‘Tis the season… for flashing banners, countdown timers, and every retailer insisting now is the “best price of the year.” If you’re like me, you might have a big purchase you’re waiting to buy until it goes on sale, which usually means a holiday weekend, but it can be hard to know whether a discount is genuinely good this time of year or just marketing magic. Here are a few tips to see if these prices are the real deal.
- Check the Price History (This Is Your Most Powerful Tool)
A sale price only means something if you know what the item normally costs.
Use price-tracking tools like:
- CamelCamelCamel (Amazon price history)
- Keepa (another great Amazon tracker)
- Honey or Capital One Shopping (for general price drops + alerts)
These show you if a $999 TV “marked down” to $749 is actually a mark down or if that original price was recently adjusted to make the new price look more enticing. They also offer good insights into when the product has gone on sale before so you can anticipate when it may be on sale again if you’re not ready to buy it now.
- Compare Models Carefully (Especially for Electronics)
TVs, laptops, tablets — retailers love releasing exclusive model numbers for holiday sales that look
like the full-price version but have cheaper components.
Before buying, check:
- The exact model number
- The spec sheet (panel type, refresh rate, processor, etc.)
- Whether the “sale version” is missing features you assumed were included
If something is hundreds of dollars cheaper than expected, it may be a stripped-down variant created for doorbuster events.
- Watch the Timing: Sales Are No Longer One-Weekend Events
Black Friday used to be a one-day frenzy. Now we have:
- Early Black Friday
- Late Black Friday
- Cyber Week
- Green Monday
- After-Christmas sales
Prices tend to dip, rise, and dip again. If you’re not in a rush, you can often catch the same or better sale later in December or on New Year promotions.
- Look for “Anchor Pricing” Tricks
Retailers often show a dramatic “WAS $1,499, NOW $799!”
But take a second and ask yourself: was it really
$1,499? Or is that number just anchoring you to a fake reference point? This trick makes normal discounts feel bigger. Again, price-history tools reveal the truth in seconds.
- Know When the Best Prices Usually Hit
For many popular categories:
- TVs: Historically lowest during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and again during Super Bowl season
- Laptops/Tablets: Back-to-school and holiday weeks
- Home goods: Holiday and New Year clearance
- Fitness equipment: Late December–January
If the timing lines up with typical drops, that’s a good sign the deal is real.
- Set Price Alerts Instead of Doom-Scrolling Sales
If there’s something you’ve been waiting to buy—a TV, espresso machine, vacuum—set a price alert.
Then you’ll get a ping when:
- The price drops below your target
- A competitor beats the sale
- There’s a coupon or stacking offer available
This saves you from the impulse-buy spiral holiday marketing tries to trigger.
Bottom Line
Real deals are the ones backed by data, not just flashy banners. Remember, marketing tactics are targeted, and companies spend good money to get you to spend good money. So, take a minute or ten to make sure you’re getting the best price. That said, if the price history lines up, the model is the one you actually want, and the timing makes sense, you can feel confident hitting “add to cart.”
Wishing you a savvy shopping season,
Chandler