Today is Cyber Monday, Shop Wisely!

The media is reporting that Black Friday 2011 was the best in history, with some figures giving over $50 billion in total retail sales for the day. Now, the brick and mortar retailers having had their day, its the online stores' turn with today, Cyber Monday, the day online retailers traditionally offer their deepest discounts of the year.

However, not all is rosy.

While there are obviously some major perks to online shopping (no long lines, no mad rushes, probably no sales taxes, guaranteed availability, and no getting pepper sprayed or shot), there are some downsides to online shopping, namely shipping charges, return policies, and lack of a hands-on shopping experience. For anyone wanting detailed explanations, check out my examiner page for an in-depth look at the pros and cons of Cyber Monday.

Don't Hold Your Breath for New Toys
The start of the Christmas shopping season has, with Cyber Monday, officially started, which means, in all likelihood, that there will be no major announcements in the photo industry until at least January. Why? Being so close to Christmas, there is simply not enough time to announce a new, major camera and then get it to stores fast enough to cash in in time for Christmas. So, for all of you dreamers waiting for a Nikon D800, Canon 5DIII, or an update to a favorite, yet old lens, sorry, you'll have to wait for at least a couple of months before your dream toy may come into being.

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