Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread X(Ten)

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IAmTheCheapestGamer

IAmTheCheapestGamer

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First off, let me welcome you all to the new guide thread. Second, I'd like to ask you all to please keep conversations not pertaining to guide drops to a minimum to avoid cluttering the thread. It's not that I don't enjoy the chit chat, but that it may stop others from locating information on the newest drops.

That being said, let me thank Cheapy for creating this site, without which I would've spent probably 10 times what I HAVE spent on games and guides. Moreover, let me thank each and every one of my fellow CAGs for continuing to contribute to making this site a great place to find out about sales and clearances of the items we as gamers use most. Without a great community, NONE of this would be possible.

Furthermore, I would like to thank our Wiki editors HeatDolphin and Rocko for updating the Wiki. Great job.

Now, with that out of the way(and before I get to rambling), let's get on to making this new thread.

Useful Information(and links):

Game Guide Trading Clearinghouse(old one, locked now):

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=102021

Game Guide Trade Thread(KEEP ALL TRADE REQUESTS HERE OR IN PM'S):

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175548

PLEASE keep ALL trade requests in there or PM's. Thank you.

Reduced Price Guide Discussion Thread(KEEP ALL DISCUSSION NOT RELATED TO GUIDE DROPS HERE!!!):

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169252

Guide Lists(master drop lists and recent drops):

Master Drop List(by store, alphabetically):

http://wiki.cheapassgamer.com/index.php/Category:Strategy_Guides_%28master_lists%29

Recent Guide Drops(by date,also check the second post in this thread):

http://wiki.cheapassgamer.com/index.php/Category:Strategy_Guides_%28recent_drops%29

What is the purpose of this thread?

The purpose of this thread is to let our fellow CAGs know when a guide has dropped to a low price(it's NOT ALWAYS A PENNY), so they can go out and grab guides for themselves and for trading with other CAGs.

Anytime you have guide drops to report, post them here. Please specify at which store you found them and which guides you found and list them in alphabetical order. Thank you. Please, whenever possible, use RED font to make the drop info stand out. Thanks again.

What are penny guides?

Penny guides are guides which have been on the market for a while and the publisher(or store chain) decide that the remaining stock of these guides have little to no chance of selling, so they issue an order to pull them from the shelves and destroy them. At that time, they are also marked as .01 in their inventory system, except in the case of BBV, which marks them .01 only AFTER pulling them.

Most stores have an agreement with the publisher that states that if they destroy the remaining stock of those items, they will receive a credit for their value from the publisher. This is why many stores are usually annoyed when we CAGs come in and buy the guides AT the penny price, since otherwise they would've received a full credit for those items.

According to an employee at a local BB, they also have a recycling program for the pennied stock, so as to not clutter landfill space with the guides. As to how true it is, I cannot confirm, but I would hope that the paper is at least recycled instead of just dumpstered.

Prior Reduced price game guide threads:

Guide Three:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...ighlight=guide
Guide Four:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/....php?p=1496376
Guide Five:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...ad.php?t=85976
Guide Six:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=116918
Guide Seven:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=131717
Guide Seven and a half:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=142400
Guide Eight:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=167157
Guide Nine:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187222

Finally, below is a list of website links, each of which goes to their respective guide page. Whenever possible, I will update the links with better ones(if available).

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
BestBuy
Gamestop
Overstock
Strategyguides.net
ToysRUs

Thanks to floormat, Guinavere and anyone else who has created and maintained the guide thread before, as well as to all of those who find out either advance information on drops or provide a list of which ones dropped when we do have a drop.

The post below this one contains a list going back at LEAST six months of the more current guide drops, which stores they occured at and which ones dropped. Note that sometimes(Oblivion guide, Quake Wars: Enemy Territory)there are multiple versions of a guide, be it that there are Prima versions, Brady versions and the occasional Nintendo and Doublejump guides.

Please specify WHICH version has dropped when mentioning possible guide drops. Thank you.

Common Guide Drop Related Questions(FAQ):

FAQ - If you are new (or a vet with a few questions) look here SECOND! (After reading the above!)

Q: What Are Penny Guides?
A: Penny guides are guides which have been on the market for a while and the publisher(or store chain) decide that the remaining stock of these guides have little to no chance of selling, so they issue an order to pull them from the shelves and destroy them. At that time, they are also marked as .01 in their inventory system, except in the case of BBV, which marks them .01 only AFTER pulling them.

Most stores have an agreement with the publisher that states that if they destroy the remaining stock of those items, they will receive a credit for their value from the publisher. This is why many stores are usually annoyed when we CAGs come in and buy the guides AT the penny price, since otherwise they would've received a full credit for those items.

