Reduced price game guides, all stores. Thread 6

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3-17-07 Here should be most of the information that anyone would need in acquiring guides. please read ALL the information below before asking questions. most question are answered below. Again thank you 6669 for all your contributions to this thread and web site.



My wifes web site - Nice jewelry good prices.

www.ladieslovejewelry.com



For hopefully the latestest most current up to date guide drops please refer to the

"CAG Strategy Guide WIKI page"

recent drop section

http://wiki.cheapassgamer.com/index.php/Category:Strategy_Guides_(recent_drops)

master list section

http://wiki.cheapassgamer.com/index.php/Category:Strategy_Guides_(master_lists)

they will be filetered from the thread posts to the WIKI page as often as possible. Thank you for your contribution.




Listed in the wiki is the most up to date compiled list of all known guide deals from the posts of this thread and similar threads. I will update the wikis lists as people post new guide deals. Everything listed in this thread “should” be the price listed or lower. These prices are typically company wide price reductions and not YMMV. But just because the prices are typically universal does not mean that they are guaranteed to be sold to you. Most stores have a destroy clause with the guide companies. So whether or not you get these guides depend on many many factors from how diligent a staff is to how reasonable or friendly one is. Good luck on any you may find and good luck on acquiring them. Please dont have a fit if a store wont let you have them just move on. Causing trouble rarely gets guides and most of the time stops others from getting guides in your area. If anything is incorrect or missing please post so corrections can be made.


Now you can just cut, paste, print, and GO!!!



What is a Penny Guide:

To answer this question fully, one first has to understand the longstanding legal agreemenat which [book] publishers have with book sellers such as Borders, Barnes & Noble and other chain and Mom & Pop shops, as well as other retailers who similarly sell their books.

For several decades, publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Random House, et cetera will send out X-number of a title to stores to be sold. After a time, when it is decided that those older titles have little chance of selling and the store shelf real-estate would be better used for newer publications, they issue a recall to the vendors to field destroy all remaining copies of titles A, B & C.

The stores then will pull those titles from their inventory to be field-destroyed, and in their systems mark the publications as 1¢. The 1¢ price is to indicate to the publisher that they are no-longer selling the pulled title, and it is also to serve as a Red Flag to any cashier who might ring up a title (on the chance that the titles were not pulled as legally they were required).

When the pull lists are sent out by the publishers, and the stores adjust the price in their inventory (and pull and field-destroy the books), the stores also are to report to the publisher the number of the books they pulled. (This is generally done at a corporate level.) The publisher then credits the stores full cost of the books.

So lets say, MegaChain orders 8000 copies of the Bread Baker strategy guide for their stores in North America for say, $4 a piece. They owe $32,000 to Publisher X. Bread Baker being a big seller and a hard game, then sells 6000 of those 8000 guides, leaving around 2000 guides on the shelves when Publisher X issues the pull demand. Publisher X then issues MegaChain an $8000 credit for the 2000 unsold copies of the guide.


According to IAmTheCheapestGamer, some retailers also have deals where each copy of pulled titles sent to their recognized Recycling Centers are additionally issued further credit for being environmentally responsible in the manner in which they field destroy each book.



How you can help: You can keep a printed copy of this list in your jacket, wallet, purse whatever and when you go to any store that carries guides look for guides for games that have been out typically around six months or more and ask for a price check or better yet use a store scanner if they are available. If they are anything less than cover price write it down for us. Also please when you post the info here if it looks like it’s a temporary sale, please post that as well otherwise it will be assumed to a be a permanent price reduction. If you scan a guide and it comes up a different price that what the master lists suggests please list the day and store that you had the guide scanned. Also please list if you physically saw a self-scanner’s price, physically saw a cash registers price or vocally heard a price from the store’s staff. This might sound like a lot and of course we will take what we can get but this will go a long way to having the best master list as well as ferreting out different store practices and policy’s. All help is appreciated and thank you.




