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If you think the malls are going
to empty out after the holidays, think again. Now it's time for (cue the horror-movie
music here): the after-Christmas sales.
Whether you received a few gift
cards in your stocking or just have some extra money burning a hole in your pocket,
there really are some decent deals at post-holiday sales.
The highlights: electronics, large home appliances,
autos, winter clothing, and anything sporting snowflakes, reindeer,
elves or menorahs.
"The
best deals are going to be at creative, smaller shops that have very holiday-oriented
stuff and they need to turn it over," says Ilyce Glink, author of "50
Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Personal Finances: How to Spend Less,
Save More and Make the Most of What You Have."
"Buy next year's Christmas paper the day after
Christmas or definitely before Jan. 1," she says. "There
are great deals on holiday wrapping." Ditto: decorations, cards
and party supplies.
It's also a good time to score a deal
on large electronics. "Things like big-screen
televisions, DVD players and home theater systems
that are traditionally pushed very hard during holidays,
prices are slashed," says Corey Greenberg,
tech expert and host of the DIY Network's "Home
Theater Workshop."
New merchandise debuts at the International Consumer
Electronics show the first week in January, so "dealers feel
a lot of pressure to move inventory," he says. "And those
type of items are heavily discounted after the holidays." What
you can get: discounts of 20 percent to 50 percent, he says.
And check out the prices on computers
and laptops. "Honestly, computers are moving
so fast all of the time," says Greenberg. But
after the holidays, "you are going to see major
price drops," he says. "Whatever they
don't sell during the holidays, they have to clear
out."
This year may be one of the best to score big on electronics,
especially if you like to do your tech shopping at Wal-Mart. "For
Wal-Mart, look for same store sales to be down in November, a key
indicator, which means that although the company announced a huge
price reduction in electronics of 15 to 30 percent earlier in November,
they're going to have to do more to make their numbers for December,"
says Glink.
For those non-Wal-Mart shoppers, you won't have to
go discount to find great deals. With the new Microsoft software
juggernaut, Vista, looming somewhere on the horizon, the less powerful
desktop computers and laptops on store shelves stuck in older operating
systems are headed for obsolescence but will still work just fine
for average folks. "I think we can see some incredible deals
going into the new year, particularly if you don't need to have
the new Microsoft Vista software," says Glink. "A lot
of eMachines and other computers that can't run Vista will be marked
down to next to nothing. If you can live without it, you can probably
get a fabulous deal on a computer or laptop after Christmas."
If you're happy behind the technology
curve, it's also the time to pick up a console game
system. "Watch for bigger deals on Playstation
2 as more Playstation 3s are airlifted into the
United States," she says. Waiting with baited
breath for, arguably, the most coveted game system
of the year? "If sales don't meet expectations,
you can expect P3 prices to drop fairly quickly,"
says Glink.
Not in the market for electronics? You can also find some cool
prices on warm clothes. If the mild weather continues, there could
be great cold weather clothing deals, says Glink. Some of the better
retailers are also marking down the everyday clothing that hit the
stores in the fall. "A lot of markdowns will be marked down
even more after Christmas," she says. "If there's something
you had your eye on at a retailer and it's been six weeks, chances
are it's marked down even more. Just think carefully about what
you really need since a lot of these items may not have the same
return policies," she says.
It's not a bad time to dress up a
kitchen or laundry room, either. "If you're
looking to get a good deal on an appliance, through
January is a good time to buy," says Diane
Ritchey, editor of Home Appliance magazine. Manufacturers
traditionally introduce their new lines in the spring.
By the time fall and winter roll around, retailers
are trying to get rid of last year's inventory.
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