According to an employee at a local BB, they also have a recycling program for the pennied stock, so as to not clutter landfill space with the guides. As to how true it is, I cannot confirm, but I would hope that the paper is at least recycled instead of just dumpstered.

Q: Do all guides from all stores drop at the same time?
A: No. While most chains have nationwide drops within their own store (as in every BB will have the same drops coast to coast), not every different chain drops at the same time (what drops at BB is NOT necessarily dropped at GS). When in doubt, check post TWO for drop info.

Q: I found a penny guide and a clerk denied me! I'ma report 'em!
A: Whoa, hold your horses there, pardner! First of all, not a question. Second, just because something is on the shelf, the clerk does NOT have to sell you that item. Most stores are PRIVATE property and as such can deny you just about anything they want - including a sale. The best advice is to not be rude, not be arrogant, and just try hard to get them to have pity on you.

Q: Why don't the clerks want to sell me their penny guides? Aren't they just throwing them away?
A: As stated above, the stores are ordered by the publisher to trash the guides, and are then given credit for those guides. If they don't do this, the publisher won't give them the credit - it's like losing a sale. On the employee level, selling a penny guide can sometimes get them in trouble (or even fired!) I know it seems silly, but this is their job we're talking about! Respect the man (or woman) behind the counter and you'll get a lot more guides than otherwise!

Q: Should I just ask if the store has penny guides then?
A: No, since that denotes that you have some insider information as to the runnings of these businesses.

Q: What if the clerk wants to know how I know so much about guide drops?
A: If asked where you got your info about guides that pennied, simply say either 'the internet' or 'a friend of mine told me they're on clearance'.

Q: But clerks will know what a penny guide is, right? I can talk to them like anyone else here...
A: Never use the word pennied to ANY store clerks unless you have built up a good rapport with them. Even then, it may seem a little fishy if you know more about their shop than they do.

Q: Are guides labeled as a penny on the shelf?
A: Sometimes. Most times, no. GS seems to label everything that gets a price drop, so often times guides will be stickered. But even so, they most likely won't sell them to you. A sticker does not mean 'have to sell'.

Q: I tried to buy a guide that this thread said was pennied and it didn't ring up as such! What gives?
A: Either 1) Our source was wrong (this rarely happens and is usually verified a FEW times within maybe an hour of posting), or 2) The clerk changed the price. It's usually number 2.

Q: What's the easiest way to get penny guides? This sounds like TONS of work!
A: Best Buy is probably the best place to get guides, followed by GameStop, GameCrazy, Toys R Us and then Blockbuster. From what I've seen though, probably 95% of guides that people get are snagged at BB - the rest come from the other stores. But it never hurts to try!

Q: Has there been a drop recently?
A: If you are asking this question you didn't fully understand the OP - go back and read it once more. When a drop happens, it will be posted, and then placed in the second post - trust us.

Q: How do you guys know so much about penny guides?
A: We sometimes have inside sources with the information from the stores themselves; other times, fellow CAGS just like you or me simply take suspected guides to the register and ask them to ring them up, to check their prices. Feel free to do this yourself, and help give back to the community by telling us what you find! However, DON'T ask "Has anyone checked XXX lately?", unless you are in the right thread (discussion area).

Thanks to GrilledWitOnions for creating the above FAQ, which should eliminate the need for such questions popping up in the thread from this point on out.
 
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[quote name='Frosty The Batman']
I made a list of the newest guides to reach discontinued and deleted status, aka the next possible drops. The only ones I remember at the moment are Fallout 3 GotY CE, Dragon Age CE and Assassins Creed 2 CE.
[/QUOTE]

Damn, I would grab dem shitz!
 
:bomb: Stop posting in this damn thread people. I keep thinking there's been a drop and I keep coming back to it, only to find out it's more speculation about what may drop and when.

 
[quote name='iamthecheapestgamer']:bomb: Stop posting in this damn thread people. I keep thinking there's been a drop and i keep coming back to it, only to find out it's more speculation about what may drop and when.

[/quote]


this
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']:bomb: Stop posting in this damn thread people. I keep thinking there's been a drop and I keep coming back to it, only to find out it's more speculation about what may drop and when.

[/QUOTE]

Now you know how the rest of us feel.:D
 
I found out today that not all GS employees are jerks about penny guides. I found a FO3: Op Anchorage/The Pitt guide and went to the counter and said "I know you can't sell this since it pennied, but can I have it please?" and the guy went and scanned it to make sure it pennied, and then said "it's yours" and gave it to me. :)

Just my positive story of the day. :)
 
Checked my GameStop wishlist today and it says

Currently Muramasa: The Demon Blade Official Strategy Guide is not available for purchase and has been removed from your Wish List.
 
