Like CDs and DVDs before them, the prices of Blu-rays continue to plummet, but only if you know how to find the best deal.

A great resource is www.dvdpricesearch.com. Their service sorts through a number of sites, providing an all-in-one search for prices on new and used Blu-rays.

A couple of things to keep in mind, however:

1. Shipping
   Buying Blu-rays over the internet is only cost effective if the shipping doesn’t markedly increase the total cost.  This may seem obvious, but how many of us have committed to buying something, only to discover delivery costs more than the item?  Some online retailers like Deepdiscount.com offer free shipping.
2. Used vs. New
   Used Blu-rays can be a great deal, but there are caveats.  First, make sure the store stands behind the quality of their inventory.  Nothing is more frustrating than buying a damaged, previously viewed movie (and not being able to get your cash back).  Secondly, the used market operates on different valuations than the new market, and sometimes a particular Blu-ray will be cheaper new than used.  The latest releases (ordered in bulk by mega-companies) are particularly prone to phenomenon.

Good walk-in stores for Blu-ray deals

Best Buy
Wal-Mart
Target
Costco

Online sources

Amazon *also offers used
Barnes & Noble
Half.com *also offers used
eBay * also offers used

Reputable used stores

Second Spin
For Your Entertainment (FYE)

If you find you don’t like your movie purchase as much as you expect, there are a number of resources for selling Blu-rays back, including DVDhunt.com, Wherehouse.com, Half.com and eBay.

Also, don’t forget that a number of streaming services offer high-def movies.  These include NetFlix, Amazon and Blockbuster.

First, oftentimes you can find out what will be on sale days in advance. When you decide a product is a must-buy, know when it goes on sale and buy early – before there’s even a chance it could be sold-out. Second, if you’re browsing and you find something you might purchase, add it to your cart. You’ll often have around 10 minutes to checkout, depending on the site. And third, know how to take advantage of discounts. Many flash sale sites will offer a $10 credit if you invite your friends and they buy something.

Fab.com

Fab.com Homepage

Apparently Fab.com started out as a social network for gay men, called Fabulis. With only 150,000 members as Fabulis, the site changed directions, and now Fab has a subscriber base of 1.2 million members and investors like Ashton Kutcher. Unlike its competitors, Fab focuses less on clothing and more on artwork, home décor and jewelry.

Felt Necklace Multicolor

Courtesy of Fab.com

This necklace is imported from India by Karma Living, and normally costs $135. Through Fab, if you snatched it up before its time limit expired, you could have bought it for just $49.95 (63 percent off the retail price).

Plumen Light Bulbs (Pop-Up Shop)

Courtesy of Fab.com

Like other flash sale sites, Fab always has a couple “pop-up shops.” For the most part, the discounts aren’t as good, but the deals stick around for weeks or months at a time. For example, these Plumen light bulbs are only 18 percent off ($98 instead of $120), but you’ll have more time to decide if they’re right for your living room.

Gilt Groupe

Gilt.com Homepage

Gilt Groupe focuses more on clothing, and boasts more than 3.5 million members. Founded in 2007, Gilt has also made the move into location-based deals with Gilt City.

Lyle Zip Front Hoodie

Courtesy of Gilt.com

Looking for a new hoodie? Gilt has great deals like this all the time, and you could have saved almost 50 percent ($45 instead of $88) on this Lyle hoodie.

Dolce Lou Bakeshop (Gilt City)

Courtesy of giltcity.com

Gilt City is a Gilt.com spin-off, available for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Much like Groupon and Living Social, you can get daily discounts on city-specific products. Featured here is the Dolce Lou Bakeshop deal from Seattle, in which you can get a gluten- and dairy-free baked goods gift box for just $90 (half off the regular $180 price tag).

Rue La La

Ruelala.com Homepage

Rue La La possibly features more sought-after brands than anyone else, which means the price-range is a bit higher as well.

Courtesy of ruelala.com

John Hardy Silver 0.37 cttw. Diamond Earrings

You’ll find a lot of high-priced designer jewelry on Rue La La, like these diamond earrings for $549.90. Does that price sound steep? Consider the earrings go for $1,095.00 retail.

Courtesy of ruelala.com

9pc Starbucks Holiday Sampler Gift Box

While you can save about $20 ($45.90 instead of $65.00) on this Starbucks sampler, the real point is that Rue La La is a nice website to stock up on Christmas gifts. They offer “Guaranteed Christmas Delivery,” and when you pay for a $9.95 shipping fee just once, you get free shipping for up to 30 days.

Other Flash Sale Sites

Ideeli
HauteLook
MyHabit

Found any other flash sale sites? Have praise or a horror story about one that’s listed? Let us know in the comments!

Though clothing chain Hollister had announced that they were opening their stores at midnight for Black Friday, one store decided not to participate.  Unfortunately, this mob didn’t get the memo. After waiting for a few hours in the New York deep freeze, a group of angry people decided they would open the uncooperative store via breaking and entering. The mob ignored store employees (who were stocking product) and the few security guards present. A videotape captures the mob leisurely shop-stealing, grabbing armfuls of sweaters, pants, and other clothing. By the time police arrived, looters had dispersed. To add insult to injury, the cops were called a little over twelve hours later to apprehend two shoplifters from the same store!