Trading: I spoke with the post office and found out that the cheapest form of mailing to the 48 contiguous states would be to use “media mail” It will take a little longer but it will also allow the least amount of money per transaction when trying to acquire guides for your collection. For an average guide weight of about 9 oz its $1.42 cents. All you need to do is put it in an envelope and ship it media mail. He mentioned no one should have a problem if you use the same envelope several times to cut down on costs. He also mentioned that when shipping Media mail that you cannot have any personal correspondence in the envelope. Only books and an invoice are acceptable. If trading is in you interest you do whatever is most comfortable for you and your trading party this was merely a FYI and a good way to keep it cheap.



Helpful links to check for reduced priced guides or guides in general. You will likely never find one cent guides here but various discounted guides and possibly some that you have been searching for.


Best Buy

Best Buy guide search


Circuit City

Circuit City guide search


EB Games

EB Games guide search


Gamestop (babages,software etc,funcoland)

Gamestop guide search


Overstock

Overstock guide search


Toys R Us (uhh best link I could find)

Toys R Us guide search


strategy-guides.net (another large site of guides)

strategy-guides.net guide search


bookpool (guides typically 45% off or so )

Book pool guide search


Looking for assistance: I am looking for some staff from Best Buy’s, EB’s, Gamestop’s and stores of the like. When EB Games or Gamestop has a price reduction their shelves can be empty in a day or two to even as little as just a few hours. EB and Gamestop have daily price changes so all depending on the store’s staff they could be all gone almost immediately. If I could get some staff that can either post here first thing any day that they have a price reduction on guides or that might be able to text message me with such price reductions so that I might be able to inform CAG’ers ASAP. Whether or not us the end user would actually be able to get them from a particular stores staff is very much an YMMV but if there is anyone who can help this would greatly increase the chance’s of CAG’ers being able to pick up guides from these locations. If anyone is interested and able to help please e-mail me at [email protected]. Thank you all for your consideration.



Thank you all for making CAG what it is and for all your contributions.


Disclaimer: This list is intended to help all guide hunters. Please feel free to print yourself a copy and get what you can find. Please do not post this list on another site. {e-mail me please if for some reason you would want to. [email protected]} Please just link to this thread, add to this list and help it grow. Thank you





all guides are now listed in the wiki please go there. thank you.
 
[quote name='CGH']Will the new New Super Mario Bros guide be dropping to $0.01 at BB anytime soon? I saw two at BB I have had good luck buying penny guides at BB I think I will be able to get it there I really want the guide for it. For me EB GS is hopeless.[/QUOTE]


pm'ed you.
 
[quote name='botticus']Crap, guess I gotta make a trip to EB to take a shot at Paper Mario in particular, might as well see about NSMB while I'm there. Unfortunately the manager and other employee I'm cool with don't seem to work as often as the new ASM and another guy.[/quote]
Same here, though just NSMB for me. The two I went to on Tuesday were complete strikeouts, though I think I know one that might be a better find.

If not, I'm sure someone will track down a spare one.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Same here, though just NSMB for me. The two I went to on Tuesday were complete strikeouts, though I think I know one that might be a better find.

If not, I'm sure someone will track down a spare one.[/quote]Hopefully more than one person can get a spare, cause I was shot down.

Note: Do not try the direct "Have you thrown out your penny guides yet?" route if you don't know the guys, even if it is at the store you frequent. But at least this way I didn't tell them what guides they were for them to go toss after I left; maybe they'll be hanging around next time I see the manager working.
 
[quote name='botticus']Hopefully more than one person can get a spare, cause I was shot down.

Note: Do not try the direct "Have you thrown out your penny guides yet?" route if you don't know the guys, even if it is at the store you frequent. But at least this way I didn't tell them what guides they were for them to go toss after I left; maybe they'll be hanging around next time I see the manager working.[/quote]
Duly noted. :D
 
[quote name='botticus']Note: Do not try the direct "Have you thrown out your penny guides yet?" route if you don't know the guys, even if it is at the store you frequent. [/quote]I think it depends on the folks working. Most of the time when I'm in an EB where I don't know the kids, and they ask, "can I help you find something" I pretty much tell them, I'm looking for the penny guides that just got dropped. They usually will ask which ones I'm looking for.

