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='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
EDIT: Can I get a verification that the original God Of War II guide with the sticker over the UPC FINALLY dropped to .01? Anyone?[/quote]


The copy of GoW 2 that I got for .01 is wrapped in plastic and it does have a sticker over the original UPC.
 
They had 2 employees pulling pennied items today when I went in my local best buy. I think they are going to really start cracking down on these guides. I have been hassled at 3 different stores, even though I only buy 4-5 guides. I brought the BB print out today in case they wanted to "verify the prices" on their company intranet.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']OK, thanks for the clarification, emg, I'll add the God Of War 2 guide to the list.[/quote]


My God of War II penny guide did not have plastic wrap nor a stickered UPC, just the UPC on the guide scanned a penny.
 
[quote name='donut']My God of War II penny guide did not have plastic wrap nor a stickered UPC, just the UPS on the guide scanned a penny.[/quote]

So all god of war guides are now clearanced except chains of olympus
 
[quote name='donut']My God of War II penny guide did not have plastic wrap nor a stickered UPC, just the UPC on the guide scanned a penny.[/quote]

The non-stickered one has been a penny for a long time now, though some were doing the naughty thing and removing the sticker to get those copies to ring up .01 too.

I think the unstickered version pennied back a couple of months ago or so.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']They had 2 employees pulling pennied items today when I went in my local best buy. I think they are going to really start cracking down on these guides. I have been hassled at 3 different stores, even though I only buy 4-5 guides. I brought the BB print out today in case they wanted to "verify the prices" on their company intranet.[/quote]

See the thing of it is that some stores never hassle you. Employee's at my store even refer to guides being pennied out and have no issues ever selling me them. It's been that way for about 2-3 years now.

Then again i can't get any guides ever from gamestop and TRU is a crapshot so its all a matter of luck.
 
[quote name='Brian9824']See the thing of it is that some stores never hassle you. Employee's at my store even refer to guides being pennied out and have no issues ever selling me them. It's been that way for about 2-3 years now.

Then again i can't get any guides ever from gamestop and TRU is a crapshot so its all a matter of luck.[/QUOTE]

It seems to be one thing or the other as to whether or not my BB has the guides pulled or not... a couple drops ag, they had planty, the next drop, they pulled the guides, next drop actually had the advance wars guides tagged at a penny... I generally get little resistance, and if I do, Im usually sold the guides anyway. It generally depends on who is working, most cashiers look with amazement when they ring up a penny, I always add in that they are old, and thus clearanced out so they dont start questioning it... never had a problem that way, small talk goes a long way.

Only guide Ive wanted that I was not able to find from the past 2 lists was heavenly Sword... oh well
 
I think my penny guide hunting days are over. I got hassled at 2 Bestbuys that I went to today. They said if I wanted to buy them, they could do me a favor and price adjust it to the stickered price. I said no thanks. I was going to put them all back so maybe one of the 5 guys that standing around in media could actually do their jobs.
 
Went to a local Best Buy and I found the guide I wanted: Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles. *does the victory dance* It was the only copy, hidden behind a Mario Galaxy guide. Little beat up but I don't mind. I also got Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker and Tabula Rasa from the previous drop for funsies. I did see a bunch of others though. World in Conflict, Sim City Societies, Halo 2, Advance Wars. And I think I saw Universe at War, Secret Codes 2007, and Enemy Territory Quake Wars from older drops. They being pennied wasn't fresh in my mind at the time so I really can't say for sure if I did see them.

Actually, when I was buying them, it was a little interesting. I also bought a Dr Pepper and Buncha Crunch so the fairly hot cashier was ringing them up when some other guy mentions to her someone got fired. So while she's distracted, she scans the first 2 guides. Then the conversation ends, and she scans the third one, it comes up a penny, and she doesn't even bat an eye. Score.
 
I scored AW Days of Ruin and RE Umbrella Chronicles sealed but I forgot to check for the Bioshock guide while I was there. Thanks CAG.
 
I was hopeing to find LOZ for GC, but they don't even have the game. I did find LOZ for WII I guess I'm waiting for that to penny out. Also saw that biohazard and some others with a yellow stickers with $0.01 labeled on them. Was hopeing I would return home and see if I could go back to purchase some in a trade for LOZ (GC), but no one seems that interested in them.

Might have to hit the next one over
 
Well I got my "Your order has been shipped" email today for DQM, but the rest are backordered. Does that mean they're never coming, or will it just be a few week delay like it says in the email?
 
