Community Newsletter: Q&A: When do you think is the best time to buy consumer electronics?
- 11/21/08 4:30 PM
When do you think is the best time to buy consumer electronics?
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 11/21/08 4:30 PM
Question:
In our poor economical state, when do you think is the best time to buy consumer electronics?
Now that it appears our country is in a recession, I would be interested in knowing, from your economically astute audience, what the opinion is about when is the best time from now through January 31, 2009, to get a great deal on flat-screen TVs, computers, and other technical gadgets. With anticipation that many e-commerce manufacturers will not be able to unload the over-production of the mentioned items through retail outlets, I suspect there will be great deals to be had without having to pitch a tent the night before at a local retailer. When do you think is the right time to buy? In addition, do you have any buying advice tips or strategies you can share with all of us? Thanks!
--Submitted by Roger P.
Here are some featured member answers to get you started, but
please read up on all the advice and suggestions that our
members have contributed to this member’s question.
Recession? What recession? --Submitted by iHateUserNames1111
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-10149_102-0.html?forumID=7&threadID=316315&messageID=2907192#2907192
Strike when the price feels right... --Submitted by Wolfie2k5
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-10149_102-0.html?forumID=7&threadID=316315&messageID=2907438#2907438
Provided you aren't picky probably after Christmas --Submitted by BigGuns149
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-10149_102-0.html?forumID=7&threadID=316315&messageID=2908491#2908491
If you have any additional advice, opinions, or recommedations for Ralph, please click the reply link and submit your answer. Please give examples if applicable. Thank you!
Recession? What recession?
by iHateUserNames1111 - 11/14/08 5:54 PM In reply to: When do you think is the best time to buy consumer electronics? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The right time to buy any consumer electronics is when you need it, or slighty prior to your anticipation of needing it. Keep in mind, that no matter when you buy, there will always be something cheaper and/or better shortly after you do so.
I remember when I bought my first state of the art 1GB hard drive. Cost me $5,000. I kicked myself when the new 2GB drives came out shortly after at about the same price. Since I'd spent all my money I couldn't get that one. Soon after, 4GB drives were all the rage. The point is, you'll never be able to get ahead of the curve. If you don't need it now, then wait. It will be cheaper soon. If you can't wait any longer, then buy it.
I remember a comic strip I read once a long time ago. There was a sign on the road that said "Last chance for 80 cents gas". So a guy pulls over to fill up and as he's filling up he asks the attendant "How much does gas cost at the next station ahead?" The answer: "70 cents". And so it goes with consumer electronics, they just keep getting better and cheaper, unlike everything else in the world.
By the way, recessions are self-fulfilling prophecies. When people stop buying and start hoarding their money, they create recessions.
I refuse to participate in the recession. You too, can be like me. It's up to all of us to pull ourselves out of the recession by spending instead of hoarding.
I wonder about this post
by magnusfl - 11/21/08 6:34 PM In reply to: Recession? What recession? by iHateUserNames1111how can you say that when company’s such as citi bank lay off 1 out of 7 employees major business such as Metromedia which owned steak and ale benagins and more totally collapsed circuit city closing over 100 locations just to name a few
plus a record number of people collecting unemployed checks
nothing to wonder about
by dbatesphoto - 11/21/08 11:16 PM In reply to: I wonder about this post by magnusflWhile many big companies are laying people off left and right at the bottom level/worker bees, they are giving huge Christmas bonuses to top execs for cutting costs by laying off that 7% even though the poor saps that get to keep their jobs will be working 7 day weeks for the next 6 month at what is equal to 8 day check no additional benefits still saves the company millions of dollars. Or better yet cut hours on the full staff down to part time so they lose their benefits and pay $1.50 on the dollar to hire temp workers who get no benefits at all and you just saved another million dollars a quarter. Party time in Vegas for the top execs just ask about that $400,000 "business trip" AGI took just weeks after getting how many Billion dollars in the first round of bail outs. Times like these less people are buying because Average Joe can't pay his bills let alone splurge while Billionaire Bill is getting millions out of DC to bail out his company so he can hire more execs to figure out the next way to work the system. Oh wait they already have with the next round of bail outs.
When is the best time to buy----whatever
by Rick1217 - 11/22/08 10:28 AM In reply to: I wonder about this post by magnusflYou should realize by now that this country and the world is in a deep deep recession with a doom 2009. So if you MUST buy anything electronic, let me tell you what BestBuy manager told me yesterday 11/21: No sales maybe not even after Christmas. You can go to our website and see what will be on sale Black Friday but there are NO plans for any sales. In Orlando, NO business is having a sort of sale on anything! Last year at this time I was buying Tommy Bahama T-shirts for $12 plus a 20% discount; this year NOTHING is on sale in men's or women's clothing.
These retail place need all the money they can get to stay in business and they KNOW that Americans are generous, kind, loving and enjoy Christmas so therefore they know that Americans will max the plastic as always and still have a good size Christmas. It has happened every year for the past 50 years--and I am 62 and have seen all the recessions--of course nothing as deep and getting way deeper than this one. Just remember ONE thing: 2009 WILL BE MUCH WORSE.
