Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread XI

Status
Not open for further replies.
IAmTheCheapestGamer

IAmTheCheapestGamer

Banned
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.


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 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

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 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/...d.php?t=187222
Guide Ten:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219547

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, Guinaevere 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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
I went by the local gs at least 5 times last night waiting for them to leave(they throw them out after they leave every drop), but i gave up at 2:15am, any one know what in the world some one would do at game stop that late?
 
[quote name='rb109972']I went by the local gs at least 5 times last night waiting for them to leave(they throw them out after they leave every drop), but i gave up at 2:15am, any one know what in the world some one would do at game stop that late?[/QUOTE]

play with whatever new pre-order item came in that days shipment?

In other news as well, Vanquish is no longer on Bestbuys website. All the other guides that are new in the recent drop are still there though.
 
[quote name='nixmahn']sometimes the don't immediately throw them out, they just pull of the shelves leave it in the back and keep them there.[/QUOTE]

I can confirm, I know the Gamestop I work at very extremely rarely throws them out, and it's only if it's one of the bs guides such as the cheat codes, or guiness books that pennies. The ones that none of the employee or customers there would really want. Besides that they sit in the back until someone takes them or a customer wants one.
 
Which Aion? The only one I've seen is Aion: Assualt on Balaurea, but it says something like it contains the original game, making it sound more like an addon. Or is that it?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='godsmack13']Which Aion? The only one I've seen is Aion: Assualt on Balaurea, but it says something like it contains the original game, making it sound more like an addon. Or is that it?[/QUOTE]

Im not exactly sure, but I believe the one youre talking about is the game + addon, and not the one that pennied. The Aion that pennied is the original game. (only says Aion on it)
 
[quote name='Ultragamer']play with whatever new pre-order item came in that days shipment?

In other news as well, Vanquish is no longer on Bestbuys website. All the other guides that are new in the recent drop are still there though.[/QUOTE]
Please don't confuse the dumbasses who think that once a guide dropped at one chain that it dropped everywhere else by saying that the Vanquish guide dropped off the Best Buy site, since there's bound to be some morons coming in here going 'omg I went to Best Buy and the Vanquish guide was still MSRP'.:roll:

As for guides dropping off of the BB site they do that all the time, but it doesn't mean that they've pennied. However, a pretty surefire way to find out what pennied at Gamestop for each drop is to use their 'wishlist' function(if it still exists) on their website with your GS account and when you see a notice that X or Y guide has dropped from said wishlist then it should be $.01 at GS.
 
[quote name='arsenalcrazy8']Im not exactly sure, but I believe the one youre talking about is the game + addon, and not the one that pennied. The Aion that pennied is the original game. (only says Aion on it)[/QUOTE]

Kinda figured, thanks
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Please don't confuse the dumbasses who think that once a guide dropped at one chain that it dropped everywhere else by saying that the Vanquish guide dropped off the Best Buy site, since there's bound to be some morons coming in here going 'omg I went to Best Buy and the Vanquish guide was still MSRP'.:roll:
[/QUOTE]


tl;dr

Sweet! I'm gonna head over to Borders now and pick up Vanquish penny guide.
 
[quote name='confoosious']tl;dr

Sweet! I'm gonna head over to Borders now and pick up Vanquish penny guide.[/QUOTE]
I already called them. They are holding one for me.
 
[quote name='confoosious']There's a Borders 40% off coupon somewhere around here. Make sure you use it.[/QUOTE]

Sign up for their rewards card and you'll get another 10% off, That means penny guides will only cost half a penny!

Still might be too much though for some people.
 
well this sucks majorly the one gamestop i had left that still dropped all their guides in a box by dumpster no longer can do it now. the new dm is physically checking all the inventories and ripping the guides up page by page. i got an enslaved guide thats all. they had 30+ guides too =(
 
Managed to get a couple more guides, no starcraft II limited edition though yet.

Snagged another spiderman shattered dimensions, 2 vanquish, and 2 enslaved. They had like 5 God of War III, and a couple UFC but I passed on those, have enough of those already.
 
im prolly going to keep checking for the next few days and hope my gamestop just dumps the massive 30+ guide pile instead of waiting for dm so shrugs.
 
