…to me.    I am thirty-five today.  And I have a cold.  So far, it has been a typical day.  That is just fine by me.

I have been meaning to update since yesterday, but with the onset of being ill and being that it was a busy day yesterday, I have not been able to post until now.

Looking around the news, Wal-Mart’s Black Friday deals have been leaked to the public.  Of course, Wal-Mart denies leaking them, but since it happens every year, it begs the question as to if they are being completely honest.  Wal-Mart is very aggressive in the business market and they are ruthless.  They are not above using any and every tactic available to acquire sales.  Officially, these prices will be unveiled to consumers on November 24th.

This year, some of the deals include a Samsung 50″ Plasma for $798.00 (my guess is that it will be the PN50A450S), a Magnavox Blu-Ray Player for $128.00, and an X-Box 360 with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for $199.00.  They are focusing on High Tech / Consumer Electronics products this year.

Strategically, this is a smart move for them.  There are many resellers of consumer electronics and home theater equipment, but given the economic downturn the market is predicted to be very soft this year.  A lot of these companies are worried, and justifiably so.  Consumers tend to not spend their money during an economic downturn, and consumer electronics products are considered a luxury that they can do without.

Traditionally, in brick-and-mortar companies, the margins on these goods are relatively high.  They promote their products as more upscale, and tend to provide superior customer service throughout the sale than you would find shopping at a Wal-Mart or other discounted retailer.  On the flipside, if you are a saavy shopper and are willing to research the products yourself, often the Internet is your best bet.  There are many websites out there that offer great value and superior knowledge about the products that they sell.  One such company I used to work for.  Their website is http://www.plasma.com.  Alternatively, if you are in Canada the Canadian website is http://www.avdeals.ca.

Consumer Electronics is a hobby of mine, and something that I enjoy.  While the old saying may be that free advice is seldom cheap, if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.   I will continue to write articles about the industry, or perhaps a product that I think may be interesting.  This is a blog about interests, after all…

Maybe my next topic will be a controversial one…Religion.