The Half Price Books Thread

BudzMcGee

BudzMcGee

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As a big fan of Half Price Books I thought a thread discussing the various discounts, promotions and of course our finds was more than well deserved.

All deals posted in the OP and in this thread are YMMV by nature. Some things have universal prices (or damn near) but still.

Always remember to check our local store's page on the HPB.com website to see if it has any additional specials (such as comic Wednesdays)!

Current Promotions:

Upcoming Promotions:


Miscellaneous contest and other deals:

Educator's Discount: If you are an educator you can apply for the Educators Discount Card to save 10% every day at HPB. http://www.hpb.com/community/educators/

Notable Deals (Items that seem to be more universal):
This is not to add every single descent deal found at HPB, but to post ones that seem to be more universal (i.e. items marked with SuperBuy rather than clearance or is reported in multiple places).

 
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Undeadcow said:
Personally I find my 4-5 regional HPB stores price used games (and movies) so high that even with half off you can usually find a better deal on new (or digital) copies if you look around and are patient. They occassionally have better deals (with coupon) on collectables or big movie/tv bundles but HPB seems so out of synch with going rate prices on the usually older games that trickle down to them. Granted Im usually seeing current gen stuff so maybe last gen is a treasure trove (but I doubt it).
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The majority of the stuff I buy there is in the clearance section. They usually have good books for $1-3 there.

Once in a while I'll find a good price on a game. (got KOTOR for Xbox for $3 once)

Usually the three in my area don't have any killer prices though.

 
The HPB in my area must be some kind of anomaly based on the replies here. I've managed to snag so many expensive retro games for dirt cheap at HPB over the past year. A LInk to the Past for the SNES for $15, an NES with two controllers and the Zapper for $30, Silent Hill for the PSX in mint condition for $15, etc. I rarely go in there without buying something from the games section. 

 
Got my coupons in the mail, sale starts July 11 and ends July 17
 
11th Mon - 20%
12th Tue - 20%
13th Wed - 30%
14th Thur - 30%
15th Fri - 40%
16th Sat - 40%
17th Sun - 50%
 
Should be getting your coupons soon in the mail and/or email. Possible some peoples start this Monday depending on the region.
 
kickrockz713 said:
Got my coupons in the mail, sale starts July 11 and ends July 17

11th Mon - 20%
12th Tue - 20%
13th Wed - 30%
14th Thur - 30%
15th Fri - 40%
16th Sat - 40%
17th Sun - 50%

Should be getting your coupons soon in the mail and/or email. Possible some peoples start this Monday depending on the region.
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Nice thanks for the notice. Hoping to nab some DC controllers or (unlikely) a SS game
 
kickrockz713 said:
Got my coupons in the mail, sale starts July 11 and ends July 17

11th Mon - 20%
12th Tue - 20%
13th Wed - 30%
14th Thur - 30%
15th Fri - 40%
16th Sat - 40%
17th Sun - 50%

Should be getting your coupons soon in the mail and/or email. Possible some peoples start this Monday depending on the region.
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Hmmm, there's a Vita for $125 at my local store. 40% would drop that to around $75 after tax. Tempting depending on condition and how recent a version it's been updated to....

 
kickrockz713 said:
Got my coupons in the mail, sale starts July 11 and ends July 17

11th Mon - 20%
12th Tue - 20%
13th Wed - 30%
14th Thur - 30%
15th Fri - 40%
16th Sat - 40%
17th Sun - 50%

Should be getting your coupons soon in the mail and/or email. Possible some peoples start this Monday depending on the region.
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Bump just to remind yall

 
dont know what sort of scam this company is running but went to hpb today for 50% off.. found zelda tri force for the 3ds for 19.99 so it be 10.. walk up to the counter and they look and go    we cant find it we will have to look for it. Give us your name and number and when we do find it  we will call you tomorrow  and you can buy it cause we  do have it.. I go so i get it tomorrow for 20,  women puts on this big smile and goes    No you have to pay full price for it..

talk about  a  scam they have the item but refuse to sell it for 50% off 

 
As usual, I'm going to be near a bunch of HPBs a week late.

Somehow I always manage to time it that way. (going down to Pittsburgh for a baseball game next weekend)

Not worth driving 45 minutes today to go to one here.

 
I picked up Dot Hack Part 4: Quarantine. They also have Brigandine for PS1. They wanted $150 each for those two games. I bought Quarantine because it's the only (non-GU) Dot Hack game that I needed to complete the 4 part set. It goes for about $130 on ebay, so $75 wasn't a bad deal. Brigandine goes for about $130 also complete with manual and map. I might pick that up later this evening.

