. inflation throughout the economy has consumers spending more and more on the basics... so the holiday gift giving will suffer.. to the tune of $Billion$

HDTV deals aren't really deals due to price fixing schemes with lcd makers LG and others'
So, it's time for consumers to STOP BUYING this holiday! There are deeper price cuts coming.. but ONLY if we stick together and force some pain on retailers.. and that includes the online guys as well! If they still have tons of goods sitting around in March which they should have sold in November / December... they will do whatever it takes to get that debt off their books..

[AaronW @ Nov 15th 2008 10:28AM]

Dunno where exactly you're from, but gas has been under $2 for the past 2 weeks here.

[StuckInTexas @ Nov 15th 2008 11:18AM]

I would bet anything that the Samsung TV is the PN50A450. They have been going on sale all over the place for $999 for the past few months. Frys has been having the same TV for $899 online a couple of times, check out the deal sites.

[Craper @ Nov 15th 2008 1:11PM]

Check this video out but make sure your near the toilet if you got the guts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MEqEgdLTg

http://www.trendsresearch.com/

[OneLove @ Nov 15th 2008 7:43PM]

you need to get off your ass and stimulate the in store sales and help the economy.

[Fed-UP @ Nov 16th 2008 9:47AM]

Come on people... There is no such thing as a BLACK FRIDAY DEAL.... That is why i stay home put up my christmas tree and spend the weekend with my kids like I did when i was kid wuith my family. Making ornaments and loving the holiday season, baking cookies and listening to music. Since when did we need to spend thousands on presents for everyone and their mother. What happened to being with your family picking out something that they would nt buy for themselves or make them something they would appreciate... Why do we feel obligated to buy the most expensive or flashy product the store says we need.... but cant afford... I am not a religous freak but lets wake up people!

[OldFashioned @ Nov 25th 2008 9:33AM]

You've got that exactly right, Fed-up! I'm glad someone's pointing that out. When did December turn into national shopping month anyway? I feel like it started when I was a kid and just keeps getting worse and worse every year. Maybe another great depression wouldn't be such a bad thing in the long run. Sure, it would hurt in the short term, but then we might start getting our priorities right as a country. How does it go again? The right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" I don't recall seeing the "right to shop for fleeting rubbish from the other side of the world" in there anywhere.

[joueboy @ Nov 15th 2008 9:02PM]

I'll pass this year. I don't think it's really worth spending my money this time around. Maybe boycott Walmart for cutting hours of their employee they're just too greedy.

[Chuck @ Nov 17th 2008 6:59AM]

Hell, I haven't been to a Wal Mart since they dragged me by the back of my shirt into a back room one day and accused me of stealing something they couldn't find, I was putting my cell phone back into my pocket, after I was done talking to my mother. That was what 7 years ago. Still haven't gotten an apology from anyone. I didn't even get my shirt replaced that they ripped the collar off of, had to go home without one on. At least I threw it at their front door while I was leaving. I hope someone tripped on it and sued them.

[DavidLee @ Nov 18th 2008 12:32PM]

Well, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. Generally, I do expect some good options from Walmart and I was holding out for those Vizio deals. But maybe with their higher performance stuff they don't think about the little people anymore :(. I guess I'll have to cough up the full price this weekend in stead and get myself and early present :) There is a good side to Walmart's crappy sale! (I can't help it, I'm an optimist)

[cindy @ Nov 20th 2008 4:57PM]

WAL-MART SUCKS!!!!!!

People are stupid as hell to get up early and go stand in line to save a couple dollars.

[SiXiam @ Nov 28th 2008 8:02PM]

Well the trampling did happen and killed a Wal-Mart temp:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/28/black.friday.violence/index.html