Hand Picked Deals

Amazon just launched a special promotion offering a $300 discount when you purchase the Nikon D300 camera body with either the 18-200mm or 16-85mm VR Lens. You’ll notice the offer in the “Special Offers and Product Promotions” section of the 18-200mm lens product page:

If you click “Add Both to Cart”, you will get the Nikon D300 body and 18-200mm lens added to your cart. When you proceed through the checkout process, the $300 discount will be automatically deducted from the subtotal. Here’s what it looks like:

So for $1907.95, you can get an excellent camera and an excellent lens. The same combo is selling as a kit for about $2150 at Amazon and other reputable online stores, so the special offer price is very attractive.

And don’t forget that you also get Free Shipping and for most states (except WA, NY, KY, KS, ND) there is No Sales Tax.

If you prefer the 16-85mm Lens, there is a similar “Add Both to Cart” button on its product page… In this case, the total after discount will be $1822.99.

You can click the links above to go to Amazon’s site to see the products, or just use this links below:

Amazon.com — Nikon D300 camera body

Amazon.com — 18-200mm VR Lens

Amazon.com — 16-85mm VR Lens

October 27th, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Comments Off

Until July 6, Amazon is offering a $100 instant discount when you buy a qualifying Nikon DSLR camera with an additional qualifying lens.
Click here for the promo details at Amazon.com.

In addition to the savings, Amazon offers Free Super Saver Shipping and for most states there is no sales tax (the only exceptions are KS, KY, ND, NY and WA). Together, it all adds up to an excellent deal.

Here are some of the combos available, at the current prices:

Nikon D40 w/ 18-55mm kit + 55-200mm lens
= $467.04 + $149.09 - $100 discount = $516.13

Nikon D60 w/ 18-55mm kit + 55-200mm lens
= $659.99 + $149.09 - $100 discount = $709.08

Nikon D60 w/ 18-55mm kit + 55-200mm VR lens * (see note below)
= $659.99 + $211.66 - $100 discount = $771.65

Nikon D80 - currently out of stock

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* - Just a note about the Nikon 55-200mm VR Lens… Its availability is currently listed as “Usually ships in 1 to 3 months”, but that’s generally a worst case scenario. Amazon’s stock is refilled quite regularly, so there’s a good chance you’d get it quite a bit sooner than that. You can order the combo now and request the camera to be shipped separately from the lens, so that you at least get the camera quickly. And the $100 instant discount applies even if the items are shipped separately, so you would still get the savings.

May 31st, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Comments (1)

The Amazon Kindle ebook reader has been a very popular item at Amazon.com, which is the only place to buy it from. Its price has been $399 since it was released in November 2007, but this morning the price was dropped by $40…so it’s now just $359. (Plus there’s free shipping and no sales tax for most states.)

Click here to see the Kindle reader at Amazon.com for $359

Amazon has a large collection of Kindle books for prices considerably lower than their printed versions. So if you do a lot of reading, the Kindle can be a great bargain over time.

Here are some of the key features/benefits listed on Amazon’s site:
- Paper-like Screen
- Wireless Access
- Weighs only 10.3 Ounces
- Ergonomic Design
- Built-in Dictionary
- Adjustable Text Size

Click the link above to visit the Kindle product page at Amazon.com for the full details.

May 27th, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Comments (2)

June 5 update: Many of these Samsung HDTV’s have had a significant price drop recently… Details below have been updated.

June 6 update: There is also an offer for a Free TiVo HD with the Samsung LN52A550 and some other TVs. Click here for more details…offer valid through June 9.

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The last post was about some Samsung HDTVs with a special offer for a free DVD player, but those are not the only deals on Samsung TVs that Amazon has right now. There are some other HDTVs on sale that are selling even better, mostly because of the excellent price.

Here again are the benefits of buying a Samsung HDTV from Amazon.com:
1) Low discount prices
2) Free White Glove Delivery Service
3) No Tax in most states

Each of these is explained in more detail below…

Low discount prices
Here are some of the best selling Samsung HDTV’s at Amazon.com, in order of popularity. As you can see, the prices are very attractive:

(The links below will open in a new browser window so you can continue reading this page.)

Samsung LN46A550P 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV - $1568.99

Samsung LN52A550P 52-inch 1080p LCD HDTV - $1826.48

Compare to the competition (the reputable ones, at least) and you’ll see why Amazon’s prices are appealing.