 
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Stopped at 4 local stores today,

1st store i got a complete copy of Yoshi's Safari for SNES for $15

2nd Store i picked up a complete copy of Super Mario 64 for N64 for $30.  They had a really good selection but some high prices. I wanted to grab a mint complete copy of Kirby All Stars for SNES but they had it marked for $200 and i still felt like $100 was a bit to much.

3rd Store i grabbed a PSP Go for $50 and it included everything with the box.

last store i got a copy of Super Mario 64 for the DS for $7 which i might trade to GS.

I though i did pretty decent, to bad i missed out on the $250 xbox one that one of the stores just sold. Would have been a great deal at $125.

 
ThatOneGuyWho said:
Was surprised to find my local store with Madonna's "X-Static Pro" book which they wanted $2500 for. Apparently it's a really expensive and rare book. With the coupon it would have been $1250.
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If you were joking, ignore me, but the coupons top out at $150 off. That's the fine print.

I happened to be in the neighborhood at opening time so I stopped in. I forgot how ridiculous things have gotten on 50% off coupon day, or maybe it's gotten worse since I don't work there anymore or make a point to go when 50% off happens. I thought two old guys were going duke it out over an Abbott & Costello DVD set. It was at the DVD case, one guy asked for the Abbott & Costello, the other asked for something else that he changed his mind on and then decided he wanted the Abbott & Costello. First guy isn't giving that up, second guy is starting to pitch a bitch and the employee is trying to keep this guy cool (I got the impression he was a regular, so he's just being an entitled ass.) Me, I'm literally just trying to squeeze by all this mess to get to the records as I have nowhere else to go.

Finally, I get by, but when I check out over a half hour later, the second guy is still there rambling on to everyone in earshot, all upset because the Abbott & Costello guy bought his DVDs and left and didn't want to hang out. Imagine that! As tempting as it must have been to hang out with this guy who was just about throwing a fit and now is boring the 20-somethings working at HPB with "what do you mean you don't know who Ann-Margret is?" talk, I'm sure dude wanted to get home and start in on some movies. (It's the steamer trunk set. It's pretty sweet, if you're into A&C.)

I've worked several retail jobs and they all come with their own "specials" but Half Price wins as far as my experience went. Take the weirdos from bookstores and record stores and comic stores and video stores and game shops and add a dash of the garage sale/thrift character too. Mostly though, you'd get a lot of people who will keep you talking as long as they possibly can. You get good at finding the line between being rude and letting these people interfere with tasks you have to complete for your job.

 
got super smash brothers for the game cube complete for 35 the game was originally marked 70 bucks and a game cube system for 20 marked down from 40

 
Got a black Sega Sports Dreamcast (2 controllers, VMU, Rumble, cords) for 50 w. coupon. A little much, but its a system I've been wanting for a long time now and I didn't want to wait any more

Also a CIB Pokemon Emerald for $36 yesterday for 40% off day. (again not the best price but the CIB made me do it.)

 
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mousebites said:
got super smash brothers for the game cube complete for 35 the game was originally marked 70 bucks and a game cube system for 20 marked down from 40
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Skokie? Saw it there for that price but I already have a copy of that game.

Managed to get a 251 block and 1019 block GameCube memory card for $2.50 each, Pokemon Omega Ruby for $17.50, Super Smash Bros. 64 strategy guide for $3.25. Not the best 50% sale but I checked before the sale started and my stores didn't have anything worth buying, so I didn't miss much.

 
Captain Wrong said:
If you were joking, ignore me, but the coupons top out at $150 off. That's the fine print.

I happened to be in the neighborhood at opening time so I stopped in. I forgot how ridiculous things have gotten on 50% off coupon day, or maybe it's gotten worse since I don't work there anymore or make a point to go when 50% off happens. I thought two old guys were going duke it out over an Abbott & Costello DVD set. It was at the DVD case, one guy asked for the Abbott & Costello, the other asked for something else that he changed his mind on and then decided he wanted the Abbott & Costello. First guy isn't giving that up, second guy is starting to pitch a bitch and the employee is trying to keep this guy cool (I got the impression he was a regular, so he's just being an entitled ass.) Me, I'm literally just trying to squeeze by all this mess to get to the records as I have nowhere else to go.

Finally, I get by, but when I check out over a half hour later, the second guy is still there rambling on to everyone in earshot, all upset because the Abbott & Costello guy bought his DVDs and left and didn't want to hang out. Imagine that! As tempting as it must have been to hang out with this guy who was just about throwing a fit and now is boring the 20-somethings working at HPB with "what do you mean you don't know who Ann-Margret is?" talk, I'm sure dude wanted to get home and start in on some movies. (It's the steamer trunk set. It's pretty sweet, if you're into A&C.)

