10 Best Black Friday Deals

Black Friday has something of a reputation — and for good reason. If you're willing to brave the hoards, the discounts are substantial. I've been covering this shopping frenzy for the last 8 years, and this year may be one of the best ever for Doorbuster deals on TVs, Blu-Ray DVD players, and oddly, laser printers. Here are my top picks for the best Black Friday deals available.

Best in-store Doorbuster deals
1. Sharp 42" LCD @ Best Buy $199 from $499
2. Westinghouse 46" LCD @ Target $298 from $549
3. HP 17.3" Laptop 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD @ Office Depot $350 from $499
4. Toshiba Blu-ray DVD player w/ Internet streaming @Best Buy $39 from $79
5. Laser Printer @ staples $49 from $119
6. Canon DSLR camera with 2 lenses @ hhgregg $599 from $845
7. XBox 360 + Kinect+ 1 game + $50 walmart Gift card @Walmart $250 from $350
8. Dyson Animal DC25 Vacuum Cleaner @Costco $369 from $469
9. Beats by Dre Solo headphones + $50 Target gift card @ Target $179
10. Kenmore Front Loading Washer and Dryers @ sears $469 from $752

TVs
Just because a TV is the least expensive doesn't mean that's the one I'm recommending you should buy. Many of the insanely cheap Black Friday TV deals are on in-house or budget brands like Dynex or Westinghouse. So it's worth considering deals on name-brand TVs too. Like a 55 inch LCD from LG available at Best Buy Amazon and Walmart for $898.

iPad and Apple products
Apple has its once yearly sale on Black Friday, both online and off. Discounts are usually 5-10% off computers, iPods, and accessories. They have discounted iPads in the past but until the morning of Black Friday, the actual discounts are a well-guarded secret.

Some other stores also discount Apple products.
iPod Touch 8GB w/ $50 Best Buy Gift card @ Best Buy $194
iPod Touch 8GB w/ $50 Toysrus Gift card @ Toysrus $199
iPod Touch 8GB w/ $25 iTunes Gift Card @ Fred Meyer $174
iPod Touch 8 GB (white) w/ $30 Gift Card @ Radio Shack $199
iPod Touch 8 GB w/ $40 Target Gift card @ Target $199
iPod Classic 160GB w/ $25 Target gift card @ Target $245
iPod Nano w/ $30 Toysrus Gift Card @Toysrus $129
iPad @Best Buy $454 from $499
iPad w/ $80 Meijer gift card @Meijer $499

Shop online and skip the crowds
If you want to avoid the hassle and stress of elbowing your way through big box retailers, staying home can net you great deals too — if you know how to look. Be aware that online deals often differ from what you'd find in store, but that doesn't mean you can't snag deep discounts right from your keyboard.

Online Black Friday deals are already well underway, so you might be able to pick up that TV you've been lusting after or that perfect gift for Mom without even needing to wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. And since some online deals rotate daily (or even more frequently) throughout the week, checking back often at any retailer you've got your eye on can pay off big.

Best Online Deals available now
1. Amazon Wireless Penny Pincher sale: Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Droid RAZR, and more smartphones for 1 cent with a new contract
2. Nintendo 3DS at Target ($145 from $169) the price actually goes up on Black Friday
3. 13" MacBook Air through Best Buy ($1,099 down from $1,299)
4. Canon 12.1MP PowerShot Elph digital camera at Target ($129 down from $179)
5. Samsung 55" LED HDTV at Best Buy ($1,797 down from $3,199)

Where to hunt down online deals
1. Amazon's Black Friday portal: Limited time only Gold Box and Lightning Deals on electronics, gaming, movies, and more [Now through Monday]
2. Apple: This is one company that doesn't have sales often. The deals won't be announced until Black Friday, so check back in the online store then [Friday Only]
3. Best Buy's online-only deals [Shop online starting Thursday]
4. Target, Macy's and Walmart go all-out online, with huge sales starting before Black Friday and stretching through Cyber Monday
5. BlackFriday.com offers a virtual meta-catalog of deals, organized by category and sale date

Best search tool for holiday shopping BFADS.net
Best analysis of Black Friday Deals Dealnews.com

More holiday shopping tips and ideas from Tecca:

Holiday shopping tips and gift lists

Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Where to find the best deals

4 tips for the best Black Friday deals without ever leaving home

Tecca's Taylor Hatmaker contributed to this article.