Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread Eight(MODS: Please lock, Thread Nine is up)

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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 or which ones you've grabbed 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/showthread.php?t=102021

Game Guide Trade Thread(current one):
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(please keep all conversation NOT related to guide drops HERE. Thanks.): http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169252

Guide Lists:

Master Drop List(by store, alphabetically):
http://wiki.cheapassgamer.com/index.php/Category:Strategy_Guides_%28master_lists%29

Recent Guide Drops(by date):
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.

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/showthread.php?t=50515&highlight=guide
Guide Four:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1496376
Guide Five:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85976
Guide Six:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116918
Guide Seven:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131717
Guide Seven and a half:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142400

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
B&N
BestBuy
Borders
BookPool
CircuitCity
Gamestop
Overstock
StrategyGuide.net
ToysRUs

Thanks to floormat, who did threads 3,4,5 and 6 and provided me with the links to them.

Thanks to Gwen for allowing me the honor of giving something back to CAG by doing this new guide thread. I hope you all enjoy it and it isn't TOO hard to read.
 
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[quote name='neocisco']Thanks, I'd forgotten about that one. Here's hoping GS gets the Uprising trade and/or hardcover so I can get it when it pennies out.:lol:[/quote]

The series isn't even complete yet, so be prepared to wait awhile Mr. CAG
 
today i found a bunch of penny guides at bestbuy. i havent gone penny guide huntin for awhile and certainly havent done it at any bestbuy. would they give me crap if i bring all those guides at the register? im talkin more than 20 guides.
 
[quote name='phear3d']today i found a bunch of penny guides at bestbuy. i havent gone penny guide huntin for awhile and certainly havent done it at any bestbuy. would they give me crap if i bring all those guides at the register? im talkin more than 20 guides.[/quote]

any titles or names you remember?
 
[quote name='phear3d']today i found a bunch of penny guides at bestbuy. i havent gone penny guide huntin for awhile and certainly havent done it at any bestbuy. would they give me crap if i bring all those guides at the register? im talkin more than 20 guides.[/QUOTE]

NAME THEM!!!!
 
i am going to assume they are older guides he saw since he hasnt brought them yet, unless they are marke as 1 cent.
 
[quote name='phear3d']today i found a bunch of penny guides at bestbuy. i havent gone penny guide huntin for awhile and certainly havent done it at any bestbuy. would they give me crap if i bring all those guides at the register? im talkin more than 20 guides.[/quote]


hey phear3d ,if its in nyc can u pm the store, if u dont mind telling me this new gold mine?
 
If we don't get confirmation, I'll try and swing by on my way home from school tomorrow. Unfortunately that won't be till about 6pm though, so hopefully someone can confirm before then.
 
Well, if BB holds true to form from some of the prior drops, most of us should be able to find out what may be dropping tomorrow as of 4 or so in the am by using the BB link on the first page in this thread. Just have the guides relisted from low to high price and that should do it.
 
I'll be right across the street from BB tomorrow when I cash a check, I'll just go check for us in the morning.
 
[quote name='heatdolphins45']any titles or names you remember?[/quote]
alot of titles. ninja gaiden, mario party 8, super paper mario, ffIII, to name a few.

[quote name='scion of ys']hey phear3d ,if its in nyc can u pm the store, if u dont mind telling me this new gold mine? all in great condition.[/quote]
its not in nyc.. i havent been at any bestbuys in new york city since april of last year :)
 
[quote name='Rocko']No penny guides on BB's website this morning. Not sure how many were on there yesterday, but there's 91 now.[/QUOTE]
There were 91 yesterday as well.
 
CC is selling the DMC4 guide for $10 this week if anyone wants it now. Also, Target has a listing for a free strategy guide with purchase of DMC4 but no picture of it. I'm not sure if it's the regular guide or some type of pocket or mini version.
 
[quote name='phear3d']alot of titles. ninja gaiden, mario party 8, super paper mario, ffIII, to name a few.[/quote]

Those are all old drops.

I am very sad.
 
just an fyi, something came up, so I won't be able to stop by like I said I would. doesn't seem like there is anything anyway
 
[quote name='makstaks']Did Command and Conquer 3 ever drop to a penny? I know its been at $10 for a while.[/QUOTE]
Still $10 at bb.com so probably not

[quote name='Zmonkay']just an fyi, something came up, so I won't be able to stop by like I said I would. doesn't seem like there is anything anyway[/QUOTE]
yea the online site didnt change so probaly no drop.
 
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness guide was/is $9.99 at GameStop. I don't know if that got mentioned before when many of those dropped to the $9.99 price.

I bought one since I'll never likely get one for a penny and I doubt they'll go all the way to $4.99 with these.
 
Just a question: Do you guys normally find these "penny guides" on shelves? Do you ask the cashiers to look in the back for them? Any information would be appreciated... I'm just not sure how the whole thing works.
 
Its a 6 step process:


Step 1) You go into the store with the intent of buying all the older guides you can find.

Step 2) Take the stack up to the cashier

Step 3)After she rings them up you say......

Step 4) oh crap I left my wallet at home.

Step 5) sheepishly walk out of the store.

Step 6) log onto CAG and report findings.
 
[quote name='IbiteHRD']Its a 6 step process:


Step 1) You go into the store with the intent of buying all the older penny guides you can find.

Step 2) Take the stack up to the cashier

Step 3)After she rings them up you say......