I've worked several retail jobs and they all come with their own "specials" but Half Price wins as far as my experience went. Take the weirdos from bookstores and record stores and comic stores and video stores and game shops and add a dash of the garage sale/thrift character too. Mostly though, you'd get a lot of people who will keep you talking as long as they possibly can. You get good at finding the line between being rude and letting these people interfere with tasks you have to complete for your job.
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Yeah lol the people that shop there regularly can be pretty...unique, and during the sale when there's like 50+ people in there, it always makes for an interesting experience...
 
I was at HPB about 9 days before today and so I scoped it out and saw quite a few things I would want with 50% off. I was going to go back Sunday to have them hold them but figured I would just buy stuff off Prime Day with the money (more books) and call it even. I was out getting dinner right by HPB today and figured I would stop in just to see and lo and behold nearly everything was still there...

Granted I mainly get art books and tpbs from there but still, two of these were massive DC Omnibus. I had a hard time deciding since so much was still there but ended with DC One Million Omnibus and New 52 Zero Omnibus (both of which still shrink wrapped). Spent about $55 and I would have had to spend double that for one of them off Amazon.

Not too shabby.

 
Completely surprised to find a copy of Metroid Zero Mission for $7.50 after the 50% off.  I had checked earlier in the week, and it must've been traded in over the last 2-3 days.  It was at the HPB closest to me, which generally has a really poor game selection compared to the other three in the area.  And when I say poor selection, I really mean it.

 
Excellent!  I was itching for a HPB trip last weekend, but I'm glad I put it off.

They don't have a lot that I want, but I find some cheap gems there often enough to keep going back.

 
BrolyB593 said:
I was at HPB about 9 days before today and so I scoped it out and saw quite a few things I would want with 50% off. I was going to go back Sunday to have them hold them but figured I would just buy stuff off Prime Day with the money (more books) and call it even. I was out getting dinner right by HPB today and figured I would stop in just to see and lo and behold nearly everything was still there...

Granted I mainly get art books and tpbs from there but still, two of these were massive DC Omnibus. I had a hard time deciding since so much was still there but ended with DC One Million Omnibus and New 52 Zero Omnibus (both of which still shrink wrapped). Spent about $55 and I would have had to spend double that for one of them off Amazon.

Not too shabby.
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Mariette by chance? I picked up New 52 Villians and they had those two there.

 
I went by and grabbed four vita games: Blazblue for $15 (another was marked for $20, so I naturally grabbed the cheaper option), Natural Doctrine for $25, Estival Festus (new shrink wrapped) for $25, and Project Diva F 2nd for $20. With the 20%, came in for less than $75. Pretty happy, but thinking I should have grabbed one of the many PSPs they had for $40 also. Maybe tomorrow? Not that I need it, but really...
 
Moofboy said:
I went by and grabbed four vita games: Blazblue for $15 (another was marked for $20, so I naturally grabbed the cheaper option), Natural Doctrine for $25, Estival Festus (new shrink wrapped) for $25, and Project Diva F 2nd for $20. With the 20%, came in for less than $75. Pretty happy, but thinking I should have grabbed one of the many PSPs they had for $40 also. Maybe tomorrow? Not that I need it, but really...
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giphy.gif


 
Does HPB share its stock with other stores?  I ask because it seems like there's always new stuff.  Even though I just went three weeks ago, this past weekend's visit found a lot of games I wanted but am pretty sure weren't there before.  It seems unlikely that one or two stores can maintain such a variety in stock, especially since a dedicated retro game store literally across the street from HPB recently closed after only being open for about a year.  Their stock stagnated just a few months after opening, but HPB never seems to have that problem.

Regardless, I made out pretty good this past weekend:

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (GB)

Pilotwings 64 (N64)

1080 Snowboarding (N64)

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (DC)

TimeSplitters 2 (GCN)

Midway Arcade Treasures (PS2)

SpongeBob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom (PS2)

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses (PS2)

Jak X: Combat Racing (PS2)

The Legendary Starfy (DS)

Viva Pinata (360)

Sega Superstars Tennis/Xbox Live Arcade Compilation (360)

With the sale, all for about $67.  Not bad!

 
It's hard to compete with HPB.  I'm pretty sure they pay more for video games than most game stores would.  They also pay cash, whereas game stores will usually only give you store credit, which is useless to most folks trading in games.  They usually charge more too, but that's only so relevant.