Wal-Mart seems to be a hot-spot for these occurances; there were three incidents, ranging from a slight injury to being flat-out shot.

(Via KGO Photo)

After finishing their shopping at the San Leandro Wal-Mart, a family was confronted by two armed robbers in the crowded parking lot. When one family member refused to hand over the family’s purchases, he was shot. Other family members were able to detain one of the robbers until the police arrived. The gunman fled. The shooting victim was hospitalized and is in stable condition.

(Via Youtube)

In Los Angeles, a woman used pepper spray on a group of twenty people in order to get her hands on a discounted XBox 360 console on Black Friday. After a day of search and speculation, the woman decided to turn herself in. She has subsequently been released but police continue to investigate her involvement in the incident.

(Via New York Post)

This grandfather was tripped to the ground and cuffed on Black Friday while trying to help his grandson through a mass of people at a Wal-Mart in Buckeye, AZ. While trying to lift his grandson out of the shopping mob , Jerald Newman temporarily tucked a copy of a video game in his shirt. The police saw this, causing them to cuff and arrest Newman for shoplifting. Newman, flailing and (understandably) uncooperative, fell to the ground where he smashed his head and started bleeding. Newman was arrested on site, but released Saturday morning.

(Via The Charleston Gazette)

On Black Friday in Charleston, West Virginia, a man had a sudden heart attack in a Target outlet. But customers, rather than helping 61-year-old Walter Vance, carried on with their shopping, walking around and over the struggling man.  Finally, he was reached by six nurses (and Black Friday shoppers) who performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Lynn Vance, Walter’s wife, told the media that her husband was a caring man who had decided to go out on Black Friday to find Christmas decorations for his pharmacy and church friends.

So, by now it’s no surprise to hear crazy stories about mobs and violence on Black Friday. But Cyber Monday? How does that work?  Like this…

This year, the FBI seized over 150 websites suspected of selling counterfeit products. The offending sites, caught by an FBI undercover investigation, were selling brand counterfeits such as sports jerseys and DVDs. OpSec Security, which works to protect brands from counterfeiters, released a number of tips on how to avoid counterfeit products. These tips include: logo awareness, product origin checks and model number validation.

Green Monday is coming, folks, so it might be worth your while to take a look at the information offered by OpSec Security!

Best TV Deal

At almost 50% off, a Westinghouse 40” 60 Hz 1080p LCD HDTV (say that three times fast) is $250 off its regular price of $549.99, leaving you with a stunning piece of high-def magnificence for only $298!  There’s a limit of one per guest (so no stockpiling for the fam) – except in Ind. and N.M.

Best Video Game Consul Deal

A PS3 160GB bundle is on sale for $199!  The bundle includes two games and a 30-day PlayStation Plus membership.  Every PS3 has a built in Blu-ray player, so you can hit two birds with one credit card.  It will also stream Netflix, though a subscription to the service is required.

Best Portable DVD Player Deal

Bored on those cross-country flights but don’t want to pay $7.99 for a subpar movie?  Bring your own!  Target has an RCA 9” portable DVD player on sale for $55 ($64 less than retail).  Bring your favorite movies with you to Mom’s!

Best GPS system Deal

For the low price of $89, Target is selling TomTom GPS systems with 5” widescreens and free lifetime map updates.  It retails for $189.99.  Never get lost again.

Be prepared to arrive early.  There are limited supplies and NO RAINCHECKS.

We all love Black Friday, but have you ever wondered where the term originated? Here we recount some fabulous Black Friday facts and a couple of horror stories too…

History of Black Friday

The first mention of the term ‘Black Friday’ was way back in 1869. It referred to the gold buying panic that gripped the New York Gold Exchange on Sept. 24^th of that year. A pair of fellas named James Fisk and Jay Gould attempted to corner the gold market, sending its price through the roof.  But when the U.S. government released a large store of its gold, the price dropped and many speculators lost their shirts.

In the modern era, we recognize Black Friday as the day after Thanksgiving, when stores slash prices in a bid to secure early holiday business. Initially, there was concern from the retail industry about the negative connotations of the term ‘Black Friday,’ but despite this, the name stuck.  Its first recorded use as a shopping designation occurred in 1966, when the following appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper:

“JANUARY 1966 – ‘Black Friday’ is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. ‘Black Friday’ officially opens the Christmas shopping season in Center City, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”

The traffic chaos and crowds are now a yearly tradition.

Santa Parades

Parades, which have been a staple of Thanksgiving celebrations since the early 1900s, often end with an appearance by Santa, a strong reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. Macy’s Department store originated its famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. It was so successful that, in subsequent years, all of the big department stores followed Macy’s lead and sponsored parades. Flouting an unwritten rule that barred Christmas advertising before the end of Thanksgiving, some retailers snuck advertising into their Thanksgiving parades anyway.