Stopped at 3 GS today. Nothing instore but out back in the dumpsters on top of card board got 30 Plus guides. No starcraft though. Did find a stack of Halo 3.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Couldn't find the Vanquish guide in nether of the stores I checked. One had just threw them out, but it was raining outside so I decided not to bother looking for it outside. The other did have a pile of old guides that looks like pennies, but it was just a bunch of old UFC guides.
 
I stopped back at the GS I picked up some guides from the other night and they had two Vanquish guides on the top of the stack in the back room(which still included copies of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and at least one other older drop guide). However the employees told me those were 'spoken for', so I didn't press the issue.

But then I was a pain in the ass to the employees asking to see multiple copies of the discs for the games I was buying with my B2G1 coupon from the PUR upgrade, so maybe they just wanted to get me outta the store.:razz: At least I finally picked up :ps3:Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection to get my old school gaming fix in whenever I want. Also picked up the original Kane & Lynch for PS3 and Saint's Row 2(even though I already played through it) just to kill off the B2G1 coupon.
 
Denied a Starcraft yesterday, cuz by the time I got up to the register, I got stuck with a lady who I could only assume was the manager :cry:

Did luck out with a GoW Ghost of Sparta in one GS.

Also tried a couple of the dumpsters at GS's NOT near restaraunts, most had nothing, but found 1 that actually did their job and butchered the poor guides. Poor defenseless things :bomb:

Went diving again today at the one that was a goldmine last time, and lucked out a bit, but all UFC and GoW 3. No Starcraft or Kingdom Hearts to be found anywhere. Dammit.

Is it just me, or are some of the smaller GS no longer really carrying guides? Noticed a few only had a couple of the small racks attached to the sales counter, only able hold like 6 guides apiece. No turnstyle guide racks in the store. Maybe just moved to the back to make room for the holiday crowds? I can only hope.
 
[quote name='godsmack13']Is it just me, or are some of the smaller GS no longer really carrying guides? Noticed a few only had a couple of the small racks attached to the sales counter, only able hold like 6 guides apiece. No turnstyle guide racks in the store. Maybe just moved to the back to make room for the holiday crowds? I can only hope.[/QUOTE]
This is not just you, it happened after this most recent drop. Noticed at at a number of stores. Maybe guide sales are starting to go away, since the info is available free online.
 
Met a hot (yes actually hot, not "gamestop hot") chick and she gave me a stack of guides after we discussed how they should recycle guides instead of throwing them away.
Got:
Enslaved Odyssey of the West
God of War III (X2)
God of War Ghost of Sparta
Kingdom Hearts 358/2
Spider-man Shattered Dimensions
UFC Undisputed 2010
Vanquish
 
i checked again last night to see if maybe they were just lazy or late on throwing the guides out and nope looks like it is true the damn new dm doesnt let any of the gamestops in my area throw the guides out anymore.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']Met a hot (yes actually hot, not "gamestop hot") chick and she gave me a stack of guides after we discussed how they should recycle guides instead of throwing them away.
Got:
Enslaved Odyssey of the West
God of War III (X2)
God of War Ghost of Sparta
Kingdom Hearts 358/2
Spider-man Shattered Dimensions
UFC Undisputed 2010
Vanquish[/QUOTE]

"gamestop hot" ... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

As in... "anything with boobs"
 
in san jose-
got vanquish for .01 on fri
went back today and was initially denied GOW 3 and GOW ghost of sparta by the store tough guy but then i mentioned i bought vanquish 2days ago from the guy with the glasses (aka the manager) and then tough guy said he'd put them on hold for me til manager came in tomorrow. after realizing how dumb putting two .01 items on hold is, he changed his mind and just gave me them for free.

they also had fable II and starcraft but i wasn't i interested. ona side note dantes inferno is still 17.99...ill be waiting readily for that and castlevania LOS.
 
[quote name='GameOverSuckas']Anybody have a Prototype or Batman Arkham Asylum guide in good shape they want to get rid of?[/QUOTE]

If only they'd make some kind of thread where you posted your haves, and what you're looking for and others did the same.

It's a great idea, cant imagine why anyone didn't think of it before.
 
[quote name='Bezerker']If only they'd make some kind of thread where you posted your haves, and what you're looking for and others did the same.

It's a great idea, cant imagine why anyone didn't think of it before.[/QUOTE]

Stop speaking blasphemy, such a thread could never exist.
 
