Five Places Online to Find Great Deals on Computers, TVs, and Other Electronics

Shopping for electronics can be a hellish nightmare. Trying to sort through countless search engine results to find that one trustworthy site can be a near impossibility. Good deals can be found online, one simply needs to know where to go. Here, in no particular order, are my personal top five online places to purchase electronics. Many of the electronics in my home have come from these five places.

1. Woot.com

Woot.com's "deal a day" method has often been copied, but never quite equaled. The site offers one item a day, new ones go up at midnight, Central Standard Time. You can't find exactly what you're looking for on any given day, but if you know you want to buy something and can wait until it comes up, or are just looking for good deals, Woot is the site for you.

They also have a monthly "woot off." During a "woot off," items come up one after another then change when stock is depleted. Many rabid woot fans will stay up all night hoping not to miss a fabulous deal. I've seen everything from LCD TVs, laptop computers, and surround sound systems to cordless screwdrivers and stuffed flying monkeys. Woot offs are not announced in advance, but news tends to travel fast once they've started.

On special occasions, (usually once during each woot off and on certain holidays like Christmas, Easter, and the woot anniversary, July 12) woot will offer a "bag of crap" for one dollar. Ordering one (or three) is difficult because when they come up the servers take a huge pounding, but those who get through usually end up with mystery items worth far more than their one dollar price tag. Occasionally, very high-priced items like DVD players and computers even make their way into a "B.O.C."

I check woot.com every day. The amazing deals definitely make it worth adding to your bookmarks.

2. sellout.woot.com

Woot's lesser-known cousin. Same concept, one deal a day, just no woot offs. I check them both religiously.

Also worth noting is shirt.woot.com. They sell t-shirts, not electronics, in the same one a day format. The shirts are usually one of a kind and they sell for just ten dollars. I swear half my wardrobe has come from there.

3. www.slickdeals.net

Slickdeals is a website where members submit various electronics deals they find around the net. The deals are posted in the forums and the very best make it onto the front page. You can routinely find links to sub $400 laptops and desktops. Video game deals are also numerous. Everytime Gamestop emails out a 25% off coupon, a scan of it seems to appear almost instantly.

Again, you're not going to be able to find exactly what you want on any given day here, but if you're willing to wait for something to come up, you can save a bunch of money.

4. www.tigerdirect.com

Tiger direct sells all types of electronics. They have DVD players, digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones, PC parts, just about anything. Much of their merchandise is reconditioned, so you can get it much cheaper than you would from Best Buy or Circuit City. The site also has video tutorials, so if you buy some RAM and have no idea how to install it, they have you covered.

Unlike woot and slickdeals, you stand a pretty good chance of finding exactly what you're looking for on any given day at tiger direct. Their shipping times are excellent and I've never had a problem with a reconditioned product purchased from them.

5. www.craigslist.com

Ah, craigslist. Where else can you find a new TV, some livestock, soiled panties, and a for-hire companion all at the same time?

If you don't mind sifting through a bit of garbage, there are actually some fantastic deals to be found on craigslist. Fortunately, the electronics deals are located on their own page, safe from the more salacious ads.

True, not every seller is reputable, but exercise common sense and you can probably find exactly what you're looking for at a decent price. Buying from a private party is almost always cheaper than going through a middle man, and if you buy local you can avoid shipping costs altogether.

It may take a bit of patience to find exactly what you're looking for, but with some perseverance, that elusive hardware deal you've searched for can be found. Thanks for reading, and good luck.