[quote name='carlcarlson']Well I got my "Your order has been shipped" email today for DQM, but the rest are backordered. Does that mean they're never coming, or will it just be a few week delay like it says in the email?[/QUOTE]

you are probably not getting anything
 
I got Bioshock.

This is the first time I've been able to get a penny guide. I was going to buy a game with it to throw them off, but my wife said I should buy a game and another guide with it just to be safe. The guy ringing me up noticed the penny guide and said, "Wow. You're getting a good deal on this one." I feigned confusion and asked how much it was. He said it was a penny, and then said, "It must be some promo where if you buy the game you get the guide free." Problem is, I wasn't buying Bioshock with the guide, but I wasn't about to argue.
 
Went to Boston, MA BestBuy. Scored -

Tabula Rasa
Gears of War
Advance Wars : DoR
Dragon Quest Monsters : Joker
FF XII - Revenant Wings
Resident Evil UC
UT3
Neverwinter Nights 2

All for .01 :p
 
anybody who have a couple extra guides want to help me out? I am willing to compensate for your time and gas money, thanks.
 
Picked up the following tonight(Bioshock x2), after getting approval from a media manager that I could buy them before even going up to the register. Since I was denied by a manager last time on guides @ BB, I figured it was for the best if I brought them up only after getting said approval.
 
I fucked up this time and didn't go on Monday. When I got to BB today, I got a tattered Bioshock, a World in Conflict, a Sim City Societies, an Advance Wars, and a couple of FF XII. Really was after the Resident Evil, but I was impressed that I found what I did, albeit single copies.

Interestingly, some books from previous drops reappeared: Darkness and a couple others I can't remember. I left those for another CAG
 
[quote name='troy2007']I fucked up this time and didn't go on Monday. [/quote]

I hit a store that is normally a gold mine yesterday and found a gears of war 360 guide, nothing else though.
 
I looked for Bioshock I did not find any. The remaining copies of AW and RE I left behind yesterday were gone the guides section looked like it had been ransacked. I am glad I went yesterday morning.:)
 
[quote name='BrandonMills']Went to Boston, MA BestBuy. Scored -

Tabula Rasa
Gears of War
Advance Wars : DoR
Dragon Quest Monsters : Joker
FF XII - Revenant Wings
Resident Evil UC
UT3
Neverwinter Nights 2

All for .01 :p[/quote]


wait, neverwinter nights 2, not the world editor, got pennied?
 
Picked up over the last two days:

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin x7 (1 for me, 1 for...)
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker x5 (1 for me, 1 for...)
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings x4 (1 for me, 1 for...)
Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Agmar World
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles x5 (1 for me, 1 for...)
World In Conflict
WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2008 x3 (1 for me, 1 for...)

Looks like I missed out on:

Bioshock
 
Wow, went back to my local BB and found:

World in Conflict (Sealed)
GTA Vice City Storiesx3
Gears of War
Bioshock x3
FF12 RW
Tabula Rosa x2
Forza Motorsports 2
 
I can't take it anymore. I was going to avoid going to BB for guides cause it's a good 15 minutes 2 ways, and with the way gas is priced right now, I didn't think it was worth it for penny guides that might not be there... but I just really want to try...
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']I can't take it anymore. I was going to avoid going to BB for guides cause it's a good 15 minutes 2 ways, and with the way gas is priced right now, I didn't think it was worth it for penny guides that might not be there... but I just really want to try...[/QUOTE]

I felt the same way (except it is 20-25 minutes each way for me) and almost didn't go out last night but I'm glad I did. I got everything I wanted except Bioshock. So I say go for it ;). I pawned the gas cost off on my cats - made a stop at the Petsmart right next to Best Buy since I needed to get them food anyway. If the Fire Emblem or Mass Effect guides ever drop this Best Buy is fully-stocked so I'll be keeping an eye on those for sure (as I have yet to play Fire Emblem - don't really need Mass Effect but would want one to go with my copy anyway). This last drop was very useful in terms of games I'm actually playing now or considering playing soon. My last two active DS games (before my DS stopped charging and I put it aside 2 months ago) were AW and DQM:J. I also have Bioshock waiting in the wings (though I didn't get that guide - have a trade lined up if I can't find it though). And I'll pcik up FF XII RW as soon as I can get it for less than $40.

BTW, what is it with the Best Buy/Petsmart connection? All 3 of the closest Best Buys to me (including two that opened within the last year) have Petsmart right next to them. I guess it is all part of the cookie-cutter pseudo-upscale strip mall development that is all the rage now :roll:. They probably are all put up by the same developer.
 
