Black Friday Deals in Kingwood, WV

Black Friday is almost here and we all have to wonder "Will I be the next one to go to the hospital from shopping?" All joking aside, we all know that there's money to be saved and shopping to be done on the infamous Day After Thanksgiving. However, that doesn't seem to be the case in the town of Kingwood, West Virginia. Kingwood is a town about 30 minutes from Morgantown, home of the West Virginia University Mountainers.

I took on this Call for Content expecting to be able provide my readers with some competitive sales in the area on Black Friday. However, it seems the only retailer in the area having a sale on Black Friday is the mass merchant Wal-Mart. Kingwood is a small town, however, so this may have an effect. Wal-Mart is, in fact, the only all-around store in town and the only place to find video games and decent children's toys. The competitor's in town are Foodland, Tractor & Supply, Save-A-Lot, Rite Aid, Dollar General, and Family Dollar. No, I'm not kidding, that's all that there is. However, even the retailers in Morgantown such as Target, JC Penny, and Best Buy are having Before and After Thanksgiving sales that last all week long.

The only sale that I've heard of in Kingwood, besides Wal-Mart, comes from Foodland and it is still an all-week long sale, which excludes it from being considered a Black Friday sale. So, with these facts in mind, I set out to find the best deals from Wal-Mart on Black Friday and provide you with some tips on taking advantage of the only place to shop if you are a Kingwood resident or even if you are just visiting.

First, I'll go over my top picks for the best deals you can find at Wal-Mart this Friday if you're willing to endure the people-traffic nightmare. However, I would suggest that since Kingwood is a small town, you may want to try to shop here and may be able to secure great deals without getting trampled on. It may be a long shot, but it will probably be less congested that the Morgantown area Wal-Marts. I've separated my picks into four categories: Electronics, Toys, Clothes, and Jewelry. While I know this doesn't cover everything, it certainly covers what most of you will be shopping for.

I'll start off with Electronics and list the top five in reverse order, with number 1 being my favorite.

Electronics

5. Sound Video Rocker $30.00 - The only reason that this made the list is that I wanted to point out that this is a small markup from the price found at Wal-Mart.com (where you could have it shipped Site to Store with no shipping charges). It is listed as $29.82 on-line, however it is out-of stock on line. I do like the video rocker as it allows to you to be comfortable while playing your favorite video games and has built-in speakers with a headphone jack to boot! It is compatible with all the video game systems except the Wii and Playstation 3 it seems from the listing. It is also compatible with your IPOD, TV, DVD player, and most other MP3 players. The ad in the paper also states "While Supplies Last" which indicates that it may not be available in store either. Other similar Rockers (although they are much better in quality) are priced in the $100s.

4. Lexmark X3430 All-In-One Printer $25 - I wasn't able to find this item on Walmart.com to compare the price, however, it seems like a good deal for an All-One Printer when most of these types of printers are priced much higher at almost triple the price. While it's not an HP or Epson, Lexmark is still a well-known and reliable brand. The X3430 prints 17 pages per minute in both black and white and color, which is a decent print speed. It also scans images and copies, and includes Memory Card slots for printing from your digital camera cards. The printer also comes with the ink included. The only drawback to this deal is that it does not include a fax machine like some of the other higher-priced All-In-Ones do. So if you're looking for something with a fax machine, you may have to spend a little more cash for a true All-In-One printer.

3. EA Sports Video Game Assortment (Tiger Woods PGA 08, Nascar 08, NCAA Football 08, NBA Live 08, and Madden Football 08; all for Playstation 2) $19.88 - The currently retails for $29.82 from Wal-Mart and $29.99 from EB Games and GameStop (FYI: GameStop owns EB Games now). Keep in mind that this sale is exclusive to the '08 games for Playstation 2. The XBOX 360 version retails for $59.99 and isn't slated to be on sale this Friday.

2. Rockband Special Edition (Playstation 3 and XBOX 360) $169.92 - I'm listing this because Wal-Mart claims it will have it in stock on Black Friday (however, it may sell out quickly). EB Games and GameStop won't have these in until November 30th, but the price at EB Games and GameStop is slightly higher at $169.99. Good luck getting your hands on one of these popular game bundles.

1. Nintendo Wii System $249- While this is not a sale, it is given my number 1 spot due to the fact that the Kingwood Wal-Mart is the most likely place to find one of these hard-to-find systems. An inside source tells me that they have several on order, however, they won't comment on whether they'll be in in time for Black Friday. However, I'll give you an idea of how likely you'll find one of these systems. I sell Wiis on Ebay (search for user chads5811) and I have succeeded in purchasing 4 in the last month from this particular Wal-Mart and sold 3 (I kept one for myself) for a profit.

Toys

5. WWE Elimination Chamber $29.88 - This wrestling ring retails for $88.47 normally and usually doesn't come with the wrestling figures. This sale includes a bonus of 2 wrestling figures. You're wrestling fan will love you forever!

