Happy Thanksgiving...and Happy Shopping!

Tomorrow is for turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But, come Friday morning, Thanksgiving will be over and the Christmas season will be officially underway as stuffed shoppers burn off their Thanksgiving calories by hitting the stores for an event that seems to start earlier each year: Black Friday.

The day after Thanksgiving always boasts some of the best sales of the year, and those who are willing to brave the crowds and the early morning lines can walk away with quite a bit of holiday loot for an undeniably great price. But, with sales that seem to begin before the turkey has even cooled, sleeping in or even just stopping for a bagel can mean missing out on major deals. So, to make sure you don’t miss out on Dad’s HDTV, here’s a guide to some of the best sales in our area. You may want to get out your sleeping bags and consider asking for your turkey to go.

Bed Bath & Beyond, on 61st and First, is offering 20% off on your entire purchase. But only if you shop between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Best Buy: You can definitely get the best buy around with the annual Doorbusters sale, but you’ll have to follow the rules. The store at 86th and Lexington opens at 5 a.m., but a line will form hours earlier and, starting at 3 a.m., tickets will be handed out to customers at the front of the line. Once you have a ticket, you can purchase any Doorbusters items – as long as you do so before 9 a.m., which is when the Doorbusters prices end and the merchandise is released to the general public.

Circuit City: If you miss out on Best Buy tickets, head down 86th Street to Circuit City, where doors open at 5 a.m. as well and items like Compaq laptops and Samsung HDTVs will be drastically reduced until 10 a.m.

Game Stop, also on 86th and Lexington, lets you sleep in a bit this year, with doors opening at 7 a.m and sale prices holding until 11 a.m. But you may want to line up early, as Nintendo DS bundles are on sale for $149.99, and Game Stop is giving away $30 gift cards with the purchase of any Playstation 2.

Staples’ 86th and Lexington location is featuring Early Bird Specials this year. From paper to electronics, it’s all on sale as long as you get there between 6 and 10 a.m.

And, while the clothing chains in our area aren’t featuring special hours, be sure to stop in to Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, The Gap, and Foot Locker for some extra holiday deals.

Good luck! And, of course, have a happy Thanksgiving!