海角大神

Yes, you really are seeing the same Black Friday deals every year

Black Friday has an entire mythology built up around it. "These prices are too good to miss. You'll never see a price that low again." Until next year, that is.  

When it comes to Black Friday, we often get a sense of deja vu. Maybe you've experienced it too. You're excitedly flipping through the lasted Black Friday ad leak, only to realize that it all looks suspiciously听familiar.听

Is听it actually last year's ad? You check the cover for the dates. Nope, it's current.听But wasn't that exact same cookware set on sale for the exact same price last year?

In short, yes, it probably was. In fact, once you put the ads side by side, it's undeniably clear, even laughably so, that听the exact same deals are served up by the same stores听every year.

Black Friday has an entire mythology built up around it.听These prices are too good to miss. You'll never see a price that low again. Get it before it's gone!听And yet the clear message that emerged from our research is that the Black Friday deal is rarely your only shot. In fact, those low prices aren't just repeated annually, but in some cases are found several times throughout the year.

The big takeaway is something anyone who's been around the block a few times with Black Friday probably already suspected: Black Friday听not your last chance for these deals - not by a long shot. And if you missed a Black Friday deal? Just wait a few months. It'll probably be back sooner than you think.

Let's take a deeper look at听some of the repeat offenders we found, shall we?

Target

When we saw this side-by-side comparison, we did a double, er,听triple听take. Not only has听used the same layout three years in a row, the deals didn't even materially change. That KitchenAid stand mixer? $199 every year. Various small kitchen electrics? Despite a different breakfast being served on the griddle, that too is听pretty much the same. Even the Pyrex set is the same price, though there was an extra piece in the set in 2014. It even has a pie! Though if you look closely, it's a different pie. Thank goodness for that, right?

We also noted in our research that Target has had a Nikon Coolpix L-series camera on the cover for $99 three years in a row now, though it's always one model newer than the previous year.

Here are a few more examples of the Target repeats we found:

• Nikon D3200 DSLR 2-Lens Bundle听for听$499.99 in 2013 and $496.99 in 2014, a price difference of only $3.
• Casio 61-Key Electric听Keyboard听for听$64.99.
• Cabbage Patch Kids Doll Set听for听$24.99 in 2013, $25 in 2014, a price difference of just one听penny.
• Our Generation 18" Dolls听for听$20.
• Razor Electric Scooters听for听$89 in 2013, $90 in 2014.
• Air Mattresses听for $64 in 2013, $65 in 2014.
• Kids Bikes听for $57 in 2013, $59 in 2014.
• T-Fal 20-pc. Cookware Set听for $49.99.
• KitchenAid Knife Set听for $24.99 in 2012, $29.99 in 2013, and back to $24.99 in 2014.

It's also worth noting that Black Friday was definitely not the last chance for听many deals here.听We found the Beats by Dre Wireless Studio Headphones listed on听听for $.05 less at听听in in July. Similarly, the Nikon D3200 bundle I mentioned above was found at听it's Black Friday price at听听two days before Christmas - which also helps destroy the myth that you'll pay more if you wait until the last minute for your Christmas shopping.

Walmart

One of the Black Friday deals that immediately leapt to mind when we began researching repeat deals was a Rachael Ray cookware set. Heck, I even have a set of these at home (though mine are green). They've popped up in听several retailers' Black Friday sales听in 2013 and 2014, though听always has them listed for $10 cheaper than anyone else.

When we tracked it down, Walmart at least varied their layout, but the orange enameled cookware is so distinctive that it almost leaps off the page.听These Rachael Ray cookware sets are slightly different, but some variation of this same set has been priced at $89 at Walmart two years running. We'll almost certainly see it again in 2015.

Other Walmart repeats we spotted:

• Small kitchen electrics听for $9.44 in 2013, $9.77 in 2014. The prices are $.33 off, which at under $10 can make a difference, but they were close enough that we felt it听merited a mention.
• 20" Hardside Luggage听for $25.
• Pyrex 24-pc. Bake and Store Set听for $19.
• Presto GranPappy Fryer听for $15.
• Rival Hand Stand Mixer听for $15.

Overall, Walmart had fewer repeat deals than we expected. If they had more than we found, they were well obfuscated by a听changing ad layout that made page-by-page comparisons more of a challenge.

Sears

At first glance, it doesn't look like too much is the same at听. But when you dig into the individual items on the page, it's another story entirely. In fact, at least on this particular page, they come across as one of the worst听repeat deal offenders. Just on this听one page you find:

• KitchenAid 5-qt. Stand Mixer听for $199.99.
• Ladies Boots听for $19.99.
• Faux Wool Belted Coats听for $16.99.
• X-treme 7" Tablets听for $39.99.

