The dealnews Staff's Black Friday Wish List

Black Friday. The dealnews staff experiences a slight twitch and a rush of adrenaline upon hearing those words. (Or, that could be the 5 Hour Energy kicking in.)

We spend a bulk of the Thanksgiving holiday in front of our computers, scouring the Internets for the hottest deals of the premier holiday shopping weekend. (We'd also like to take this time to thank our family and friends for being so understanding of our erratic schedules!) But besides avoiding the sometimes-chaotic family Thanksgiving brouhaha, a benefit of being a dealnews staffer is having prime access to the hottest deals, and that's especially true during Black Friday weekend.

While we're first and foremost "deal-slingers," we're also consumers, just like you. Chances are, if there's a super hot deal — regardless of whether or not we need it — we're going to purchase it as soon as we post it.

Most of us are hoping for a particular deal to show up on our personal shopping radars this Black Friday. I'm hoping to score an Apple TV at a decent price. (It's not for me, but if the price is right, I may treat myself, too.) If Black Fridays past are any indication, I probably won't be buying it from the Apple Store. (And if this Cult of Mac article is to be believed, Amazon might be my best bet.)

I checked in with the rest of the dealnews staff to find out what's on their Black Friday Wish Lists:

Daniel de Grandpre, Editor-in-Chief

What is the Chief Dealguy seeking? High-end audiophile bookshelf speakers. "We see a lot of deals on low-end and mid-range speakers," de Grandpre says, "but few, if any, high-end speakers." He admits, however, that his odds of finding stellar deals on such speakers may be slim on Black Friday; Cyber Monday may yield better results.

Louis Ramirez, Senior Features Writer

Ramirez is a fan of the Roku, and was tempted to purchase two Roku 2 HD Wireless Streaming Media Players for $90 last week. However, he didn't take advantage, stating, "With Black Friday still a few days away, I decided to let the deal pass by and wait for a better, more aggressive [offer]." Ramirez is hoping that this Black Friday, he'll be able to purchase two Roku XS Media Players for $90. (The higher-end XS model is capable of 1080p streaming, and comes fully-loaded with gaming features.) A note of caution: If history repeats itself, the best Roku deal of the year may appear after Black Friday.

Lindsay Sakraida, Features Director

Black Friday 2010 provided a bounty of deals on inexpensive Blu-ray movies, with several notable titles in the mix. (Think well above "Jack & Jill" calibre.) Now that she and several of her friends and relatives own a Blu-ray player, Sakraida is going to keep a close eye on deals for well-priced Blu-ray movies. "They're the perfect way to pad a gift that isn't quite there yet," Sakraida says, "or to just have on hand in case you get surprised with a gift from someone you hadn't bought for."

Nathan Cox, Content Editor

Having moved from Alaska to Alabama several months ago, Cox is hoping to furnish his new home with a 42" to 50" 120Hz LED-Backlit LCD HDTV, preferably from either Samsung or LG. LED is a must-have feature, according to Cox: "LED-backlit nowadays often means ultra thin; we like the look, and it's definitely a lot easier to maneuver." What is he not looking for? 3D. "It's just [an] extra expense [with] little return." (Also, as someone who already wears prescription glasses, he's not a fan of the layered-spectacles look.)

Jim Adams, Senior Content Editor

An avid gamer, Adams is hoping to find deals on recently-released video games, such as Uncharted 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. "I've usually been able to score titles that are at most two months old for half-price or less," he says. The real challenge: Finding time to play all of them!

Daniel Hendley, Senior Content Editor

Hendley hopes to land a 60" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for under $1,000. ($800 is his ideal range.) A name-brand is not essential, provided the reviews are favorable. "I'd like to hook it up to an Apple TV or other easy-to-use media receiver to stream local and Internet-based video content, as well as mirror my iPad for some ideas I'm toying around with," Hendley says.

Jeff Somogyi, Media Editor

What is Somogyi looking for this Black Friday? He won't know until he sees it! Close your eyes and envision this scene (while hearing the waves crashing and seagulls screeching in your mind): "I view our 12-hour Black Friday shifts like a deep-sea fisherman views a net cast wide. Yar. All day, I just see what the net drags in, and poke around to see if there's anything worth keeping. Most of it gets thrown back like an old tire (especially the tire deals), but sometimes I find a thing or two to snap up."

Chuck Phillips, Content Editor

While he is not "actively looking," Phillips says he would splurge if he finds a "crazy insane deal on a 37" HDTV or larger." (He and his wife wouldn't mind a new TV for their bedroom, either, since its the only room in the house that still has a CRT TV!) Phillips acknowledges that working the long hours during Black Friday weekend has its advantages: "[We're] on the front lines of some really good deals and in prime position to take advantage of them."

Molly Griffin, dealnews Ireland

After a brief family visit to the States over Halloween, Griffin decided that an ideal gift for her family, who lives in Massachusetts, would be a generator, ideally in the $200 range. "The Halloween snowstorm in the Northeast really took me (and everyone else) by surprise," she said. Of course, in purchasing a generator, Griffin would also have peace of mind knowing that her loved ones would be well-prepared for another New England winter.

Do you have a particular item you're hoping to purchase at a great price on Black Friday? (Or do you also take the deep-sea fisherman approach?) Let us know what you're looking for in the comments. Meanwhile, if you can't spend every waking moment in front of your computer scouring our site for deals, consider downloading our app for iPhone or Android, or set up customized alerts via email.

Front page photo credit: Get Elastic
Photo credits top to bottom: Sodahead, and Flowtown