With the shopping holiday known as Black Friday just weeks away, rumors of too-good-to-be-true sales are already spreading. But the realities of the post-Thanksgiving tradition of free-spending gluttony obscure the truth behind the day. Visions of scoring ridiculously great deals and completing all your holiday shopping in one day rarely come to pass.

DealNews breaks down some of the myths that falsely puff Black Friday up every year and lead to inevitable disappointment.

Here are a few of our favorites:

* Black Friday begins the Friday after Thanksgiving. Early bird sales can start on Thanksgiving or even the day or weekend before. When the deals are genuinely superb, much of the inventory may have vanished by the time the masses barge in on Friday.

* The deals are good enough to merit camping outside the store. Many doorbusters are offered online, and oftentimes the savings you get by showing up early are negligible.

* It’s the busiest shopping day of the year. The Saturday before Christmas, when people are clawing over one another to nail down last-minute gifts, tends to be busier.

* Black Friday prices are the lowest of the year. Sometimes this is true, but pricing can ebb lower at other times, such as when newer models are introduced and older stuff is placed on clearance.

The Facts Behind 15 Black Friday Myths [DealNews] (Thanks, Mark!)

Previously: Busting Myths About Black Friday And Cyber Monday

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