Mostly, we're confused by the randomness of the deals on the page, which bounces from kitchen appliances to tools to ladies footwear to jewelry to fitness equipment.听It really lacks focus. But I digress.

A few more repeats from Sears:

• Kenmore Washer & Dryer Set听for $799.98 in 2013, and $799.99 in 2014.
• Craftsman 11-Drawer Tool Chest听for $199.99.
• Dyson DC40 Origin Upright Vacuum听for $299.99.

As with Target, we also noted that the Dyson DC40 was available much cheaper outside of Black Friday.听We spotted this model for $203 in March, then for $200 in April, May, and June.

Toys 'R' Us

So far as the darlings of Black Friday go,听听probably fares the best on the repeat deal test - but only because toy trends change so rapidly that old toys are quickly replaced with newcomers. Even classic toys like Barbie and LEGO are constantly iterating new versions of themselves, making it difficult to make a meaningful year-over-year comparison. (The same happens with electronics, which is why we didn't look at retailers like Best Buy for this project.)听However, we did find听a few patterns worth noting. Probably the most interesting example was right听on the front page of the Toys R Us Black Friday ad, where $37.50 has been the go-to price on the latest Skylanders starter packs for two years in a row.

Other Toys R Us deal repeats we found include:

• Leapfrog Explorer Software听for $15.
• Fisher-Price Medical Kit听for $7.49.
• Imaginarium 55-pc. Train Set with Table听for $39.99.

Beyond that, there isn't much to say about Toys R Us Black Friday deals. They're pretty all right.

Bon-Ton

The same reversible down-alternative comforters, the same boots -听the only thing that's really changed on听听front page over the last three years has been the sale's start time. They also add one more boot to the page every year. (Will we see five boots on the cover in 2015? Inquiring minds want to know!) In fact, when we flipped through the Bon-Ton ad,听page for page,听the last three years were听nearly identical.

Some of the most notable repeated deals at Bon-Ton:

• Reversible Down-Alternative Comforters听for $19.97.
• Luggage听for 65% off.
• Dog Beds听for $9.97.
• Rachael Ray 15-pc. Cookware Set听for $99.97
• Keurig K10 Mini Plus听for $89.97.
• Keurig K45 Elite听for $99.97.

As for the Keurigs, this wasn't even a good price for them. The best deal we saw on a K10 this year (and best price ever) was $49.99 directly from听听in August, but we also saw it in the $56-$65 range at other stores in July, August and September this year. You should never be paying more than that for a K10, and you really don鈥檛 have to wait for Black Friday to make that happen.

Kohl's

Lest you get the idea that we're against the idea of repeat Black Friday deals, I give you听one of our favorite deals of all time:听KitchenAid Stand Mixers at Kohl's.

听always lists the 4.5-qt. model at $199.99, same as just about everyone else who puts it in their own Black Friday ads, but Kohl's totally wins on this every year for two reasons:

1. They always give听$15 Kohl鈥檚 Cash per $50 spent for the holidays (a nice boost from the usual rate of $10 per $50).
2. They always have really excellent coupons that stack on top of most discounts and other coupons.

Throw in the excellent mail-in rebate and it works out to ~$145听for the 4.5-qt. model, plus $45 Kohl's Cash, and we're always excited to see it return every year. While we see KitchenAid deals all year long (seriously, if you pay full price for a KitchenAid stand mixer, you're doing it all wrong), the Black Friday deal at Kohl's听is legitimately the best deal we see on these all year long. Two years ago, I bought one for my Mom. Last year, I bought one for myself. This year... let's just say I have someone in mind. We're professional deal hunters over here, and we STILL听look forward to it.

It's not the only Black Friday repeat at Kohl's, of course:

• Fiesta 5-pc. Place Setting听for $24.99 in 2012, then $23.99 in 2013 and 2014.
• The Big One Bath Towels听for $2.99.
• Apt 9 Towels听for $5.99.
• Dress and Casual Boots听for $24.99.
• Women's Tek Gear Quilted Jackets听for $29.99.
• Kids' Character Slippers听for $6.99.

Once again, we听noticed that at least one deal was actually cheaper after Black Friday. The 5-pc. Fiesta Set mentioned above was available听for $16 in August at Bon-Ton, and $20 at Kohl's in September.

So what exactly are we trying to prove here?

As consumers, the realization听that you can buy a discounted听Keurig or Dyson vacuum or KitchenAid Stand Mixer nearly every month of the year is liberating. It's hard not to see听听for what it is: a lot of hype about deals that often return again and again throughout the year. It doesn't mean that Black Friday deals are bad, only that they're not听always听so special as retail听propaganda would have you believe. Once you know that, the urgency听is gone, leaving you in a better position听to make a more clear-headed buying decision.

And naturally, if听a Black Friday deal听really is that special,听.