Best deal of the year was the day my computer system died and I couldn't get online for a day...yes, a full 24 hours without reading the whining and moaning at Anandtech :Q
I have to disagree about what kind of year it was - it may not have been as good as previous years, but it WAS still a GREAT year for deals. I got in on over 15 great digital camera deals this year, more than 10 CD burners, 20 or so handheld PCs, 6 printers, 3 scanners, 4 monitor deals and a crapload of other HOT deals throughout 2001. I guess that type of year one had is commensurate with one's effort in finding and taking advantage of those hot deals.
The hottest merchandise deal for me this year was the Minolta Dimage 7 5.24 megapixel digital camera on November 21st. Bought 2 at around $279.00 (net) after MSN and PM, sold 1 for $829, and that more than paid for the one I kept...awesome $1,500.00 retail camera with a superb lens, but it absolutely decimates my batteries.
Honorable mentions:
1. 1.9% interest from one of my existing credit cards...nearly free money
2. Three Sony FD95 digital cameras from CompUSA - two @ $249.95, one at $0.00 :Q
3. HP 215 digital camera + accessory kit at Staples around June...ended up getting paid around $250 to take that piece of crap after a bunch of pricematches/coupons.
4. Staples $10.00 off $10.00 coupons that my entire family and relatives used to pick up over $400.00 worth of merchandise for free.
5. Staples - for ALL of the dozens of coupons, pricematches and freebies that they gifted to me and my family this year. Staples STILL rocks.
WORST deals of the year:
1. Philips CD burner from WorstBuy...21 weeks and counting on the rebate, though I did get the BB rebate, sold the burner, and got $20 from Amex BVG to boot. Philips has earned the distinction of being the only company to be added to my sh*t list this year (that's the list of companies I will not do business with in this lifetime).
2. Dell - everything Dell did this year...and every year. Dreadful customer service, insanely long hold times on the phone, being transferred from department to department and even being passed back to the same person multiple times, excruciatingly slow delivery times, never knowing if your merchandise is on its way or not, and the list goes on and on. Dell is the company from Hell. Yet I still bite when they have deals that nobody else does - I guess I'm a glutton for punishment
3. PhotoAlley.
[Edit]: thanks to everyone that took the time to post some fantastic deals throughout this year.