1. MYTH: Black Friday Sales Begin on Black Friday

dealnews.com: The Facts Behind 10 Black Friday Myths

Actually, several major retailers will launch their Black Friday sales as early as two weeks before the namesake day. Amazon, for example, will offer deals starting on November 17. We even see some deals sell out before Black Friday. Luckily, you can use this shopping tid bit at the dinner table as an excuse to step away from your drunk Uncle Roger.
(Istockphoto)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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1. MYTH: Black F... Actually, several major retailers will launch their Black Friday sales as early as two weeks before the namesake day. Amazon, for example, will offer deals starting on November 17. We even see some deals sell out before Black Friday. Luckily, you can use this shopping tid bit at the dinner table as an excuse to step away from your drunk Uncle Roger.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. MYTH: Stores ... Unfortunately many "doorbusters" are exceptionally low-priced items meant to generate buzz and entice shoppers in-store. Most retailers have very limited quantities of these products, and it's likely that only the first few shoppers in line will snag them. For example, last year's mythic Sharp 42" HDTV deal for $199 at Best Buy was epic, but the retailer only guaranteed 10 units per store.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. MYTH: You Nee... If you're looking for an in-demand, limited-stock doorbuster, then being first in line when a store opens may be necessary to secure a highly coveted product. But these days, more and more Black Friday deals are available online as well as in-store. In fact, last year we found that 70% of in-store Black Friday deals were also available online for the same price — or less!
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. MYTH: In-stor... While there are always reports of overly-aggressive shoppers on Black Friday, a majority of consumers actually express feeling a sense of camaraderie while waiting in line. Plus, no store wants instances of violence to splash their name across the news, so they will do everything in their power to keep things in check. You might have to deal with large crowds and a mess of inventory, but the chances of encountering an actual brawl are extremely low.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. MYTH: Everyth... Although many Black Friday deals offer the lowest prices of the year, you should probably wait to buy toys, brand name HDTVs, and winter apparel.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast. Toys see the deepest discounts right before Christmas; brand name HDTVs sink in price between December and February; and winter apparel sales are best after Christmas. Be sure to consult our upcoming November Buying Guide for more information on what you might want to skip next month.

What's more, retailers often sprinkle in mediocre discounts with their doorbuster deals, in the hopes that shoppers trying to bang out all of their holiday shopping will bite on high-profit items.
6. MYTH: Nobody ... We already know that this isn't true: last week Best Buy announced that it would match Amazon's Black Friday promotional prices. And in a few weeks, we'll publish an extensive list of stores that will offer price matching on Black Friday. Last year Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Meijer met competitors' prices, and in some cases offered better deals.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. MYTH: All of ... On Thanksgiving Day, retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have historically advertised additional Black Friday deals that weren't in their circulars. These "secret" deals are only found online, so the trick is to uncover them on the web before you consider a trip the to the store on Friday. Moreover, some retailers will respond to competitor pricing and make last-minute cuts in order to compete. So even if you've already perused a store's early leak, you should always check back for Black Friday listing updates.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. MYTH: Leaked ... As we mentioned before, early leaked ads often don't tell the whole story. Stores will alter their sales as they learn what competitors plan on doing. Moreover, the fine print isn't always present, which is crucial information if your heart is set on a doorbuster deal that will actually be available in extremely limited quantities.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. MYTH: You Hav... n reality, all of Apple's Black Friday sale prices will be available online with free shipping sitewide. However, in our Black Friday Apple predictions piece, we actually advised against shopping the Apple sale at all. Not surprisingly, Apple is skimpy with the discounts, and most resellers — like Amazon, Mac Connection, and MacMall — will offer price cuts that will be twice as good for products such as the iPad and MacBook line of laptops.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. MYTH: Sales ... While high-end retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus broke the age-old trend of skipping Black Friday promotions last year, we don't expect luxury stores to offer such sales. (However, we may see special promotions from their outlet branches.) SmartMoney suggests that these stores may once again view the Black Friday frenzy to be in opposition to the very brand ideals they're trying to cultivate. Although there are certainly exceptions to the rule, Black Friday is mainly a blockbuster event for lower-end goods.
(Istockphoto)

More on dealnews.com:
Behind the 2012 Black Friday Ad Leaks
Get Ready for Black Friday 2012: The Ads Have Already Begun to Leak!
Seasons Grievances: Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
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