Yesterday for instance, the fella working at the Kennesaw Mall took my hand-written list and grabbed from the back about six of the guides I was hoping for.
boogie.gif
And that's the first time I've been in that mall in about two or three years.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']I think it depends on the folks working. Most of the time when I'm in an EB where I don't know the kids, and they ask, "can I help you find something" I pretty much tell them, I'm looking for the penny guides that just got dropped. They usually will ask which ones I'm looking for.

Yesterday for instance, the fella working at the Kennesaw Mall took my hand-written list and grabbed from the back about six of the guides I was hoping for.
boogie.gif
And that's the first time I've been in that mall in about two or three years.[/QUOTE]

You're also a female.

EB / GS clerks do ANYTHING for a female... ANYTHING. I've tested this theory numerous times, my ex-girlfriend got away with the most scandalous shit at EB / GS simply because she was a female. I knew this because I'd try the same thing, get denied, an hour later she'd go in there and they would do everything in their power to make her a happy customer.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']my ex-girlfriend got away with the most scandalous shit at EB / GS simply because she was a female.[/quote]

I never thought about getting the penny guides that way. I'll send my girlfriend in to go try to get them next time penny guides appear.
 
I have a couple inside tony hawk dvd and final fantasy XII art collection for trade. I'm looking for NSMB guide, Atelier Iris 2 guide, or Wild Arms 4 guide.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']Wow - i just bought two guides at EB that weren't a penny, Devil Summoner and Zelda : Wind Waker...$20 total. Crazy[/QUOTE]

Devil Summoner was $4.99 right?
 
Damn damn damn.... I didn't realize the VCS guide was pennied out at BB. I picked up a Xenosaga 3 and Enchanted Arms. I did get a nice pile of stuff from my local EB though including Altelier Iris 2 and a bunch of others.
 
I visited a few of my local EBstops and found only Paper Mario TTYD, Nintendogs Pups plus a copy of Suikoden IV! I am looking for Radiata Stories if anyone has it?
 
Still looking for Blade Dancer, plus now also looking for New Super Mario Bros., Nintendogs Pups, Auto Assault, Guild Wars, and Sims University. PM me if I have something you'd trade me for any of those. Only looking for solid VF/NM condition guides.

PS, if anyone PM'ed me earlier my box was full, sorry, fixed now.
 
I'm gonna update the wiki with the new EB/GS drops. Now would be the perfect time to LMK if there's anymore that haven't been mentioned yet.

BTW, are all EB/GS's supposed to penny out these guides at the same time?

[quote name='Roufuss']EB / GS clerks do ANYTHING for a female... ANYTHING. I've tested this theory numerous times, my ex-girlfriend got away with the most scandalous shit at EB / GS simply because she was a female. I knew this because I'd try the same thing, get denied, an hour later she'd go in there and they would do everything in their power to make her a happy customer.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I mentioned this in the previous penny guide thread. Its definitely worked for me when they told my bf no.
 
[quote name='6669']I'm gonna update the wiki with the new EB/GS drops. Now would be the perfect time to LMK if there's anymore that haven't been mentioned yet.

BTW, are all EB/GS's supposed to penny out these guides at the same time?[/quote]
EB/GS drops their prices across the board. Up to the employees to change the stickers or pull guides.
 
Strike #2 for me. I'll give Paper Mario one more shot on my way to BB this evening, but if anyone's got extras, let me know!
 
[quote name='shrike4242']EB/GS drops their prices across the board. Up to the employees to change the stickers or pull guides.[/QUOTE]
Damn, my bf says that every time he'd take them to the counter, they'd scan them and tell him it was coming up full/another price.
So are they lying to him?
 
[quote name='6669']Damn, my bf says that every time he'd take them to the counter, they'd scan them and tell him it was coming up full/another price.
So are they lying to him?[/quote]

You can tell when they're lying most of the time. They will not simply scan and read you the price. They will usually press a few keys on their keyboard to do an override. Finally, they can also tell you the full retail price is coming up (depending on how quick they are), and then do the override as they are taking your money (if you have gotten that far).

