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MARKETPLACE:  Auto | Jobs | People Search | Personals | Travel | Yellow Pages  March 16, 2006
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Contact 4 Finds Best Holiday Deals
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(KRON) -- Christmas means spending time with family and friends, and like it or not, spending money seems to go with that. But there are ways to save, especially if you do a little research.

Contact 4 interns went to work, looking for the best deals on three of this year’s most popular new items: The JVC Everio GZ MG20 camcorder, the Iz and the Panasonic LS 90 portable DVD player.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for these three items are $800, $39.99, and $399.95 respectively. But who says you have to pay that?

First up: the Everio. It’s a new kind of camcorder that records right onto a hard drive so you don't have to bother with tapes or DVDs. The model that we went with is the most affordable in the line. It comes with a 20 GB hard drive.

Our intern Myriam Beltran shopped in various stores, took to the phones and searched the Internet.

“The cheapest item I found was in zoommania.com.”

A total cost of $546. A huge savings compared to the $800 manufacturer's price.

“I found it more convenient to shop online because you don't have the pressure of a salesperson.”

Next up, the Iz, a new toy that connects to your iPod to play and dance to the songs.

“Its a fun new toy for the digital age.”

Was it possible to knock some bucks off this $40 creature?

Stephanie Look took up the challenge.

“The lowest price I found was on amazon.com.”

$24.98 for the Izzes that come in holiday red or green. The blue one costs $37.99. You'll also need to tack on some extra bucks for shipping and handling.

But Stephanie says the Internet doesn't always mean the best deal.

At lowestdeal.com, the blue Iz costs $49.99.

“For people who are not computer savvy, you would think that it was a good deal.”

Lastly, the Panasonic DVD LS90.

“Whether they're on the airplane or driving in the car, it's something that can keep them entertained.”

Christianna Merfalen visited stores, worked the phones, but again, found some great deals on the Internet.

The cheapest price I found was on futurepowerpc.com.

$310 including shipping. Its already a good price, but with a $50 rebate, it comes to $260.

“You can go out and buy some accessories with it for your portable DVD player with the savings.”

So a bit of research can save you a bundle. And while the websites we mentioned have good ratings, you need to check yours before buying.

While these are great prices, they have gone up and down in the last couple of weeks. Some businesses are also running out of some items. You may have to wait until after Christmas to receive them. Finally, before you buy anywhere, make sure you know and agree with the company’s return policy.

(Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)

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