Black Friday 2011: Deals from Walmart, Target, Best Buy and more

WhileBlack Friday is not necessarily the best day of the year to shop, it is still the most ritualistic shopping "holiday" with several stores opening at 12 a.m. Friday (or even earlier) with limited-time deals. An estimated 152 million Americans will be taking part in the retail festivities Friday and during the weekend, up from 138 million last year. If you're thinking of hitting the mall -- instead of watching various TV show marathons like me -- here's a handy list of the who's who of Black Friday and their featured door-busters. Keep in mind that on Black Friday, it's first-come, first-served, so some of these deals will go away once the item is sold out. (Also keep in mind that stores want you to feel pressure to buy. But it's not a good deal if you purchase something you don't need just because the price looks good.)

Walmart

For the first time, Walmart will be kicking off its in-store specials at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving and plans to scatter its offers. The following deals will kick off the event:

• Xbox360 4GB with Kinect Console: $199.96 plus a $50 Walmart gift card
• DVDs starting at $1.96
• 6V or 12V Ride-Ons (e.g., Jeep Wrangler, X Games ATV or Barbie Jeep): $99 each
• Barbie, Disney Princess or Bratz branded Fashion Dolls: $5 each
• Paula Deen 20-Piece Cookware Set: $86.44

Starting at midnight:

• Emerson 32" LCD TV (31.5" diagonal screen size): $188
• LG Blu-ray Player: $49
• Kodak C1450 14 MP Camera: $49
• 8GB iPod Touch: $195
• Samsung 51" Plasma TV (50.7" diagonal screen size): $498

Starting at 8 a.m. Friday:

• Goodyear Tires starting at $59
• Vizio 42" 3D LED Wi-Fi HDTV (42.0" diagonal screen size 1080p): $598
• Buy any smartphone (except Apple iPhone) with a contract and get a $100 Walmart gift card

Macy's

For the first time, stores will open at midnight Thanksgiving. Deals include:

• 50% off Sharper Image iPhone/iPod docking stations
• $19.99 Rampage boots
• Justin Beiber limited-edition holiday fragrance set (includes eau de parfum spray and Bieber's holiday CD)
• With any $65 fragrance purchase, get a free digital camera
  

Best Buy

The following deals start at midnight Thanksgiving:

• Sharp 42" Class LCD 1080p HDTV $199.99
  
• Samsung laptop with Intel Pentium Processor 15.6" Display, 4GB memory $299.99
  
• Toshiba Wi-Fi Ready Blu-Ray Player $39.99
  
• Seasons 1-3 of Mad Men on BluRay - $9 each
• 250GB Xbox 360 console with Fable III and Halo Reach -$200
• MacBook Pros and iMacs - $60 to $200 off

H&M

H&M stores open at 5 a.m. on Black Friday. Deals include:

• Dresses and sweaters from $5
• Pants and kids' jackets from $10
• Outerwear from $20

Toys R Us

The toy giant plans to open its doors earlier than competitors, at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving.

• Sylvania 7-inch tablet PC for $79
• 40% off Optimus Prime Transformer for $47.99
• 50% off Leap Pad Leapster systems
• $50 gift card with iPod Touch purchase

Target

All Black Friday deals start at midnight on Thanksgiving.

• Philips 9" Dual-Screen DVD Player $99
• Amazon Kindle 3G $85
  
• Acer 10.1 Netbook for $157
  
• Various movies and TV shows on DVD for $3.99
• Element 40" 60HZ 1080p LCD HDTV for $265
• $40 Target gift card with purchase of 8GB iPod Touch for $195
• $15 Target gift card with purchase of 8GB iPod Nano for $129

Sam's Club

These prices will be valid for members in stores November 25 starting at 5 a.m.

• Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle for $199
• Sony PlayStation 3 160GB Entertainment Bundle for $239
• LG 42" 120Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $578

Lowe's

The home improvement giant is advertising its Black Friday offers via its "Black Friday Throwdown" on Facebook.

• allen + roth Ladder Shelf for $65
• Skil 10" Miter Saw for $69
• Kobalt 227-Piece Socket Wrench Set for $99.98
• Char-Griller Duo Gas and Charcoal Grill for $199