Free White Glove Delivery Service
Here’s the key part of this delivery service from Amazon:

Damage-Free Delivery, Guaranteed
At your home delivery experts will place the carton in a room of your choice on the ground floor, unpack the product, and remove all packing materials from the residence. If you find signs of damage to your product, simply refuse delivery, and you will receive a refund.

But the other part to keep in mind is the timing of the delivery:

Once you place your order, your purchase is prepared for shipment and is delivered to a specialized delivery agent in your area. When the product arrives in the local facility, an agent will call you to arrange a four-hour delivery window between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. In some metropolitan areas, Saturday delivery is available if you are unable to be at home on a weekday.

For some people this works very well… but for others, it may not be so easy to arrange an appropriate delivery time. But the guarantee of a damage-free delivery is a big advantage in comparison to the delivery timing issue.

No Tax in most states
Last but not least, if you purchase from Amazon.com you will not have to pay any tax unless you are in Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota or Washingtons state. For all other states there is no tax. On a big purchase like an HDTV, the savings can be substantial.

So there you have it. Hopefully you’ve found a good price for a TV that you were looking for and will soon be able to enjoy in your home…

April 21st, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Leave a comment

May 6 update: This offer is now over, but Amazon is now offering a free Tivo HD with the purchase of some Samsung HDTV players.

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With the latest special offer for Samsung HDTVs from Amazon, there are now four great reasons to buy one from Amazon:
1) Low discount prices
2) Free Samsung 1080p Upconverting DVD player
3) Free White Glove Delivery Service
4) No Tax in most states

Scroll down to read more about each of these points…

(Don’t want to read the rest of the page? Then Click here for details of the special offer for a free 1080p DVD player with the purchase of a qualifying Samsung HDTV. The link will open in a new browser window…)

Low discount prices

Getting a good deal is important for many people these days…and Amazon does have some of the lowest prices around on large HDTVs. Here are the current prices of the TVs that qualify for a free DVD player:

Samsung LNT4661F 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV - $1399.99
(Currently sold out as of April 25)

Samsung LNT5265F 52-inch 1080p LCD HDTV - $1949.98
(Currently sold out as of April 25)

Samsung FPT6374 63-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV - $4254.99

These are very good prices from a reputable online store without pushy salespeople that try to sell you overpriced add-on products and warranties.

Free Samsung 1080p Upconverting DVD player

In addition to the discount prices on Samsung HDTVs, with your purchase a qualifying HDTV you also get a free Samsung 1080p upconverting DVD player (model DVD-1080P8). A 1080p upconverting DVD player is a great match for an HDTV because it will output excellent quality for viewing on the large screen TV. This DVD player sells for about $80 at Amazon and other online stores.

The details of the free DVD player offer are included on the product page of each qualifying Samsung HDTV, or you can click here to go straight to the promotion page.

Free White Glove Delivery Service

Here’s the key part of this delivery service from Amazon:

Damage-Free Delivery, Guaranteed
At your home delivery experts will place the carton in a room of your choice on the ground floor, unpack the product, and remove all packing materials from the residence. If you find signs of damage to your product, simply refuse delivery, and you will receive a refund.

But the other part to keep in mind is the timing of the delivery:

Once you place your order, your purchase is prepared for shipment and is delivered to a specialized delivery agent in your area. When the product arrives in the local facility, an agent will call you to arrange a four-hour delivery window between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. In some metropolitan areas, Saturday delivery is available if you are unable to be at home on a weekday.

For some people this works very well… but for others, it may not be so easy to arrange an appropriate delivery time. But the guarantee of a damage-free delivery is a big advantage in comparison to the delivery timing issue.

No Tax in most states

Last but not least, if you purchase from Amazon.com you will not have to pay any tax unless you are in Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota or Washingtons state. For all other states there is no tax. On a big purchase like an HDTV, the savings can be substantial.

Combine all of the four reasons above, and you’ll see why Amazon’s a pretty good place to buy a Samsung HDTV.

Got any comments on this deal? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

April 21st, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Leave a comment

If you’re been reading reviews of the Nikon D40 digital SLR camera, you probably already know that it’s an excellent choice for a beginner digital SLR — especially because of the quality of the lens that comes with the kit. I bought one last year and I’ve been very happy with it, as have so many other owners.

