The dealnews 2009 Black Friday Predictions

Finding a deal on the Nintendo Wii during the holidays has traditionally been about as easy as finding a photo of Sasquatch kissing the Loch Ness Monster. Well, that's no more. The Wii is in-stock everywhere, sales have slowed, and Wii consoles have been discounted time and time again over the past several months. We are happy to report that we predict that the Nintendo Wii will be $199 on Black Friday. (We're unhappy to report that we've already seen this deal before, twice, but retailers aren't likely to discount the $249 Wii more aggressively until after Black Friday.)

Digital picture frames are always one of the hottest items during the holiday season, and we expect demand for them to be just as high again this year. The best values are on 8" to 9" digital picture frames, which cost about the same as 7" frames. We expect you'll find an 8" to 9" frame for $30.

Budding cinematographers will be able to purchase an entry-level HD camcorder for $60. It'll be one of those cheap, basic flash-based models, however, with no optical zoom. For more serious video, expect to find a 1080p HD camcorder with 8GB or more of storage and better optics for $349.

Contrary to expectations, GPS prices don't drop much on Black Friday. Last year, GPSs were more expensive on Black Friday than they were in October and September. This year, you'll see more of the same. Entry-level, no-name GPS units will hit $49. Similar models from Garmin or TomTom will cost $69. A well-equipped GPS with a widescreen LCD, text-to-speech, and Bluetooth will go as low as $95. Those sound unexciting? That's because we've already seen those prices this year. If you can wait, the best time to buy will be next April: Deals during April of 2009 were 25% less than they were on Black Friday of 2008.

One last thing on GPS navigators: Consider a factory-refurbished GPS, which will cost 10% to 25% less than a new one. There's a huge selection.

Summary: Black Friday Predictions for GPSs, Digital Photo Frames, and HD Camcorders

• Nintendo Wii Game Console for $199
• 8"-9" digital picture frame for $30
• Basic HD 720p camcorder for $60
• 1080p HD camcorder, 8GB or better for $349
• entry-level GPS units for $49
• entry-level Garmin or TomTom GPS units for $69
• widescreen GPS with Bluetooth, TTS for $95