Recession
by guiri_too - 11/22/08 10:42 AM In reply to: I wonder about this post by magnusflHow can he say that? The man is right.
WE create the recession. Someone starts a scare or a rumor..
People STOP buying stuff.
The people that work in the stores where you stopped buying stuff are now getting laid off because no one is shopping where they are and the management instead of waiting and riding it out, hears and reads the recession rumors and panic and lay people off.
The people that got laid off now have NO money to shop with so they can't shop where you work and now YOU get laid off and YOU can't afford to shop and...
Do you get the idea?
People take their money out of the bank 'cause their scared and if everyone does, the banks will fold because NO bank actually HAS the money that everyone has deposited. That money is being invested and is floating around in the economy, invested in other businesses and so on so when EVERYONE asks for their money back, they can't pay up.
During the depression if people had remained calm, it probably never would have happened or at least not as bad.
YOU create the recession, NOT ME and the guy that posted this.
My life has not changed at all because interestingly enough, I MAKE THE SAME MONEY I did a few months ago...go figure..
As for circuit city, they deserved to close. Their service was beyond appalling. I tried to shop there many times during the last two years and never ONCE did anyone try to help me. Instead Best Buy got my business and I must have spent 10 grand in hardware just by my little ol' self. Yeah, no wonder they folded..
I will however miss Comp USA though.
George
Recession
by afro2358 - 11/22/08 11:09 AM In reply to: Recession by guiri_tooA person can not buy anything if they dont have the money to buy anything with. If a person lose their job because of no fault of there own, you can not blame them. The blame is those "White Guys" in Wall Street and those "White Guys" in Washington D.C. who could have prevented this from happening in the first place. And trust me, it will get worse before it gets better and it might head in your neck of the woods. Like i said before, "A recession is when your next door neighbor or someone you know just lost their job, and a Depression is when "You" are out of work.
Now who's stereo-typing?
by stephiel1 - 11/23/08 6:55 AM In reply to: Recession by afro2358This is not about race. The economy is all about people that spent money they didn't have. Now the banks want their money back, and people are losing their houses. People get scared and stop spending/want their money back from the banks (just like in the Great Depression. Ever seen Its a Wonderful Life?). People lose their jobs because employers aren't bringing in the same amount they did last year, then we have even more people not spending.
On top of that, you get the auto makers who invested so much in SUVs despite rising gas prices; now we have a glut of SUVs and not enough cars that people want to buy.
We put ourselves in this hole. The only way to get out is to act normal, spend when we can and not when we can't.
Now Who's stereo-typing
by afro2358 - 11/23/08 8:14 AM In reply to: Now who's stereo-typing? by stephiel1The party is over now, people better start saving their money. You can not eat or maintain a roof over your head with Electronics. This generations never seen a Depression, but, i feel in my heart that it's coming. My mother once told me that during hard times, there are three things for survival: Food, Clothing, and Shelter. Everything else is "Secondary". The people who was running this country really blew-it. Our Government should just let Wall Street and the 3 Auto makers file for Bankruptcy and use the rest of the $300B dollars to take care of "Main Street". Main Street is not the reason why we're in this economical mess, but Main Street is now going to suffer for it.
Why not place the blame where it belongs...
by damnfingers - 12/1/08 7:22 AM In reply to: Recession by afro2358on those misguided individuals who think that "home ownership" is a right and directed the banks to make loans to all those people who couldn't afford to pay them back. I think that's called pandering for votes...and I blame the Democrats.
Placing Blame
by afro2358 - 12/1/08 11:15 AM In reply to: Why not place the blame where it belongs... by damnfingersI blame "All" the politicians in Washington who could have done something about this, rather Democrats or Repulicans. But, it's too late now. Go help us all.
Flush Washington in the toilet where they belong...
by scottjmills - 12/15/08 4:45 PM In reply to: Placing Blame by afro2358Here here to the statement they "all" are in on this regardless of party. The subject is when is it good to buy though, and from what I'm seeing, if you have some money set aside for an electronics purchase, now is a great opportunity! Just make sure your set everywhere else (food/shelter/low debt).
Good luck!
Not that simple
by kcmargulies - 11/23/08 6:39 AM In reply to: Recession by guiri_tooFear plays a role, no doubt. But so does overextended credit.
I felt uneasy when people who had no jobs and put no money down were buying homes just to flip them in a quick sale with 20% profit.
The economy by then had turned into a pyramid scheme.
Fear plays a part, but a heck of a lot of people are in debt. People did dumb things like refinancing to take exotic vacations.
The money is gone, but the debt remains...
the best time to buy consumer electronics
by wahid65 - 11/22/08 4:43 PM In reply to: I wonder about this post by magnusflIf I have a sufficiently money I will buy without doing no calculs and without looking back, because prices of computers (laptops)for example will always be better the next time around. So buy it with no regrets and enjoy it because if you will keep a lot of attention to this kind of things likes the word "recession" I think you will not enjoy your life. Consequently my advise is " enjoy your life and if you have the possibility to buy anything which it is necessary for you: buy it immediately and don't hesitate because our life is short and you don't know what will happen tomorrow because only god can know that".
best regards
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