Experts share tips on scoring the best end-of-year sales

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's the end of the year and retailers are trying to clear out inventory - and that means there are some great sales to be had!

What should you consider buying, and what should you wait on? We went to the experts.

"It is as big as Black Friday in some ways, but very different," said Summer Hull, director of content at The Points Guy.

If you are in the market for new clothes, you might be in luck. Hull says some seasonal clothing is discounted for as much as 80% off right now if you dare to dig through.

"When you get to the more diverse retailers with a bunch of different things - Nordstrom, J. Crew - there what you are seeing is discount on sale. Maybe it's not the newest black and white winter color, but it's the fall colors that are almost 80-90% off at times," Hull said.

Another thing to consider scooping up: gift sets.

"Whether that is hair products, makeup, beauty products, candles, those are on serious discount too. If you want to go ahead and buy for the teacher, the doorman, etc. next year, go ahead. You can do it now and save it! We are starting to see sales on a lot of the fitness items - New Year's resolutions - and that will likely continue over the next week and into January," said Hull.

Holiday décor is understandably deeply discounted right now, and Star Brown of Jeffersonville got some for half off.

"Christmas lights and that kind of stuff. We bought some here yesterday and I got home and they were fabulous, so I should have gotten more!" said Brown.

"Right now some of the smartest buys you can make is that nonperishable holiday stuff: string lights, ornaments, boxes of cards, toys and games. If retailers didn't sell those items, they are extra eager to get them off shelves," said Kristin McGrath, Shopping Expert at blackfriday.com

What about things you are better off waiting to buy?

"Definitely wait on anything that is home goods: sheets, comforters, mattresses - unless you stumble on the perfect item for you. Those things typically get discounted in January, they have for a century, and that hasn't really changed," said Hull.

And if you missed out on the Black Friday TV deals, no need to worry. Your time is coming and you might even score a better deal!

"At the end of the day, TVs are a discretionary buy. Someone might want to upgrade for the Super Bowl, so retailers are competing with each other and trying to convince consumers to make that jump with really good deals," said McGrath. "In the lead up to the Super Bowl, you tend to find deals on higher quality sets, whereas Black Friday is all about those door busters - the super cheap TVs that make the headlines and get all the buzz. If you are going for higher quality, I would shop leading up to the Super Bowl."

And a few more tips from the experts:

"Try to couple the end-of-year shopping with your return strategy. If you got something you didn't like and can return for a store gift card, that's something you can put into your end-of-year sales shopping. Make sure you are signed up for the retailer's rewards programs," said McGrath.

"There are some credit card perks that are tied to a calendar year. A good example is the AMEX platinum card: it comes with a $50 Saks credit every six months and will expire Dec 31st, so use it now!" said Hull. "Also, with some credit cards in the last quarter of the year, you'll see a lot of point bonuses. For example, a lot of the Chase Freedom cards have five points per dollar on Amazon purchases through Dec. 31.

"And what I like to do is start my search at a site called cashbackmonitor.com and it will show you all of them. There is a ton of cashback and bonus airlines miles sites, whether you're shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue or Home Depot online. Start there and you may earn a few extra dollars back!"