 
Churchbus said:
Does HPB share its stock with other stores? I ask because it seems like there's always new stuff. Even though I just went three weeks ago, this past weekend's visit found a lot of games I wanted but am pretty sure weren't there before. It seems unlikely that one or two stores can maintain such a variety in stock, especially since a dedicated retro game store literally across the street from HPB recently closed after only being open for about a year. Their stock stagnated just a few months after opening, but HPB never seems to have that problem.
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Some, but not a ton. Other factors include, a high volume of regulars buying and selling, a good chunk of local inventory being connected to their website for either store to store transfers or on-line sales (and they use Amazon Marketplace and eBay too) and a corporate policy that states inventory that has been on the shelf for X amount of time is supposed to be reduced in price and then clearanced, though YMMV on how religiously your local store sticks to that. The whole idea is to encourage frequent return visits by having a constantly changing inventory.

Source: ex-employee.
 
Captain Wrong said:
Some, but not a ton. Other factors include, a high volume of regulars buying and selling, a good chunk of local inventory being connected to their website for either store to store transfers or on-line sales (and they use Amazon Marketplace and eBay too) and a corporate policy that states inventory that has been on the shelf for X amount of time is supposed to be reduced in price and then clearanced, though YMMV on how religiously your local store sticks to that. The whole idea is to encourage frequent return visits by having a constantly changing inventory.

Source: ex-employee.
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Thanks for the explanation! It makes sense, and it definitely works, as I find myself there pretty frequently.

I'm just surprised at the disparity between HPB and the game store that was just across the road from it. I guess the game store didn't have the wider-scope marketplace to help move stuff, and probably didn't have any company policy in place to keep fresh stock. Not to mention that this particular store was a case (as ignition365 pointed out) of getting store credit instead of cash, which probably discouraged trade-ins. And I may have underestimated how much competition HPB provided to the game store, considering how close together they were.

 
Don't underestimate the power of cash. I can't count the number of times people would come in to sell, be miffed at what they felt was a low offer and grumble all the way to the register, but still do the deal, because they were getting cash in hand, rather than credit. Sure, you can do better on eBay or Craig's List, but factor in the time too. We'd get a lot of people who just didn't want to mess with it.

A lot of mom and pop shops think something is worth X dollars and they will sit on it until Armageddon if they don't get that price. We all know the type. HPB can have some rogue pricers, but in time, it usually balances out and that overpriced stuff will either sell or eventually, if the manager runs the store how they are supposed to, it'll be marked down to move out.
 
Received a new set of coupons in the mail. They are the usual progressive percent increases, sale starts Monday, Nov. 7. Your region may be on a different timetable.
 
I received my coupons as well via e-mail.  My local HPB closed after Labor Day with no heads up.  Was in there the week before as they were having the 20% off sale for Labor Day.  Got an e-mail the following week that they closed.  I'm guessing they just shift the stock to the other area stores. 

Hopefully be able to check out the other area stores this weekend.

 
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My Half Price Books still has a loose copy of Castlevania (NES) marked $100.00. I wonder when they'll realize that even at 50% off, that's still literally double the typical going rate of that game. Please don't let some poor sucker buy it...

 
Kyle1022 said:
My Half Price Books still has a loose copy of Castlevania (NES) marked $100.00. I wonder when they'll realize that even at 50% off, that's still literally double the typical going rate of that game. Please don't let some poor sucker buy it...
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Countyside, still? HA

 
I'm Bay Area, California and haven't received any coupons or heard of any. Anyone else in my area? Might have to take a trip after work this week to ask what's up.
 
people in the fort  wayne area

50% off today 

if your looking for vita games   someone sold their rpg collection to them

child of light

stranger in city

Criminal girls  1 and   2   

MeQ i 

grand kingdom

what was left they said they had over 30  thur

all   29.99  (or  14.99 with coupon

I grabbed one of the  MeQ i for 14.99      Was very shocked to see  criminal girls  2 there for   29.99   would be a  super grab for 14.99 but already own it 

 
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slidecage said:
people in the fort wayne area

50% off today

if your looking for vita games someone sold their rpg collection to them

child of light

stranger in city

Criminal girls 1 and 2

MeQ i

grand kingdom

what was left they said they had over 30 thur

all 29.99 (or 14.99 with coupon

I grabbed one of the MeQ i for 14.99 Was very shocked to see criminal girls 2 there for 29.99 would be a super grab for 14.99 but already own it
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The store in Avon has a crazy selection of complete NES, SNES, Wii and Gamboy games. Some of the prices are crazy. I picked up a complete Kirby All Stars for SNES. Picked up a Halo Reach Legendary Edition at the Greenwood store.

 
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