Step 4) oh crap I left my wallet at home. I don't want the ones that aren't a penny.

Step 5) sheepishly walk out of the store. Walk out with head held high.

Step 6) log onto CAG and report findings.[/quote]

Fixed.
 
Got really lucky today and managed to find a mint condition Brigandine (PS1) guide for $8 at a pawn shop. I may go back tomorrow and pick up Xenosaga Episode I and Resident Evil 0, both were $8 as well. The guides were all in mint condition, whoever traded them in took really good care of them.
 
[quote name='IbiteHRD']Its a 6 step process:


Step 1) You go into the store with the intent of buying all the older guides you can find.

Step 2) Take the stack up to the cashier

Step 3)After she rings them up you say......

Step 4) oh crap I left my wallet at home.

Step 5) sheepishly walk out of the store.

Step 6) log onto CAG and report findings.[/quote]

My process is way different. I take up a bunch of guides and say 'I saw these marked for $4.99 on the website(in the case of GS or BB), I was wondering if they're the same price in store?

Then, when they ring up .01, just say 'WOW, that's even better', then start bringing out your cash.

However, this may NOT work @ Gamestop, but has worked for me @ BB repeatedly. Actually, @ BB I don't even bother playing that little game of 'these were supposed to be $4.99'. I just bring them up to the register, unless I forgot which ones were pennied, then I have them PC'd in the Media dept and kick myself in the ass when they ring up .01 and they either try to yank them from me or they go over and yank the rest once I 'alert' them that they're still on the shelf(as I did recently with Gears Of War for 360's guide).

Just be brazen, once you see the guides listed on here that are .01, go to the store and bring up at least one copy of each and act like you're going to buy them normally. If they price override and bring them back up to full price though, then say 'oh I left my wallet at home' or 'I thought these were cheaper'. Then, just walk out of the store.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']My process is way different. I take up a bunch of guides and say 'I saw these marked for $4.99 on the website(in the case of GS or BB), I was wondering if they're the same price in store?

Then, when they ring up .01, just say 'WOW, that's even better', then start bringing out your cash.[/quote]
Nice, never thought of that tactic. I always go with, "my friend said these were on clearance or something... oh wow, a penny! He wasn't kidding!"

This makes it seem as if I'm expecting a cheap guide (but maybe not that cheap), and that it had previously been sold to someone, so it must be okay. It's like a really lame example of social engineering.

I usually try for a bored looking girl cashier, and try to make small talk (one girl had colored hair which I thought was neat so it made a nice distraction). I've had equal luck with guys though, I think. It tends to be really new people that see the price and grab a manager, and then your screwed (well, sometimes; had a TRU manager let me get out with guides once). I also try to have my g/f do the guide hunting; I believe cashiers might be less inclined to believe a girl would do something as nefarious as seek out a guide that's a penny. These are all assumptions though. It sure would be neat to test this; if more guide drops happened and less were pulled it would be easier to check results.
 
Best Buy is going to keep them all at regular price for months, then drop them to $9.99 to stay at that price point forever.
Maybe they finally learned.
But that's a scary thought.
 
[quote name='Frosty The Batman']Oh good. I'm never to sure till someone posts that.[/quote]
You could always use the Best Buy link in the first post and see if they made any changes online. Last week there were 91 guides according to Rocko and this week there's 93. When nothing's been dropped from the site it's usually a pretty safe bet that you're gonna be staying home again.
 
2 days ago i went to BB and got Super Paper Mario, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Mario Party 8, Final Fantasy III. i didnt know which else was pennied.
 
Oh I was just joking. If nobody reported anything, I then assume there were no drops. Unless I get to check myself. I figured there were no drops this week since there were no needless posts. (like this one, I know)
 
i know what they are waiting for, i have been off the last 4 mondays and no drops, i work next monday and they will drop oh well
 
checked

rachet and clank 17.99
nintendogs 9.99 ( i think)

and a couple of others ar about 2pm 2-12-08

all I checked were still full price or at least not a penny
 
Not sure if it's anything noteworthy, but the BB guide listings went from 93 to 91, along with several of the older guides showing up as backordered. Hmm........

EDIT: Upon further inspection, it appears that Final Fantasy and Nintendogs are gone. I also noticed that Manhunt 2 wasn't on the site either, but is still in stores.
 
I don't know when BB's fiscal year ends (end of February or March) but there's a good chance we'll see a drop a few weeks before it does.
 
[quote name='neocisco']I don't know when BB's fiscal year ends (end of February or March) but there's a good chance we'll see a drop a few weeks before it does.[/QUOTE]

For what it's worth I do recall that one big drop last year with Bully & Kingdom Hearts II being shortly after the clearance they did late February of last year so maybe they will do a decent sized drop early March.
 
Here's what I believed dropped:

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (the old one)
Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Prima) (Wii)
Stranglehold

Possibly some others I missed.
 
the guide to blacksite area 51 doesnt seem to be listed on BB's site either, as is any type of new super mario brothers guide and manhunt 2 guide.
 
[quote name='Visc']the guide to blacksite area 51 doesnt seem to be listed on BB's site either, as is any type of new super mario brothers guide and manhunt 2 guide.[/quote]I'm thinking someone needs to run down to BB and do some price checking.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I'm thinking someone needs to run down to BB and do some price checking.[/quote]


I have an interview tonight at 6, so I'll be doing it right before.
 
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