Christmas Wish List 2008: LCD TVs, Wii, Rock Band and More

Retailers everywhere will by fighting for consumers' attention this holiday season. With the state of the economy, it will truly be survival of the fittest, which we have witnessed through banking buyouts, and some of our favorite restaurants suddenly shutting their doors. News has spread fast how money-conscience shoppers are waiting until Black Friday deals and holiday savings come to light through "supply far exceeding demand" -driven savings. A few things I will keep my eyes open for this year are surprisingly all within the electronics area. Being a techie at heart, I am drawn in to what will truly be some of this seasons hottest gifts. In no specific order, here are my top 10 of the season, non-gender specific must-have gifts:

1. LCD TVs - Any size will do, smaller 32" and under for the children's rooms or maybe to put in the covered porch area. You are going to see a really good price decrease during the holidays, some really great deals which will have you wondering, "maybe I could use a new 47" TV in my bedroom".

2. Digital Camera - I think these become outdated faster than computers do. Some of the options now are amazing, video, voice recording, and very competitive pricing through different retailers.

3. Digital Photo Frame - A year ago finding one of these for about $100 was a great deal. This year, they will be more like $40 to $60 on average. I would love to have a digital photo collage on my wall.

4. Memory Cards - Of course having a few extra will not hurt. Will need to take pictures on the camera, and put the card into the digital picture frames to display, and a few extra just in case your backup memory card gets full.

5. GPS - With names like Garmin, TomTom and Magellan being featured this season with sub $100 price points, I can't find a reason to not get one. Even if it isn't needed on a daily basis, it is great for day trips, or if you want to find a various restaurant to have lunch. Some of these units have features where you can put your memory card in, and play an audio book, or even answer a phone call through the Bluetooth device.

6. Blu-ray DVD player - not too long ago, one would have to purchase a Playstation 3 to get the blu-ray quality. This year, be ready for Blu-ray players under $200.

7. MP3 player - IPods are great, but Phillips and SanDisk have come up with some really comparable players at a fraction of the cost.

8. Gaming system - Wii, everything Wii, the console, the accessories, the games, must have it. Everyone in the family can have fun with the Wii, from my three year old son, to my 72 year old father.

9. Video Games - Wii Fit, Guitar Hero & Rock Band. Enough said, get it if you can, but please don't cause harm to others trying to obtain a copy.

10. Mini Laptop Computer - These are so cute and little with their 8.9" screen, they are perfect for traveling, or if you don't want to spend a ton of cash on a system for your teenager, or if you just want to take it with you everywhere because wifi is everywhere. Dell and Acer are offering these up for about the same $350 price point in different colors, and Dell has some cute color coordinated accessories to match perfectly.