Black Friday Disasters

There have been several instances of law-breaking and unruly shopper behavior associated with Black Friday. Savvy shoppers who have waited in line for hours, clutching their balance transfer credit cards and eager for the latest bargain, can be an unreasonable bunch. Tempers flare and politeness is often tossed out the window in the rush for deals. This is one reason so many people stick to shopping online on Cyber Monday. Many disastrous incidents relate to crowd stampedes when stores open. The most famous incident occurred in 2008 at a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, New York, where people waited in line all night in freezing conditions. When the doors opened and the crowd of 2,000 surged forward, a 34-year-old employee of the store was trampled and died. What shocked many was the lack of concern shown by the crowd, who hampered the Emergency Services treating the dying man. A pregnant woman was also hospitalized in the incident.

Cyber Monday

These shocking events gave Black Friday a more serious edge, leading stores to pay more attention to safety. Despite the increased vigilance, ‘consumer rage’ continues to be a factor, with shoppers tussling over who laid their hands on an item first. Black Friday Sales are not for the faint-of-heart, so if you would rather stay warm and chaos-free, we suggest you stay at home and do your shopping online instead…

Izzy Woods is a young freelance writer with a flair for finance. She lives a stone’s throw away from the London Stock Exchange, and specializes in ad copy for balance transfer credit cards and other consumer financial services.

Just looking over the leaked-moments-ago Costco Black Friday sale flyer, I felt my heart breaking the speed limit.  A high-definition camcorder for only $179.99!  Laptops for $180 off?  My EKG is jumping off the chart.

And then I saw it: The Dyson Animal Ball. The Cadillac of vacuum cleaners. The Messiah of multiple-pet owners. A perfect piece of purple magic. It. Is. $100. Off. Get the crash cart.

In addition to the gems above, Costco is slashing prices on digital cameras, various GPS, 2TB hard drives! Knife sets! Diamonds! Seriously, diamonds are on sale.

The BAD NEWS… this mega-sale is from Nov. 25-27 only. Consequently, you have two-plus weeks to wait. But start strategizing now! In most cases, sale prices are at least 20% off retail.

Things you’ll need:

• A Costco membership. You can obtain them in-store or online. They cost $55 for an entire year and cover you and a member of your household.
• Money. Duh.
• A Plan. Prioritize. The better the stuff, the faster it walks off. Make sure to hit the purple Dyson first!

The Deal

This winter, you can find mega online savings when booking a stay at the Fairbanks Princess Lodge. Rates at the classy and refined Princess start at only $69/night for you and a guest. Booking rates will only be this low through December, so jump on this deal quick to book your holiday lodgings.

About the Fairbanks Princess

The Fairbanks Princess Lodge is located on the banks of the Chena River. The beautiful hotel is close to Fairbanks’ downtown and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, as well as attractions such as the El Dorado Gold Mine, the Riverboat Discovery, and Pioneer Park.

About Princess Lodges

Fairbanks Princess is the only lodge open year round. McKinley, Denai, Kenai and Copper River Lodges reopen in May and remain active through September. Advanced booking for all lodges is available, but only Fairbanks is featuring the $69/night deal.

The Rail

Princess also offers a selection of Alaska train vacations exploring the countryside’s scenery and wildlife on a relaxing ride. These rail adventures become available in May, but advanced booking is available now.

Today’s post falls under the latter.  Cyber Monday Specials is proud to announce an amazing Cyber Monday Sale brought to you by the good folks of Sterling Satellite.

Cyber Monday DISH Network sale

For one day only, Sterling will be offering their DISH Network service for just $24.99 a month, a savings of $15 off their normal fee!
While the $15 savings is a great deal in and of itself, the best part about this deal is exactly what you receive with the offer.  Not only does Sterling Satellite provide all of America’s favorite channels, but with DISH Network you’ll never have to pay an extra fee for your HD content as long as you’re with them.  That’s right, all the HD content you could ever want, all for the low low price of on the house.

While Sterling Satellite has a reputation for offering some of the lowest prices on satellite TV you could ever find, they also are known for their incredible costumer service.  You’ll never have to talk to a robot if you have an issue with your service, and their support technicians never stop working until you are completely satisfied.

Great to see that even satellite TV distributors can get into the holiday spirit.  Head on over to Sterling Satellite on Cyber Monday to take advantage of this incredible deal, and stay tuned to Cyber Monday Specials as we unveil more exclusive offers in the next few days!

Kmart Black Friday 2010 Deals

In order to brand the event in their own individual way, Kmart is calling the sale “Blue Friday,” but that isn’t the only reason why this sale stands out.  Listed below are just a few items that demonstrate the monster savings Kmart plans to give their customers this holiday season:

• 70% off Diamond jewelery
• 22″ RCA LCD HDTV for just $239
• All shoes buy one, get one 50% off

There’s plenty more where that came from!  Head on over to Kmart this Black Friday for some mega savings, and don’t forget to keep coming back to Cyber Monday Specials for all the inside info on where to shop during the 2010 holiday season.