Need a TV? Now is the Time to Buy

For those seeking out a brand-new flat-screen TV, early January may seem like the best time of year to purchase, but not so. Instead, it seems like the best time of year to purchase a TV is right before, or after, the Super Bowl. Seems a bit silly, but when you look at the facts, it does seem to make sense.

The Super Bowl is a major event, no one would deny that. It’s an event that a lot of people want to experience in the best way possible, and that tends to include a brand-new TV. So, around Super Bowl time, retailers will price TVs a bit lower than usual, around 10% lower, to garner some interest. This year, though, some retailers are going as high as 30% off.

The reason stems from the fact that the holidays in late 2010 weren’t as impressive for sales as retailers would have liked. People were looking for ways to save money, and not splurge on the lesser-important things. Because of this though, there seems to be an overstock of TVs available, and to help clear them out, retailers are cranking up the sales.

The problem is that no one seems to know whether prices will be better before or after the Super Bowl. Chances are a lot of that will depend on just how well the TVs sell prior to the big game. Either way, if you are looking for a TV at a great price, now is the time to buy.

But tepid holiday sales this year have left TV set makers with excess inventory they’re eager to shed. That means discounts this week could be as big as 20% to 30%, said Paul Gagnon, director of TV research at DisplaySearch. That still might not be as low as televisions go, however. Those willing to hold out for an even cheaper price on flat-screens may want to wait a tad longer.