As I looked through the Black Friday ads for major retailers to see if anything was worth highlighting here, I began to wonder something. Why do so many people buy camcorders in the chain retail stores (especially on the “day after”) when everything is basically the same price (or even over a hundred dollars cheaper, as I found in one instance so far) online? Sure, you have to pay a little for shipping and wait for a few days, but the fact is, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars (and hours of sleep) by shopping online and having a little patience.

Now, if you are the type that hates any hassle of shipping in items to return them if you don’t like the product, buying locally would give you a return policy where you can just drive to the store. However, most places now have restocking fees anyway if the item is opened. On the flipside, it probably takes about the same or less amount of time to print out a shipping label and drop the product off at the nearest drop-off point for return as it does to drive to the store and wait in a long customer service line.

If you know what camcorder you want and would like to save some money, try buying online this holiday season. My favorite online shopping spot is Amazon.com. This is actually true, not just because I am an affiliate. But, yes, Amazon is an affiliate and, yes, Digital Camcorder News does benefit from any purchases made through the link. It is these purchases you make that keep Digital Camcorder News running, and it costs you nothing extra.

In conclusion, don’t just take my word for all this. Try comparing your local ads to online prices. You may find that it will be a good deal to head down to the store, or you may find a pleasant surprise of the type that saves you lots of money. So skip all those rainy lines and get some extra sleep this Thanksgiving weekend. Shop online.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!