[quote name='io']

BTW, what is it with the Best Buy/Petsmart connection? All 3 of the closest Best Buys to me (including two that opened within the last year) have Petsmart right next to them. I guess it is all part of the cookie-cutter pseudo-upscale strip mall development that is all the rage now :roll:. They probably are all put up by the same developer.[/quote]

I was just going to ask the same thing...I have a Petsmart right next to my local Best Buy also...I think it's a chain of stores in one area. do you have a Target also?
 
[quote name='io']BTW, what is it with the Best Buy/Petsmart connection? All 3 of the closest Best Buys to me (including two that opened within the last year) have Petsmart right next to them. I guess it is all part of the cookie-cutter pseudo-upscale strip mall development that is all the rage now :roll:. They probably are all put up by the same developer.[/QUOTE]

The closest one near me has one across the street, but the 2nd bestbuy doesnt.

[quote name='heatdolphins45']I was just going to ask the same thing...I have a Petsmart right next to my local Best Buy also...I think it's a chain of stores in one area. do you have a Target also?[/QUOTE]

Both BBs near me have Targets near them and a Walmart.
 
We just got a new plaza in town.
Has Best Buy (no penny guides yet, too new)
Target (score lots of clearance)
AND Pet Smart.

Anyways damn Animal Crossing: Wild World.
 
When I went to BB today to get a PM on Mario vs Sonic (Wii) the lady at customer service was denying the PM because she said I got 2 guides free (.01) with the game. :roll: She was about to call the manager when the girl next to her told her that it was ok to PM and proceeded to explain pennied guides to her.

I then picked up Bioshock, Gears of War, RE: UC and Simcity: Societies. When paying, the cashier scanned everything and couldn't believe what he saw. He deleted the penny guides from the screen and proceeded to scan the guides again. I guess he felt satisfied and let me pay.

Anyways, I also picked up My Sims and Sims: Castaway at another BB.
 
[quote name='io']I felt the same way (except it is 20-25 minutes each way for me) and almost didn't go out last night but I'm glad I did. I got everything I wanted except Bioshock. So I say go for it ;).[/quote]
I went last night and am really glad I did. It was an interesting experience though.

Girl ringing me up gave me trouble, called over another girl, who called a manager, who immediatly said they should sell me the guides for a penny. Weird thing was he kept asking if I wanted to buy the guides for a penny. Did he expect me to say I'd rather pay sticker price?

I told them that my friend down south had been to a BB and there were guides stickered as a penny, and that someone working there told him that's how they clearance them out. This is now my new story, and I think it will work pretty well. not specific enough but very belieivable. Anyway, my haul:

Simcity: Societies, RE: UC, Halo 2, LOTR Online, Advance Wars DOR, and DQM:J. Can't remember if there were others (I'm at work so I can't check), but I do know I was dissappointed to not find Bioshock or FF 12 RW. The way there were so many guides, I'm guessing someone hit the store early on and got the best ones and left extras of the other guides; I doubt BB would only pull a couple guides from the list and not bother with the tons of others there.

Hopefully I can hit up another BB soon and see what I can get, but that one is 45 mins both ways and I have no other reason to go.
 
Went back to BB to buy a microwave and noticed that all the guides were gone. Completely. No trace.
Then I saw them moved two aisles over. =]
Dug a little deeper than Monday and found another FFxII and Advance Wars, as well as a beat up God of War II.
 
[quote name='speedracer']My local Best Buy had restocked penny guides since last week! Guides long since off the shelves must have been located in the back and tossed out on the stands... I picked up 27 guides, never more than 1 of each title. There were still an absolute ton of them left.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='speedracer']I went back an hour later because my brother wanted to pick up a few. Someone had absolutely decimated the place. All guides with any resell value had been grabbed, in some cases there were over 15 of each that were gone. I'm kind of wishing I had just grabbed everything in the store instead of letting them become SD/FW ebay locust fodder. Hell, I'd prefer to give em away for cost here on CAG than surrendered to the locust.[/QUOTE]

So I stopped back in today to see if any more guides had found a way to magically appear. Picked up 2 FF III guides, a God of War 2, and an Enemy Territory guide. I go to check out and the cashier asks for the manager, saying that the manager had called an employee meeting to throw a fit because a cashier had allowed someone to buy over 125 penny guides in one go. Managers must give approval before *any* penny guides can be sold now. She also hinted that they might refuse to sell in the future. The manager saw that I had 4 and let me buy them without any fuss.

I know you'll never read this, but a big fuck you to the jerk responsible. Way to screw it up for everyone. I hope you f'n choke on em.
 