Not sure if this belongs here, but found a some reduced price SSFIV guides with 2.99 stickers on them. (Reads : Valid 11/26 - 12/4 or something close on it) Supposedly, they aren't pennies and are suppose to fetch for full price, but the clerk was cool about it and decided to give it to me for the sticker price.

Not free or penny, but still a pretty good deal.
 
IDK if its been mentioned or not, but Bestbuy.com has several guides on sale for $10. I guess I'll use my $10 RZ certificate and actually buy a guide from them now. With money they gave me.
edit. It appears to be their "right before Christmas, every guide is 50% off sale" that they've done the past few years.
 
Some great deals in that sale! Especially if you're impatient like me!! Really considering the Borderlands guide as that's one that I don't think will drop too quickly.
 
That Borderlands GOTY is tempting at $15, especially since it will probably be hard to find by the time a penny drop does happen on it. Wish I got a $10 certificate for rewards zone. Would have gotten it for sure then.

Took the remaining stock that was in the back of my gamestop since they were going to throw them out anyway soon, 5 God of War III, 4 UFC, and a lone Kingdom Hearts 358/2.
 
Hmm, I have $40 in RZ points, maybe Borderlands GOTY and Fallout New Vegas hardcover versions are worth it...

Does anyone know how long this sale lasts?
 
Damn. If I had known about the sale on the guides, I would've used my free $10 RZ certificate on Borderlands GOTY or Golden Sun/FF: 4 Heroes of Light.

*edit* Hooray for family members that don't pay attention to their RZ accounts. I feel like a mooch but my brother gave me the okay to use his $10 certificate since he didn't know about it and wouldn't have used it anyway. Borderlands GOTY for $4.99. :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='slowdive21']Met a hot (yes actually hot, not "gamestop hot") chick and she gave me a stack of guides after we discussed how they should recycle guides instead of throwing them away.
Got:
Enslaved Odyssey of the West
God of War III (X2)
God of War Ghost of Sparta
Kingdom Hearts 358/2
Spider-man Shattered Dimensions
UFC Undisputed 2010
Vanquish[/QUOTE]

Hmmm...you were in Chicagoland, right? Where is this particular store....so I can :::cough::: see if they have more guides...or, um, buy a game from them....
 
[quote name='hellmutt']Hmm, I have $40 in RZ points, maybe Borderlands GOTY and Fallout New Vegas hardcover versions are worth it...

Does anyone know how long this sale lasts?[/QUOTE]

I think it ended yesterday, 12/23. I couldn't figure out why the guide rung half-off at checkout, so I went back to the floor and had someone scan another guide.
He was surprised it was on sale and pointed to a general area of the screen, where I think it said through 12/23.

I guess this sale was never advertised/reported, huh?
 
[quote name='180husher']My BB email said half off guides when purchased with the corresponding game.[/QUOTE]

Check online right now, they are all still 50% off.
 
I think I'm gonna see if Amazon can price match the BB sale.

NVM, it's out of stock on Amazon. Gonna grab it from BB, as it looks like it won't last long.
 
My order for Borderlands GOTY was cancelled at 6:30 am because they couldn't find the guide in store. I made a second order at another store and my order just went through. The sale is still live.
 
[quote name='Mr Dude65']Shipping's free if you pick up in-store, correct?

How long do you have to pick it up if you do this?[/QUOTE]

There is no charge for in-store pickup but I'm not sure about the ship-to-store option. The email says that you have 8 days to pick up the order before they cancel it.
 
[quote name='emg28']There is no charge for in-store pickup but I'm not sure about the ship-to-store option. The email says that you have 8 days to pick up the order before they cancel it.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm, the closest BB's about a half hour away, and I may not be able to get there. Damn, I really want that guide though!!!!!! I just don't want to pay $6 to have it shipped to me!! :bomb::bomb::bomb::bomb::bomb:

Decisions, decisions...
 
[quote name='Mr Dude65']Hmmm, the closest BB's about a half hour away, and I may not be able to get there. Damn, I really want that guide though!!!!!! I just don't want to pay $6 to have it shipped to me!! :bomb::bomb::bomb::bomb::bomb:

Decisions, decisions...[/QUOTE]
There's these two things on the ends of your legs called feet. You could try walking to the store to get your order.:razz::booty:;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top