Best and Worst Buys of February 2013
You'll find big-screen TVs, electronics and more on sale this month.
If you were planning on buying your sweetheart a necklace, ring or some other piece of jewelry for Valentine's Day, don't count on finding a great deal on it. Jewelry and other items in demand this month won't be marked down much (or at all). However, there are several things that will go on sale -- some of which might even make good Valentine's gifts. Here's what you can expect to find marked down this month -- and what you should wait a little longer to buy, according to dealnews.com, which analyzes deals from past years to predict what will be discounted this year.
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What's on sale now ...
Big-screen HDTVs. If you're looking for a new TV to watch the Super Bowl, now is the time to buy because prices on 55-inch and 60-inch LCD HDTVs are at 12-month lows. Look for name-brand 60-inch HDTVs on sale for $900 or less, and for 55-inch 3D HDTVs to be marked down to $800 or less, which is an all-time low.
Clothing. Look for good sales on apparel over President's Day weekend, with markdowns of up to 80%.
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Electronics. Didn't get the gadget you wanted for the holidays? Well, now's the time to buy 2012 models of small electronics and audio equipment because they're on sale. Retailers need to unload old models to make room for new models that debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Outerwear. Expect to find steep discounts of up to 85% on high-end outerwear thanks to the mild winter. Look for deals on Columbia Sportswear and The North Face items, in particular.
Tax software. Dealnews.com has already seen better deals on tax software this year than in 2012. It expects the markdowns, which were as much as 58% off programs from H&R Block and Turbotax in January, to be even better in February and March.
Wait a little longer to buy ...
iPad mini. The iPad mini 2 is expected to be released in July, so you'll be able to find refurbished models of the first version for as little as $249 this summer.
Smart phones. Dealnews.com expects to see deals on current models after new models are released later this month at the Mobile World Conference. Look for sales on Android and Windows Phone models.
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