I tried getting a penny Psychonauts guide a long time ago, and I had one guy point to the screen and call another employee over. He told him 'just do that thing we usually do...' Of course, a few key strokes later, the guide was somehow ringing up for $10.98 cents, which is of course a made up price (far from the suggested msrp, and of course the real $0.01 price).
As I refused, they started to hassle me, and ask me questions...I just ignored them and walked out.
 
Scored Devil Summoner for $5 plus Paper mario: Thousand Years door & New Super Mario Bros. for $0.01 each ;)

The new EB manager is PRETTY COOL ;)
 
[quote name='dragonjud']You can tell when they're lying most of the time. They will not simply scan and read you the price. They will usually press a few keys on their keyboard to do an override. Finally, they can also tell you the full retail price is coming up (depending on how quick they are), and then do the override as they are taking your money (if you have gotten that far).

I tried getting a penny Psychonauts guide a long time ago, and I had one guy point to the screen and call another employee over. He told him 'just do that thing we usually do...' Of course, a few key strokes later, the guide was somehow ringing up for $10.98 cents, which is of course a made up price (far from the suggested msrp, and of course the real $0.01 price).
As I refused, they started to hassle me, and ask me questions...I just ignored them and walked out.[/QUOTE]

Ok, cuz he said about 9 out of 10 EB/GS employees told them they were not a penny. I guess its EB/GS's policy to lie to their customers then.

BTW, is Project Gotham Racing 3 pennied out? Anyone?
 
[quote name='6669']Ok, cuz he said about 9 out of 10 EB/GS employees told them they were not a penny. I guess its EB/GS's policy to lie to their customers then.

BTW, is Project Gotham Racing 3 pennied out? Anyone?[/quote]
From BB months ago, if I remember right, in the same batch that was for PDZ, Condemned, and some others.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']From BB months ago, if I remember right, in the same batch that was for PDZ, Condemned, and some others.[/QUOTE]
Oops, I meant from EB/GS. Its listed without the number, but I'm assuming its 3, especially since it got pennied at the same time as those BB guides, and now those just got EB/GS pennied.
 
[quote name='Warner1281']I wonder if I could put on a wig and some boobies and get penny guides that way. Worth a try. I'll report back in an hour.[/quote]

I bet you could! HUBBA HUBBA!!!:bouncy::bouncy::bouncy:
 
[quote name='Warner1281']I wonder if I could put on a wig and some boobies and get penny guides that way. Worth a try. I'll report back in an hour.[/QUOTE]
omg pics plz
 
3 more guides to add to the drop list, in the event no one mentioned them yet.

These dropped at GS stores:

JUST CAUSE
KOTOR II(DVD EDITION)
THE SIMS 2(just THE SIMS 2, regular PC sized guide)

Of course, the local DM for the stores near me is a total dickhead. NOW, even the damned store I normally score 10-20 guides per drop from in PERFECT shape, has their clerks ripping off the FRONT COVER of the friggin guides.

I still took ONE of each of the above and actually, the clerk(who is usually the cool one and lets me take as many as I find) said I could ONLY take ONE OF EACH NOW.

THIS FRIGGIN SUCKS!!!! So, if anyone scores a perfect Just Cause guide(the only one I'm keeping outta the 3 ripped cover guides I got tonight), let me know and check my TL. I'll do 2 guides for that one, in perfect shape though.

Oh and before I forget 6669, PGR 3 IS PENNIED @ GS stores now too.
 
[quote name='6669']Ok, cuz he said about 9 out of 10 EB/GS employees told them they were not a penny. I guess its EB/GS's policy to lie to their customers then.
[/quote]

On the day the guides dropped I checked my EBgames, the cashier told me they weren't a penny. I know he wasn't lying because I had picked up Grandia III and Star Ocean III for a penny each. I'd just check back in a week or so, which I plan on doing.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Oh and before I forget 6669, PGR 3 IS PENNIED @ GS stores now too.[/QUOTE]
Thanx.