4. Bratz Be-Bratz.com Doll $16.88 - This Bratz doll comes with a USB key to let your child enter the Bratz world online (only with your supervision, of course). The key allows you to create your own online Bratz character and care for your virtual pet on any PC. Normally, the doll retails for $19.93

3. Lightning McQueen Lights and Sounds Vehicle $10.00- This car will have your child entertained for at least 5 minutes longer than usual with his matchbox cars. The eyes move, his side lightning bolts light up and he talks and revvs his engine. Retails for $19.88.

2. 1:6 Radio-Controlled GMC Yukon Denali or Dodge HEMI $64.76 - These RC vehicles are 30" long and operate with 100 feet of the radio control. All batteries are included. These retail for $79.97 normally.

1. Graco My Little Baby Doll Playset $20 - I chose this because my 2-year old daughter simply loves her babydoll and is a better parent to it than most parents I know. The Playset includes a stroller, high chair and a bouncer for your little one's little one. This product retails for $29.99

Clothes

5. Boys 2-Piece Character PJ Set $5- Characters available include SpiderMan and Cars (but not limited to these). They are $5 each in the sizes of 4-10 only.

4. Girls' or Infant/Toddler 2-Piece Character PJ Set $5 - Characters include Tinkerbell and Dora (but not limited to these). They are $5 each in Girls size 4-10 and Infant Toddler size 12M to 5T.

3. Protege 5-Piece Luggage Set $45 - While this is technically not clothing, it holds your clothing when your going on trips! This is an outstanding price for 5 pieces of luggage and each of the upright pieces of luggage features 360 degree spinner wheels. However, I have been warned that if you overtuff these just a little bit, the zippers break easily and the bottoms may split. Still a good price if you're in need of luggage this holiday and still need money for flight tickets.

2. Boys's Athletic Works Hoodie and Vest Set $8 - This set includes a fleece hoodie and midweight vest. The sale is only available in the sizes XS through XL.

1. Men's Athletic Works Winter Fleece Jacket $15 - This is definitely the best priced jacket that I have found yet. Most jackets of this nature are priced anywhere from $25 to $50. This jacket is made so it will keep you warm and priced so that it keeps your wallet from burning. The sale applies to sizes S-XL.

Jewelry:

5. 10K Gold HoopEarrings $8.88 - I admit it, I don't have much to choose from with Wal-Mart Jewelry, but I have listed the top five here, and if you're on a tight budget, these will still make someone happy this Christmas season (yes, I said Christmas, so sue me). If you're not into the Christmas thing, then make someone happy this holiday season. The 10K Gold Earrings are available in 4 different styles.

4. 18K Gold Over Sterling Bracelet with Diamon Accent $14.88 - The bracelet is measured at 7 1/4" and includes your choice of charms: Circle/heart, angel charm, or San Marco.

3. 3-Piece Cultured Pearl Set with Sterling Silver Clasp $14.77 - This set includes an 18" necklace, 7 1/4" bracelet and stud earrings in a nice little jewelry box.

2. 1/5 Carat Total Weight Diamond Pendant in Sterling Silver $18.84 - I really do like these pendants as a gift and had I not already bought my wife's present, I would consider getting these (and in case she's reading, I still might) for her. You have a chocie of pendants in the style of a Star, Journey Wave, Circle, or Heart. These are really nice and you can't beat this price, especially if you are on a tight budget.

1. 1/5 Carat Total Weight Right-Hand Diamond Ring $88.84 - Wal-Mart has apparently determined that these rings aren't suited for the left hand (the marriage hand) for one reason or another, but these rings are still beautiful. It's totally up to you what hand you and your significant other about which hand to put them on, but for this price, if you're on a budget, this is the number one jewelry pick for the Kingwood area.

Alright, now that the list is compiled and I've given you a little hint about shopping in the Kingwood area, I'll give you a few tips on how to get the most of the Mass Merchant that is known as Wal-Mart. Scan every ad that you get from other stores for sales that coincide with Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale. For example CVS/pharmacy is having a sale from Sunday, November 18 all the way through Saturday November 24. They have Duracell Coppertop Batteries (AAA and AA 2 pks) on sale for $1. If Wal-Mart's prices are higher on any day, including Black Friday, take the ad to them, and they will beat the price. If you have a paper from Morgantown's Target for Black Friday or whatever (as long as the dates go through Black Friday), take the ad to them and they will beat their competitor's advertised prices.

Another tip I learned from comparing the Wal-Mart paper to Walmart.com is that a lot of the items listed as on sale on Black Friday are already listed at the same price on the website. Order the item from the website today, and choose Site-To-Store, and the item is usually shipped to the store within 7 to 10 business days with no shipping charges. You may have to wait a little bit longer to get the item, however, you're guaranteed to get it and you've succesfully avoided being trampled on.

A final note on shopping in Kingwood is to eat somewhere else. The major restaurants here are McDonald's, Hardee's, Dairy Queen, Subway, and Pizza Hut. The fast food restaurants absolutely stink as far as cleanliness and customer service (good luck getting your order right and being thanked for your patronage). You're better off eating in Morgantown and travelling to Kingwood if you live out of town and want to come to our small town. If you live in town, eat at home, and then go shopping, and as always arrive early. The sales start at 5 am and end at 11 am.