The Best of the Early Black Friday Ads

It's still early, but already we've seen leaked Black Friday ads from Kohl's, Sears, Lowe's, JCPenney, Macy's, and more. Not surprisingly, few of the ads include obvious doorbusters or notable electronics.

Instead the early-bird merchants have opted to push a slew of soft goods and small kitchen appliances. (Which may fuel the media chatter that early ad "leaks" are more so strategic marketing tools to generate early excitement.)

While we anxiously await additional leaks that give us hints about what we might see come Black Friday, here's a rundown of what we've seen so far:

• BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco are the only merchants whose ads include electronics so far, and both deals are still unconfirmed. For the most part, the HDTV and laptop prices are underwhelming — aside from this rumored deal for an ASUS 15.6" laptop for $350, which would be the cheapest we've seen for a system this size with 6GB RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
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• Sears is advertising sales on a slew of apparel items (from brands you've probably never heard of), while Macy's at least has styles from Nautica and Kenneth Cole NY lined up. Kohl's will discount its Simply Vera, Lauren Conrad, and ELLE sponsored lines, and JCPenney plans to slash a sizable selection of women's jewelry and children's apparel.
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• Need to replace any ailing luggage before the next big holiday trip? JCPenney is also advertising numerous luggage deals.
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• Sears may be the place to go for small kitchen appliances — especially if you're interested in making special treats like mini brownies, donuts, or cupcakes.
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• As for the hardware stores, Ace Hardware will offer special discounts on tools (surprise!) and a handful of Christmas decorations, as well as coupons to discount any regular-priced items you may find during your shopping endeavors. Lowe's changes this up with a smattering of non-tool items, including a few appliances. Note that Harbor Freight Tools and Ace will only offer the advertised deals in stores, while Lowe's could potentially offer several sales online.