[quote name='super_nerd']On the day the guides dropped I checked my EBgames, the cashier told me they weren't a penny. I know he wasn't lying because I had picked up Grandia III and Star Ocean III for a penny each. I'd just check back in a week or so, which I plan on doing.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, I'll try that.

both wikis updated with the corrections.
 
Just tried this for the first time. They had a shiznit load of paper marios at gamestop so I took one to the counter and the lady said I couldn't buy it. She said she needed to send it back to the company...and the worst part was is I don't think they have ever sold a staregy guide at this location as I found 50+ that were .01.

Is this common for them not to sell them? Should I even try Best Buy or will they not sell there either?
 
[quote name='dragonjud']You can tell when they're lying most of the time. They will not simply scan and read you the price. They will usually press a few keys on their keyboard to do an override. Finally, they can also tell you the full retail price is coming up (depending on how quick they are), and then do the override as they are taking your money (if you have gotten that far).[/QUOTE]

This happened to me twice in the past couple of days it took quite a while for a employee at gamestop to tell me that Mega Man Zero 2 is $9.99 at Circuit City I found a FF 1 & 2 Dawn of Souls strategy guide when I asked a employee for a price check he took his time to tell me it was $7.99. I ended up buying Mega Man Zero 2 did I get ripped off by a shady employee?
 
Most times, Best Buy is pretty cool about selling the guides for .01. Hell, some of them actually MARK them .01 with stickers and even THEN, no one grabs them.

Oh and fellow CAGs, I tried the guide for Disgaea 2 at the one far off EB yesterday(where I got the Devil Summoner guide tossed in for the GOW II reserve) and it came up $9.99.

As we all know, that $9.99 price is the usual indicator of a guide that WILL penny sometime(whether soon or not depends on how it moves, I think). Well, except in the case of friggin MORROWIND, which went back UP in price at Best Buy to $19.99, after being $9.99 for MONTHS now.

Take it for what you will, but I also didn't see ANY copies of the Disgaea 2 guide IN STOCK at a couple stores that I KNOW had copies as recently as last week. So, could it be that Disgaea 2's guide pennied since yesterday?

It COULD BE, since they've cleared out about 30-40 guides in the past WEEK.
 
I just bit the bullet and paid the $10 for a Disgaea 2 guide. The guide is friggin' long and had I waited for it to be pennied I likely wouldn't have gotten a copy in solid condition. I'm going to buy Devil Summoner as well but so far I've only found copies in crappy shape.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
Of course, the local DM for the stores near me is a total dickhead. NOW, even the damned store I normally score 10-20 guides per drop from in PERFECT shape, has their clerks ripping off the FRONT COVER of the friggin guides.

I still took ONE of each of the above and actually, the clerk(who is usually the cool one and lets me take as many as I find) said I could ONLY take ONE OF EACH NOW.

THIS FRIGGIN SUCKS!!!! So, if anyone scores a perfect Just Cause guide(the only one I'm keeping outta the 3 ripped cover guides I got tonight), let me know and check my TL. I'll do 2 guides for that one, in perfect shape though.
[/quote]

Yeah i'm blacklisting EBgames/GamesStop when it comes to buying consoles, games, accessories, strategy guides, and pre-orders due to their employees being such Assholes when it comes to penny guides.

[quote name='CGH']This happened to me twice in the past couple of days it took quite a while for a employee at gamestop to tell me that Mega Man Zero 2 is $9.99 at Circuit City I found a FF 1 & 2 Dawn of Souls strategy guide when I asked a employee for a price check he took his time to tell me it was $7.99. I ended up buying Mega Man Zero 2 did I get ripped off by a shady employee?[/quote]

