Smart shoppers know that it’s never too early to start thinking about your holiday shopping. Sure, you can wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to get the best deals, but that strategy is really a big gamble. Waiting till after Thanksgiving to grab those gifts means that the stores might be out of the hottest items or not have clothing in the right size. Even if you don’t plan on hitting the mall in the beginning of fall, it’s still a good idea to develop a list or plan so that you’re prepared whenever you decide to hit the stores.

Buying gifts for anyone can be a challenge, but there’s far more emphasis on children this time of year. Every year retailers push certain products on young audiences because they know they can count on kids to loosen their mothers’ purse strings. Toys R Us has already created a handy list of the stuff your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and friends will be begging for over the next couple of months. Of course, toys are targeted at certain age groups and you can’t get away with deviating from the accepted model very much. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re going to need to find at least one of the following items:

1)      Pillow Pets- These are adorable plush animals that come in lots of different likeniness, including hippos, bugs, dinosaurs, and unicorns, to name a few.  They have a strap on their bellies and when your child releases it, they turn into fluffy pillows. These are suitable for boys or girls and make wonderful travel companions. If you have relatives visiting from far away, their little ones will surely appreciate a fuzzy friend to cuddle with on the plane or car ride home. Priced at just $19.99, they’re an affordable treat that’s a surefire kid pleaser.

2)      Disney Princess & Me Dolls- Obviously these are designed for girls as is the rest of the Disney Princess collection. These are safe for girls as young as 6 and they’re all beautifully detailed. They have long hair for combing, sparkling glass eyes, and plenty of outfits to go around. You’ll find most of the classic Disney favorites, such as Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle, along with the more recent characters Rapunzel and Tiana.

3)      PlayStation Move- The Move is the latest incarnation of the video game controller. Naturally Sony’s top gaming revival, Mircosoft’s Xbox 360, will release the Kinect Sensor that allows for remoteless game play. Following the success of the Nintendo Wii, the Move is a motion controller that allows the gamer to mimic the actions that take place in the game. This gift will enhance the gaming experience for anyone, regardless of age. Kids and teens are always a huge market for gaming manufacturers, but lots of young adults are still playing video games well into their 30s these days.

4)      Sing-A-Ma-Jigs- Parents, there’s probably no way around these noisemakers. If you have a small child, say between the ages of 2 and 6, you’re most likely going to end up with a house full of these singing creatures. The only positive aspect to these harmonizing toys is the fact that they’re $12.99. They do look cute, but that effect will wear off after you’ve had to listen to them for about six hours on Christmas Day.

Many of these items are already sold out or are for sale in limited quantities, which should be a clue as to how crazy things are going to be once December rolls around…….

Well, it seems as though the next round of media upgrades is upon us, even though plenty of people haven’t bothered to make the switch from vanilla DVD to HD DVD or Blu-ray. Although 3D technology isn’t really brand spanking new, the recent commercial success of 3D movies, such as Avatar, has spurred another wave of manufacturing interest.

Throughout the tail end of 2010, companies including Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG, and Toshiba will be releasing a variety of products that utilize this exciting format. Soon, 3D TVs, Blu-ray movies/players, and gaming consoles will be flooding the stores just in time for the holiday season. But gadget gurus are questioning the wisdom of this decision as the economy continues to struggle. Retailers are looking forward to a promising Fall/Winter due to the encouraging back to school sales figures, but market watchers are not convinced that consumers are ready to take the plunge and phase out their existing entertainment systems at this time.

The largest obstacle in their way seems to be the price tag. This concern is nothing to scoff at, considering that the cheapest big screen TV versions are going to set you back several thousand dollars. Naturally, there won’t be a lot of content to go along with these beauties unless the market becomes saturated. That’s a huge drawback considering taking the 3D leap requires an initial investment of substantial proportions. Surveys also show a reluctance to embrace the goofy as well as expensive glasses, although Toshiba and a few other companies are trying to get around this potential drawback. Early reports also indicate that there are risks associated with viewing 3D TV, especially for certain groups of people. Many manufacturers are issuing warnings for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with serious health conditions. These are probably just designed to protect them from liability in future lawsuits, but they don’t sound very inviting.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of gadgetheads who can’t wait to get their hands on one of these. If you do plan on buying a 3D TV and you absolutely must have now, we’d suggest scouting out Black Friday and day after Christmas sales to get the best price. It’s pretty hard to believe that a lot of people will want to pay over $3,000 for a product that isn’t even established yet when the unemployment rate hovers around 10%. It seems as though 3D TVs will be reserved for the independently wealthy and serious tech fiends for the time being. Anybody interested in buying one within the next couple of months?

The results are in and the 2010 Back to School sales figures come as a relief to struggling retailers across the nation. Many economists predicted a sluggish season due to the recession, but consumers surprised the experts by taking advantage of deep discounts as well as state tax breaks. While the busy month of August has come to a close, there are still plenty of great deals around as stores try to liquidate their inventory to prepare for the holiday season. Along with Halloween decorations, you’re likely to find huge mark downs on tons of education essentials.

Backpacks are one of the hottest selling items this time of year, although this is really their only time to shine. Backpacks should be sturdy enough to last at least year, so retailers try to get rid of them before it’s too late. Little kids’ backpacks are particularly apt to see price cuts because their designs go out of style quickly. This year’s big Disney movie will be all but forgotten last year; the same goes for popular TV shows and musicians. Department stores may not have the same wide selection as they did in the beginning of August, but you can bet there are plenty of Buzz Lightyear bags filling the aisles right now. Backpacks for older kids are a little harder to come by since this demographic isn’t as fickle. Sticking with trendier style like Slings, Messengers, Skatepacks, and Laptop bags are probably your best bet. Traditional backpacks can be had, you’ll just have to a little more digging to find one that isn’t boring black.

Dorm furniture is another hot ticket because retailers rarely get a chance to promote….furniture. Of course, this includes all dorm wear items, such as bedding, dishes, and toiletries. In fact, this is probably your last chance to stock up on bed linens and blankets for the winter. These types of items will go back on sale for the holidays, but by then the temperature will have already dropped. Some stores, like Target, are trying to get rid of their dorm overstock by marketing it from a different angle. It doesn’t really matter how they choose to frame the sale. The bottom line is you’re going to need flannel sheets in about a month from now. You may as well pick them up now and avoid the rush, unless you like that sort of thing.

Shoes are another safe bet. Retailers tend to promote shoes heavily during back to school time, especially for kids. Most parents don’t buy their kids more than a few pairs of shoes because they grow out of them quickly. Little kid’s shoes often feature the same faddish characters as their back packs, which is why you will be able to snag some for an awesome price. Rain boots are another reliable choice. Depending on where you live, fall may be a very rainy time of year. Nevertheless, rain boots aren’t a big source of revenue, so stores like to move them out whenever they get the chance. Boots in general are a really hot junior’s fashion item this year, and they’ll be flying off the shelves on Black Friday. Better to buy yours early and on markdown. It may sound silly, but this is also the perfect time to buy summer footwear i.e. flip flops/sandals. You’ll find these in the clearance section, which means they’ll be super cheap.

Have you scored any serious deals lately? Tell us about your favorite finds!