As the year winds down and the shopping season grows shorter, it becomes time for the smart shopper to change strategies. Scratch off those hard to find and expensive items like Wii gaming consoles and big flat-panel screens. Buying them at the last minute is usually a path to disappointment.

Seek instead the clever, cute and useful. Go for the gadgets.

The technology world has obligingly created swarms of gadgets and accessories this year that fall into these categories, starting with MP3 players, global positioning systems (GPS) and laptop and cellphone cases. And these will be ripe for last-minute shoppers, experts say.

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"It's definitely the smaller items, stocking stuffers" that will sell briskly, says Marc Owens, sales manager at the Best Buy store in Pleasant Hill, Calif.

Stephen Baker, vice-president of industry analysis at NPD Group, says GPS devices make good gifts since consumers have started to flock to them only this year as prices have come down.

"GPS is an easy, last-minute gift, especially if you're concerned about whether people have it or not," Baker says.

MP3 players probably will be in abundant supply as well, and last-minute shoppers can find them for less than $50 US apiece.

"You're still in a product category that has high value, but you can leverage the lower end of the mix," says Sheri Greenspan, a senior analyst at tech tracker iSuppli.

Tim Herbert, senior director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, says tech accessories should sell well all through the holidays as consumers tighten their belts.

"Consumers recognize that it's a great way to enhance a product," he says. "Maybe they gave a digital camera last year. This year, they'll give a camera case or tripod."

Other accessories that should sell well are laptop and cellphone cases and covers. They make practical and inexpensive presents, and they can be found just about anywhere.

"Lots and lots of those are out there, and you can get them for under $50," Baker says.

Herbert notes that tech accessories are also appealing because they're usually easy to find in stores, often in the checkout line. "At the big consumer electronics retailers, you tend to see batteries, memory cards for a camera or mobile phone, cables and connectors, adapters, battery chargers and headphones," he says.

The gift card — the definition of the last-minute present — is also expected to sell well during the holiday season. They're hard to miss, dangling from displays at retail outlets and supermarkets. Of course, almost everyone has a gift card stuck inside a wallet, with an awkward dollar or two of value left unspent on the card.

That leaves the intensely budget conscious shopper the ultimate value gift: pure cash.