I am as pitiful as the next guy when it comes to holiday shopping.

You'll find me near the picked-over bin of sweaters on Christmas Eve. So I'll never be the spokesmodel for a campaign to urge people to shop early.

MOST POPULAR STORIES 2005 Class AAAAA Playoffs | High schools 2005 Class AAAA Playoffs | High schools Ex-Falcon Bartkowski battling cancer Mass. Democrats Angered by 'KKK' Joke High schools: Gwinnett | Sports
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
BILL HUSTED • E-mail Husted • Recent columns • Recent Q&A columns

But if something electronic is on your gift list this year — anything from an MP3 player to a computer to a big-screen TV — I can help you get a head start on the season.

It's important to be a smart shopper when it comes to items that may top out in the thousands of dollars. A guy might get away with buying sweaters on Christmas Eve, but there are big dangers when you make last-minute decisions for big-ticket electronics.

So let me help with a high-tech shopping course that can save time and money. We need to start now, not in December. Given my own bad habits, this is sort of hypocritical. But hey, that's my job at times: Bill Husted, professional hypocrite.

Let's break down shopping for consumer electronics into two easy steps.

Phase one: Research

If you wander down the aisles without doing research, you'll get plenty of advice from clerks. And — this may surprise you — I'm impressed with their depth of knowledge, especially compared to how things were 10 years ago. But even the best of them are still salesmen. They're limited to the products on the shelves and also subject to pep talks from bosses who may need to push one product or another.

So you need to make most of your buying decisions before walking into the store. The Web is the place for your research. My favorite site — which has reviews for home theater systems, computers, camcorders, digital cameras and almost any other gadget — is cnet.com. I also respect the opinions of the editors of Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org). These two seemingly impartial sites make a terrific starting place.

These sites are general enough to cover almost any consumer electronics item you may be considering. On the other hand, they cover so much ground that they cannot offer the depth of more specialized sites.

For instance, if you're buying a computer, you should add pcworld.com to your list of research bookmarks. It's a terrific place for reviews of computers and software.

If you're considering a digital camera, check out dpreview.com. I can't say enough about this site. It doesn't pull punches. If a product is a dog, the review will practically bark. If you read a review that says the camera is good, rest assured it is.

For television and home theater, I like dlp.com (which specializes in HDTVs that use the technology called DLP) and hdtv.net (for more general HDTV information).

You can also add other Web sites by searching for product information using that old standby, google.com. But be careful. You'll find many sites filled with glowing product reviews. So scan the reviews and be skeptical if all are positive.

Phase two: Shopping

Now that you're armed with plenty of information, it's time to narrow your choices. But give yourself at least a couple of choices. That's important because — as my real estate agent wife would tell you — you'll get the best deals when you can keep some emotional distance as the purchaser.

Once you have your short list, go back to the Web and compare prices. You'll find they can vary considerably from store to store. All of the big retailers have Web sites, so you can check out prices without leaving your home. (You can also use Google's shortcut, called Froogle, which will show a list of dozens of online stores and prices for a single product.)

You'll probably see some really amazing prices from no-name sites that operate only on the Web. While some are legitimately offering good prices and a fair deal, I suggest you stick with major retailers. Some of these Web-only businesses can cause holiday heartbreak. I've had e-mail after e-mail complaining about late shipments, products without U.S. warranties and downright fraud. Unless you know for certain that one of these no-name sites is a safe bet, stick with the big guys for big purchases.

After the price comparison is done, it's time to go to the store. The same people who spend hours bargaining with a car dealer are often afraid to bargain when it comes to a computer or a home theater system. When the sticker price gets close to $2,000 and beyond, there usually is room for bargaining, even at a retail store.

Once the clerk has given you the final price, ask if there is any wiggle room. You may get a small reduction, or an offer of free delivery and set-up, or some free accessories. I promise you that the stores have the flexibility to do that. When I bought my big-screen TV at a national retailer, I was able to save more than $300 by bargaining.

Good luck shopping. And as I tell my family each year, it's never too early to start.