Are the Best Deals Always on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Year after year, shoppers line up outside stores on Black Friday (or after they’ve finished their turkey dinner the night before) to get the best price on things they want. They also log on to their computers at 12:01am on Cyber Monday to get the best deal online. But is it really worth it? With the goal of helping you shop smarter, we at Smoopa took a Mythbusters approach to comb through our data to find out.

MYTH: The best deals are always on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

We used Smoopa's database of prices to examine the trends for five of the hottest items from the 2013 Holiday Season and here’s what we learned.

1. Mattel Hot Wheels Triple Track Twister

Suggested retail price: $44.99 

• Before the Track Twister was deemed a “hot toy,” it was consistently available across several retailers for $35-40. 
• In early November 2013, it dropped to $26 and then rose back up to the $35-50 range until just before Thanksgiving.
• Black Friday weekend, it was on "sale" for $29

BUSTED - Lowest price was in early November, before Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

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2. LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra XDI

Suggested retail price: $149

• In 2013, the LeapPad was listed at $140 the week before Thanksgiving.
• It went back up to $149 during week of Thanksgiving.
• The price then dropped to $130 on Cyber Monday.
• After Cyber Monday, the LeapPad was back to $149.

CONFIRMED - Lowest price was the week of Cyber Monday.

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3. Bunn Single Cup Coffee Brewer

Suggested retail price: $199

• From September through November 2013, this brewer was available at many retailers for $137 with some fluctuation depending on day
• The lowest price of $128 was on December 13 and 14, then it went back up to $137 until April 2014 ($130).

BUSTED - Lowest price was in mid-December, after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

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4. Samsung TV - 2013 model

• Before Black Friday, this TV was typically priced between $1,397-$1,497.
• The price dropped to $1,197 two days before Black Friday until Cyber Monday.

CONFIRMED - Best price was on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

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5. Butterball Turkey Fryer


Suggested retail price: $209

• In early November 2013, the price dropped to $129 across retailers until the end of the year.
• Some retailers increased prices between mid-November and Black Friday and then dropped the price back to $129 on Black Friday.
• Post holiday season, the price fluctuated from $149 up to more than $300. 

PLAUSIBLE - It was on sale in early November, then the price increased. However, the price did not significantly drop on Black Friday.

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So, what did we learn?

Set price alerts for things you want in advance of the holidays. The lowest price may or may not be on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, so keep an eye out!

- Mendel Chuang, CEO of Smoopa, currently collecting to Gift Ideas Under $50