Black Friday promises 30-50% discounts. Some stores deliver. Others inflate prices before cutting them, creating the illusion of savings.
This guide helps you identify real deals, understand which printers actually discount, and know the best times to buy throughout the year.
How Black Friday Pricing Actually Works
Genuine discount (real deal):
- Bambu Lab X1 normally $799
- Black Friday price: $599
- Savings: $200 (25% off)
- This is a real discount (manufacturer actually cut profits)
False discount (marketing trick):
- Unknown brand “Pro MaxPrinter 3000” normally $500 (nobody actually pays this)
- Listed “sale price”: $199 (60% off!)
- Reality: Wholesale cost is probably $150, so $199 is standard price, just rebranded as sale
How to tell the difference:
- Search Google price history (CamelCamelCamel for Amazon)
- Check past year’s prices (was this printer $500 last summer?)
- Compare across retailers (if only one store has the “discount,” it’s fake)
Black Friday Real Discounts (2025 Data)
Actual discounts from major brands:
| Printer | Normal Price | Black Friday 2025 | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ender 3 V3 | $229 | $189 | 17% |
| Prusa MK4S | $999 | $849 | 15% |
| Bambu Lab X1 | $799 | $599 | 25% |
| Artillery X2 | $399 | $329 | 17% |
| Creality K2 | $499 | $399 | 20% |
| Monoprice MP Mini | $149 | $99 | 33% |
Pattern observed:
- Major brands: 15-25% discounts
- Budget brands: 25-35% discounts
- Premium brands: Smaller discounts (less room for negotiation)
Honest assessment: Black Friday discounts are meaningful but not revolutionary. You save $50-150 depending on printer, not 50%.
Which Printers Actually Discount?
Heavy discounters:
- Creality (always discounts 15-25%)
- Anycubic (aggressive, 25-30% typical)
- Monoprice (budget brand, 30-40%)
- Artillery (sometimes participates, 20-25% when they do)
Light discounters:
- Bambu Lab (discounts moderately, 20-25%)
- Prusa (smaller discounts, 10-15%, less aggressive)
- Formlabs (minimal discounts, rarely more than 10%)
Strategy: If buying a Creality printer, Black Friday makes sense. If buying Prusa, minimal advantage (wait for Cyber Monday, sales are similar).
The Full Year Discount Calendar
January-February (Post-Holiday):
- Clearance of holiday inventory
- 15-25% discounts common
- Best reason to buy: Retailers clearing stock
March-April (Spring renewal):
- Seasonal buying picks up
- 10-15% discounts sporadic
- Not ideal timing
May-August (Summer slump):
- Lowest discounts of year (5-10%)
- Retailers not motivated to move inventory
- Worst time to buy
September-October (Back-to-school / Pre-holiday):
- Black Friday prep begins
- 10-15% discounts emerging
- Prime Day (mid-October) sometimes has deals
November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday):
- 15-25% discounts peak
- Best single event for discounts
December (Last-minute):
- Deep clearance on slow-moving models
- 20-30% discounts on overstocked items
- Hidden gem timing (nobody thinks to buy in December)
Timing Strategy by Scenario
Scenario 1: You need a printer now (this month)
Strategy:
- Check current prices across Amazon, Creality, B&H
- Compare to 6-month average (Google price history)
- If price is within 10% of average, buy now (discount isn’t coming)
- If price is 15%+ above average, wait for sale (coming within 2 weeks)
Expected discount: 5-10%
Scenario 2: You’re flexible on timing (next 3 months)
Strategy:
- Wait for January post-holiday clearance OR
- Wait for Black Friday in November (if buying within 9 months)
- Check retailer email lists (early bird notifications)
Expected discount: 15-20%
Scenario 3: You’re very patient (timeline flexible)
Strategy:
- Wait for January post-holiday (15-20% discounts)
- If January prices bad, wait for Black Friday (15-25% discounts)
- If neither materializes, December clearance (20-30% on specific models)
Expected discount: 20-25% (best case)
How to Find Black Friday Deals Before They’re Gone
Real strategy (not Amazon notification):
-
Join manufacturer emails: Creality, Bambu Lab, Prusa email lists
- Manufacturers announce sales 24 hours early to subscribers
- You get first pick before stock runs out
-
Follow deal aggregators:
- Slickdeals (users post deals in real-time)
- RetailMeNot (coupons and discount codes)
- Reddit r/3Dprinting (community shares deals)
-
Check price history before buying:
- CamelCamelCamel (Amazon price tracking)
- Keepa (detailed price charts)
- Know if a “discount” is actually a new low
-
Set up price alerts:
- Amazon: Add to watchlist, set price notification
- Retailer websites: Many have alert systems
- Pushes notification when price drops
Black Friday Deal Evaluation Framework
For each deal you see, ask:
-
Is this printer on my target list?