Right now Amazon.com is offering an excellent deal on the D40: get the Nikon D40 kit w/ 18-55mm lens and an extra Lithium-Ion battery for $452.19. Plus there’s Free Shipping, and for most states there’s No Tax.

Here’s how you get the deal… First, click here to view the Nikon D40 page on Amazon (link opens in a new window), then scroll down on that page to this section:

Click on the “Buy both and save” button, and the two items will be added to your cart. Then just go through the checkout process, near the end of which you will see this for your order total:

So that’s the Nikon D40 kit w/ 18-55mm lens and an extra battery, for a total of $452.19! I hope you enjoy the camera as much as I do.

February 10th, 2008 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Leave a comment

June 21 update: Yesterday, Amazon dropped their price on the BlackBerry 8800 down to $49.99 with no rebates, and today they added a $75 rebate if you get a $40 monthly plan. So the net price of the phone is -$25 (yes, that’s basically $25 in your pocket). The rebate is from Amazon and is valid for purchases made from June 21 to June 27.

The BlackBerry 8800 and Cingular 8525 (aka HTC TyTN) are two of the latest PDA phones on the Cingular network. If you want to get them directly from Cingular.com or a Cingular store, the prices are $299.99 after a $50 rebate for the BlackBerry 8800 and $399.99 after a $50 rebate for the Cingular 8525. Those prices are with a 2-year contract from Cingular.

However, you can get much lower prices from Amazon.com and less of your money gets tied up in a rebate:

Cingular BlackBerry 8800 - $149.99 $49.99 before $75 rebate at Amazon.com

Cingular 8525 (HTC TyTN) - $199.99 $159.99 at Amazon.com

The prices from Amazon are also for a 2-year contract with Cingular. You can either sign up for a new service plan, or upgrade your existing phone with Cingular as long as you are within 2 months of the end of your current contract (click the “Am I Eligible To Upgrade?” link at Amazon for more details…you may have to enter your Zip code first).

Also, don’t miss the “Special Offer” on the Amazon pages for these items, because you can get 2-day shipping at no additional cost. Just above the Technical Details section of the page, the Special Offer is listed and says: “Simply purchase this phone from Amazon.com with new service activation,* choose 2-day shipping at checkout, and the cost of the shipping will be deducted from your cart.” More details are on Amazon’s site.

Here’s a brief description of the BlackBerry 8800:

Sleek and stylish, the BlackBerry 8800 offers BlackBerry push e-mail in an innovative form factor, including a QWERTY keyboard and brilliant screen with HTML wireless internet browsing. The 8800 provides a host of productivity features including; internal GPS, connectivity to personal and corporate email, Bluetooth, Push-To-Talk, and speakerphone, all of which help you to stay connected and productive away from the office.

And a description of the Cingular 8525:

The Cingular 8525 is Cingular’s first UMTS/HSDPA PDA. It is a full-featured Pocket PC and world-phone, allowing users to take advantage of the robust capabilities of the Windows Mobile operating system, while having a single device that allows users to be productive both during work and personal time. As a 3G device, the Cingular 8525 allows for simultaneous voice & data, which is a key differentiator over competitive EVDO products. Another key differentiator of the Cingular 8500/8525 is its support for Bluetooth v2.0. Bluetooth v2.0 allows for up to six active Bluetooth connections simultaneously. For example, a user could have a tethered connection to a PC via Bluetooth, while having a conversation on their Bluetooth headset, or use a Bluetooth GPS accessory for navigation while on a call on their Bluetooth headset.

March 24th, 2007 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | Leave a comment

Dec 28, 12:55 AM EST update: These are sold out for now…

Nintendo Wii Remote Controller — $39.99 at Amazon.com

The Nintendo Wii Remote Controller (or Wiimote, as it’s often called) has been a hard-to-find item lately because it keeps selling out. Right now, Amazon.com has it in stock for $39.99 with Free Shipping, so if you’re looking for one then grab it while you can! It sold out earlier tonight, but is back in stock…for now.

Note: The Wii Nunchuck Controller is currently not in stock at Amazon. If it becomes available, this page will be updated.

December 27th, 2006 | Category: Electronics | Leave a comment