The following titles were on their website and are now not. I didn't update my list since Oct, but I the following were on their site then and are not as of today:

Champions Online Official Strategy Guide
Gears of War 2: All Fronts Official Strategy Guide
Grand Theft Auto IV:Ballad Official Strategy Guide
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars PSP Official Strategy Guide
Muramasa: The Demon Blade Official Strategy Guide
 
Confirming
Champions
Gow2
Muramasa

[quote name='hellmutt']The following titles were on their website and are now not. I didn't update my list since Oct, but I the following were on their site then and are not as of today:

Champions Online Official Strategy Guide
Gears of War 2: All Fronts Official Strategy Guide
Grand Theft Auto IV:Ballad Official Strategy Guide
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars PSP Official Strategy Guide
Muramasa: The Demon Blade Official Strategy Guide[/QUOTE]
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']So you actually bought or got those guides at .01, hellmutt? Just verifying before I update the second and third posts.[/QUOTE]

Yes, sorry for the short posts, I was on my blackberry.
The three guides I listed I was able to confirm in store at $0.01. (I didn't have to pay, but I saw the price on the register screen.)
The other two are likely to be pennied as well, but my store didn't have them, so I can't confirm or deny those.
 
Second and third posts have been updated. If anyone has any guides to add to the drop list, please post them in the thread in RED. Thanks to Hellmutt and everyone else who checked and verified guides for this drop thus far.
 
I went to game stop in orange ct today and was able to score:
Gears Of War 2: All Fronts
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars(PSP)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
All for free. Cashier rang them up than canceled then rang it up again and then said to me just take them.
 
Question

If there is a yellow sticker over one of the bar codes in back have the guides been pennied at BB?

PLMK Thanks
 
[quote name='1halo']Question

If there is a yellow sticker over one of the bar codes in back have the guides been pennied at BB?

PLMK Thanks[/QUOTE]


no

but on a different note...
TRU any guide for 1/2 off today/tomorrow.
Taking this ad to BBuy for a couple half off guides....
 
[quote name='1halo']Question

If there is a yellow sticker over one of the bar codes in back have the guides been pennied at BB?

PLMK Thanks[/QUOTE]

No, it doesn't. There are multiple UPCs on the back of most guides and the sticker on the back lets them scan the correct barcode.
 
Ok I am asking because some of the guides that are pennied at BB have a yellow sticker on the backand the regular priced ones do not. Thanks
 
I checked the Gamestops here at Brier Creek NC and neither had Muramasa or Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars. I had made a list from the front page though and found one Fallout 3 guide which I bought for $0.01. Now I just need a system and the game. Still the fun part about the Bethesda's RPGs is that the guide is fun to read too. I got my money's worth out of the Morrowind guide, reading it when away from the PC.
 
[quote name='Vysion']I checked the Gamestops here at Brier Creek NC and neither had Muramasa or Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars. I had made a list from the front page though and found one Fallout 3 guide which I bought for $0.01. Now I just need a system and the game. Still the fun part about the Bethesda's RPGs is that the guide is fun to read too. I got my money's worth out of the Morrowind guide, reading it when away from the PC.[/QUOTE]

Best part about the Morrowind guide is that it's also sought after now. I got a copy of it from a local shop for about $1-1.50 or so. Mind you, the cover is beat up, but for the $1-1.50 I couldn't say now.

Now all I need to do is buy the game for my Xbox that I have stashed away.:D
 
[quote name='1halo']Ok I am asking because some of the guides that are pennied at BB have a yellow sticker on the backand the regular priced ones do not. Thanks[/QUOTE]

I've noticed that more than a few BB stores do that with sticking a sticker over the other UPC barcode on the back of the guide.

Of course, whenever they try and scan that barcode on the other guides nothing ever comes up. So I don't even know why they include that other one to begin with.
 
I'd also like to point out to people who have been keeping an eye on the GoHastings.com 30% off sale that their used guides are 30% with the sale too. While it may not take them down to a penny like the ones we get during the drops here, it does make some of the bigger ones much cheaper than MSRP still.

There's only about another 3 hours and 50 minutes till that sale ends though, unless they extend it again.
 
[quote name='Richard Longfellow']At TRU the guides are 50% off through today.[/QUOTE]

Just got back from there, and at least at mine, they dont stock anything outside of the mainstream Halo ODST, MW2, etc. On top of that, parking lot traffic was a big pain, will not be returning unless there is a spectacular deal...
 
[quote name='Link927']Just got back from there, and at least at mine, they dont stock anything outside of the mainstream Halo ODST, MW2, etc. On top of that, parking lot traffic was a big pain, will not be returning unless there is a spectacular deal...[/QUOTE]


Just go tp BBuy and get whatever title you want. Take the ad to a register...
 
