Some consumers dream of Black Friday all year long, relishing the predawn moment when they can run the door-buster gauntlet.
But what products are likely to be discounted, making the early morning quest worthwhile?
At Dealnews.com, staffers call the seven-day period around Thanksgiving "National Deal Week," says Dan de Grandpre, the site's editor in chief and CEO. After all, stores open at midnight or even Thanksgiving Day, and many discounts continue through the weekend.
Shoppers should beware of lowball pricing, says Tod Marks, a senior editor at Consumer Reports. Find out "is it the latest or the greatest, or is it some sort of leftover from past seasons?" he says.
Electronics bargains will include Blu-ray players as cheap as $40, de Grandpre says. But he says Black Friday sales circulars will be filled with off-brand merchandise. "Black Friday is about cheap stuff at cheap prices," he says.
Retailers might sell a 46-inch LCD television for $350 but not a top-of-the-line 3-D model. Stores dictate price points to manufacturers with Black Friday sales in mind. Manufacturers hit those low targets with cheaper components -- a lower-quality screen or fewer HDMI ports.
While not the highest quality, these sets could be fine for a children's room, he says. "If you don't need something that's very high-end, it's the perfect time to buy," de Grandpre says.