- If no, skip it (even great deals on wrong printer waste money)
-
What’s the normal price?
- Google it, check history
- If this discount is in line with annual pattern, it’s normal
-
Is it the right time for me?
- Do I need this printer now or just want a deal?
- Buying just for discount often leads to buyer’s remorse
-
What are the return terms?
- 30-day return standard
- Some retailers offer extended returns in November (better for Black Friday risk)
-
Bundle value?
- Discounts often come with included:
- Extra filament ($20-40 value)
- Nozzles ($10-20 value)
- Build surface ($20-40 value)
- Real value might be higher than price discount suggests
- Discounts often come with included:
Common Black Friday Traps
Trap 1: “Limited stock” creates urgency
- “Only 5 remaining!” is artificial scarcity
- More inventory comes out after Black Friday
- Don’t buy just because of scarcity
Trap 2: Model you want is out of stock
- Sale pushes popular model to $0 inventory
- Retailer suggests “similar” printer at discount
- That “similar” printer might not be comparable
- Patience pays (stock returns after holiday)
Trap 3: Bundled deals with useless add-ons
- “Get $100 of accessories free!”
- If accessories are things you’d never use, that’s not value
- Evaluate bundle at what you’d actually use
Trap 4: Comparison with wrong baseline
- “Was $600, now $399!” (was it really $600 last month?)
- Check Google price history before believing
- “Was” price might be fake
Trap 5: Financing promotion
- “Interest-free 12 months!” (0% APR)
- You’ll pay full price over 12 months
- Only worth it if you can’t pay cash
- Don’t spend more just because financing is available
Real Savings Calculation
Example: Ender 3 V3 on Black Friday
Full Black Friday deal:
- Normal price: $229
- Sale price: $189
- Bonus: Extra filament ($30 value) + extra nozzles ($10 value)
- Total saved: $80
Sounds great. But:
- Electricity cost vs. buying filament separately: $0
- Your time comparison shopping: 1 hour (opportunity cost: ~$25)
- Hassle of returns if something’s wrong: Significant
Real net value: $80 - $25 (time) = $55 savings
Honest assessment: $55 is worth waiting for IF you were planning to buy this printer anyway. It’s not worth disrupting your timeline to save $55 unless buying specifically on Black Friday was already your plan.
Alternative Timing: Buying When Printers Are On Clearance
This is often better than Black Friday:
How it works:
- New model launches (K2 Plus replaces K2)
- Retailers clearance old K2 model to make shelf space
- Old model gets 30-40% discount (they want it gone)
- Product is identical, just older generation
Example (real 2025 data):
- K2 launches at $649
- Retailers clearance K2 (previous gen) to $399
- You get basically same machine at 40% off
When this happens: Product cycle refresh (every 12-18 months per printer)
Advantage over Black Friday: Deeper discount, no urgency, no crowd.
Money-Maximizing Strategy
If you have $500 budget:
Option 1 (Buy at Black Friday):
- Buy Ender 3 V3 at $189
- Save $40 discount
- Total spent: $189
- Leftover budget: $311 (but you already bought the printer)
Option 2 (Buy on clearance 2 months later):
- Wait for Ender 3 V4 launch
- Ender 3 V3 clears to $159
- Save $70 discount
- Total spent: $159
- Leftover budget: $341 (can spend on accessories or save)
Verdict: Patience is rewarded if you can wait. Discount timing matters less than purchase timing.
Final Recommendation
Don’t plan your budget around Black Friday.
Instead:
- Decide if you need printer: Based on actual needs, not sales calendar
- Identify which printer: Based on requirements, not what’s on sale
- Check current price: See if discount exists right now
- Set price alert: Get notification if it drops
- Buy when justified: When discount meets your needs
Black Friday is good for: Validating a purchase you were already considering, saving $50-100 if timing aligns, getting bonus accessories.
Black Friday is bad for: Making buying decisions, creating urgency, justifying unnecessary purchases.
Most people save money by not buying on impulse during sale events. The printer you don’t buy (because you wait for Black Friday and realize you don’t need it) saves you $500+.
The best deal is the right printer at the right time for the right reason. Black Friday might deliver that. Or buying in January when you actually need it. Or waiting until your desired printer clears for new model launch.
Don’t let the calendar dictate your spending. Let your needs dictate your timing.