Hopefully in a month or so when I get home I can get going to my "gold mine" Best Buy and collect some of the hopefully untouched penny guides. Should be a decent haul after 6 months of no new guides. I just hope it has remained undiscovered.
 
[quote name='Wolve11']Hopefully in a month or so when I get home I can get going to my "gold mine" Best Buy and collect some of the hopefully untouched penny guides. Should be a decent haul after 6 months of no new guides. I just hope it has remained undiscovered.[/QUOTE]
You know that this is a massive stretch, right? All 5 BBs in my area (2 of which were once goldmines) have buckled down to the point of there not even being any penny guides on the day of the drop.
 
Anyone else notice Prince of Persia, Madden 10, Force Unleashed, and some other guides are missing form their Best Buys? I hit 3 in the area and they have all been pulled.
 
hmm, I've noticed a bunch of Force Unleashed and they've been $9.99 forever. It'd be strange for them to do a preemptive pull and not let us have our chance!! But yeah, I saw all those titles at about 3 BB's this past weekend. Keep thinking Madden will be an NCAA, haha

Also, to share, last week I was in a GS that had a single copy of Fallout 3: OA and The Pitt Guide. Still marked $19.99. So, knowing it was a penny and knowing the manager there even (he is the boyfriend of this chick I work with) I brought it up to the register thinking I would get it. He scans it, notices its a penny and starts giving me: "Well, sir, due to our publishers policy this is now a penny and I can either sell it to at the sticker price or not at all." I asked if he could just give it to me and not ring it up, he acted like I was committing a crime by suggesting that! What's worse is it should have only be $9.99 at least. I can't believe when GS stores are forced to do counts daily they a) don't see this shit and b) definitely don't see the price is wrong..So I didn't get it..
 
I'm heading to my local GS today, but it looks like asking directly is a no-no. What should i do? If they have some guides that are listed on page 1 of this thread, how do i know if they are still a penny?
 
[quote name='Hwangman']I'm heading to my local GS today, but it looks like asking directly is a no-no. What should i do? If they have some guides that are listed on page 1 of this thread, how do i know if they are still a penny?[/QUOTE]

well its unlikely they will have the 0.01 price tag on there, so don't be scared at first. your options are a) be up front and state something like, "Hey, I think these are a penny, I know you have to throw them away, did you mind if I had one?" If the clerk is having a good day, that might work. b) you could just not reveal anything, let them ring it in the system and notice its a penny and see what they say. You could try b) first then switch up a) a little..

but don't worry, if they have the guides on the shelf, its not a YMMV thing as it will be like that on every computer at every store. Unless they give you the spiel they gave me...
 
[quote name='token2k6']well its unlikely they will have the 0.01 price tag on there, so don't be scared at first. your options are a) be up front and state something like, "Hey, I think these are a penny, I know you have to throw them away, did you mind if I had one?" If the clerk is having a good day, that might work. b) you could just not reveal anything, let them ring it in the system and notice its a penny and see what they say. You could try b) first then switch up a) a little..

but don't worry, if they have the guides on the shelf, its not a YMMV thing as it will be like that on every computer at every store. Unless they give you the spiel they gave me...[/QUOTE]
Or you could slip him a $1 bill, say keep the change, and wink at him.
 
[quote name='Hwangman']I'm heading to my local GS today, but it looks like asking directly is a no-no. What should i do? If they have some guides that are listed on page 1 of this thread, how do i know if they are still a penny?[/QUOTE]

1) You pick the one guide you would like the most.

2) Watch the little screen (for credit cards) when s/he scans the item and it will show .01. That way they know you saw it ring up at .01.

3) See what they say. If they are cool with it you can jokingly ask if they have any more stuff for a penny. You may hit gold, you may strike out.
 
[quote name='Fire_Thief']When a guide is pennied at BB or GS, is it nationwide or YMMV?

I REALLY WANT SOME GUIDES!![/QUOTE]

[quote name='gordojones88']Is it February yet?[/QUOTE]


[quote name='LeYipster']Whats Feburary?[/QUOTE]

I think it's when people start reading page 1.
 
Holy crap. Is it 2012 already(supposed end of days according to the Mayan calendar)? I agree with Confoosious for once. READ THE FIRST POST if you're confused as to what to do regarding these penny guides.

Most places won't have them marked with a one cent sticker, so it's up to you to be brazen enough to take it up and say 'I heard this guide was on clearance'. That way when the guide rings up .01, they'll just(hopefully) think 'that's a hell of a clearance price' and then you can joke with them about such a low 'clearance price' and not get them itching to call a manager.

And slowdive, those credit card things don't show the price of items scanned at the GS stores by me anymore and haven't for a couple of years now, so that is YMMV(just like getting the guides in the first place).
 
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