Yes it sounds like the typical EBgames/GamesStop employee who knows the guide is only one penny but charges you $10 and keeps it for himself, that company is full of scammers. BLACKLIST THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
[quote name='CGH']This happened to me twice in the past couple of days it took quite a while for a employee at gamestop to tell me that Mega Man Zero 2 is $9.99 at Circuit City I found a FF 1 & 2 Dawn of Souls strategy guide when I asked a employee for a price check he took his time to tell me it was $7.99. I ended up buying Mega Man Zero 2 did I get ripped off by a shady employee?[/QUOTE]
If you bought that guide, and they increased the price, then yes. Their supposed to send them back, or destroy them, not rip you off.
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer'] As we all know, that $9.99 price is the usual indicator of a guide that WILL penny sometime(whether soon or not depends on how it moves, I think). Well, except in the case of friggin MORROWIND, which went back UP in price at Best Buy to $19.99, after being $9.99 for MONTHS now.[/QUOTE]
One of them rings up $19.99, another $9.99, and then there's the one's that ring up at $0.01.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Most times, Best Buy is pretty cool about selling the guides for .01. Hell, some of them actually MARK them .01 with stickers and even THEN, no one grabs them. [/QUOTE]

Except for the Most Hated BB by me. I swear they pull penny guides weeks before they penny out. Fortunately, a new one opened closer to home that had tons of the recent drops and most had 1-cent tags on the shelves. The cashiers were stunned that the guides were only a penny each. One employee even offered to get me a basket for all the guides.... I know which one will always get my business.
 
i love this thread but i totally agree with everyone EBstop really sucks. I've been to like 5 around the area in the past few days and the managers were there or had just left and obviously had trashed all the pennied guides or they were in the back and no one wanted to check or be honest with me. i got some more guides from BB though and like 2 that they missed at EBstop......friggin RIPPED the front cover off though :bomb: .

Anyways, I guess ill start my trading list thing.
 
one of the stores i went to was about to toss em im like u mind if I buy em the chick just looked at me and said i dont think the DM would mind if you preordered something, the DM was there and smiled and walked outside i guess to toss out trash and she looked at me and said, "Just come back tommorow and cancel it." So I did and took 10 guides for .10 cents and a pre
 
[quote name='zodemere2k']Yeah i'm blacklisting EBgames/GamesStop when it comes to buying consoles, games, accessories, strategy guides, and pre-orders due to their employees being such Assholes when it comes to penny guides.

Yes it sounds like the typical EBgames/GamesStop employee who knows the guide is only one penny but charges you $10 and keeps it for himself, that company is full of scammers. BLACKLIST THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

.01 guides aren't supposed to be sold at all. Every time one of us gets them we're getting lucky. You're acting like you're owed something by GS. Trust me, they won't be upset if you refuse to buy .01 guides there anymore. You should be grateful if you get any at all. Just know that .01 guides are a crapshoot, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

BTW, step up the quality of your posts. They read like they belong on gameFAQs.
 
[quote name='rarebucky']Here's one that I picked up that I found in my stack that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Prince of Persia: Two Thrones ($0.01 at EB/GS)[/quote]

i think it was part of the list that i scanned earlier
 
[quote name='Stry-ker']What do you guys do with all these guides???[/QUOTE]
Make sweet, sweet love to them.





Nah, most people here just collect them, since we're video game nerds.
 
[quote name='Stry-ker']What do you guys do with all these guides???[/quote]
Never know when you might need that "The Movies" strat guide! My local stores usually have quite a few of the penny guides so I often stick to getting one of each unless it is a really great RPG guide. Right now the excess is in a stack as big as a man and threatening to kill whomever it may fall on.

Thanks to all the great updates I managed to get most of the guides I wanted out of local stores. Once again traded a preorder for all the RPG guides that got pulled. One thing I was not expecting to see was a complete gamecube gameboy player! At 29.99 it can't be beat
 
That's a crazy picture... I'm in the process of selling / trading most of my guides, I only keep the RPG guides, fighting game guides, sandbox guides, and personal favorites. I'm on my 4th guide drop where I haven't had to leave the house at all and got the guides I wanted ;)

Everything else is just garbage... who *really* needs a guide for Black, anyways?
 
I generally only get guides for games i have, or ones i expect to get eventually. Black is actually one of those games i thought i might get when it dropped, but probably won't =]
 
[quote name='Roufuss']
Everything else is just garbage... who *really* needs a guide for Black, anyways?[/quote]
The same people who need one for Guitar Hero 2.
 
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