[quote name='camelking6969']hAS command and conquer dropped at bestbuy[/quote]

You mean the PC version of C&C 3: Tiberium Wars? If so, I HAD a copy for the longest time, which just went yesterday with 99% of my other guides to a local shop.

But, as for BB pennying it, I wouldn't know, since I haven't seen that guide at my local BB stores in forever.

I'm hoping they drop the EA 25th anniversary thing at some point though, since I know I'd like to thumb through it, but with my extreme dislike of EA, I'd rather pay next to nothing for it.

[quote name='speedracer']So I stopped back in today to see if any more guides had found a way to magically appear. Picked up 2 FF III guides, a God of War 2, and an Enemy Territory guide. I go to check out and the cashier asks for the manager, saying that the manager had called an employee meeting to throw a fit because a cashier had allowed someone to buy over 125 penny guides in one go. Managers must give approval before *any* penny guides can be sold now. She also hinted that they might refuse to sell in the future. The manager saw that I had 4 and let me buy them without any fuss.

I know you'll never read this, but a big fuck you to the jerk responsible. Way to screw it up for everyone. I hope you f'n choke on em.[/quote]

I think I'm the main reason that the local Gamestop district refuses to sell or even give away guides anymore. I used to go all over their district, buying up as many as they had on the shelves. Their DM seriously hates me. But, in your case, it's probably someone from FatWallet or SlickDeals who has intentions of selling on Ebay that bought them all up.
 
[quote name='speedracer']So I stopped back in today to see if any more guides had found a way to magically appear. Picked up 2 FF III guides, a God of War 2, and an Enemy Territory guide. I go to check out and the cashier asks for the manager, saying that the manager had called an employee meeting to throw a fit because a cashier had allowed someone to buy over 125 penny guides in one go. Managers must give approval before *any* penny guides can be sold now. She also hinted that they might refuse to sell in the future. The manager saw that I had 4 and let me buy them without any fuss.

I know you'll never read this, but a big fuck you to the jerk responsible. Way to screw it up for everyone. I hope you f'n choke on em.[/QUOTE]

Why do Best Buy stores/managers/media reps/etc. even care if somebody buys a lot of penny guides? Seems to me that it only serves to help them.

Now, if somebody buys that many guides, then CAG's have a right to be perturbed....
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']Why do Best Buy stores/managers/media reps/etc. even care if somebody buys a lot of penny guides? Seems to me that it only serves to help them.

Now, if somebody buys that many guides, then CAG's have a right to be perturbed....[/QUOTE]

One BB I went to told me they are supposed to throw them out once they are pennied out. But the employee was cool about it and told me I could have as many as I wanted :D

He said he would rather see someone buy them for a penny then throw them away.
 
I think it's because of the credit their stores get for each one that the publisher is able to verify was destroyed and not sold at a penny. Multiply that by hundreds of stores and probably thousands of copies of guides which slip through the cracks during each drop and that's quite a sizable number.

The reps/cashiers are probably just being cautious, since they don't want to possibly get fired over selling something that SHOULD have been pulled.

As for me, I WAS buying that many guides combined back when I was going all over with my one friend and hitting the Tri-State area for them. But, since she is now employed by the gov't and unable to go on long treks, I hit the local 2 stores and if they have none, I'm SOL.

Speaking of SOL, I wonder if the 2 copies of Bioshock's guide I left in my families car, which is in the repair shop now, will still be there when we get it back. If not, I may raise a stink and say they owe me $20 a copy till they're found. No one else needs to know what I paid for them.

I just can't believe I forgot them in the car when we dropped it off at the shop.
 
[quote name='genfuyung']These guides are just in the regualr guide section? Ive NEVER seen any penny guides.[/QUOTE]

Yea, and about 95% of the time they arent marked as $0.01. So you need to have them price-check it to make sure.

I bought a couple of guides already, and all of them had the regular MRSP sticker on them.
 
You all will have to excuse my newness, but where do you find these penny guides? I'd love to pick up a few here and there. Also, is there a list on which ones cost that much at stores?
 
[quote name='slofton']You all will have to excuse my newness, but where do you find these penny guides? I'd love to pick up a few here and there. Also, is there a list on which ones cost that much at stores?[/quote]

First page of this thread has a wiki link. I wonder if theres anyway to get this list on my phone. Gears of war limited edition and windwaker is on the best buy list. Think Ill head up there tomorrow. Any one ever have a problem with getting it to ring up for .01?
 
[quote name='genfuyung']Im in the same boat. Is there a list of what guides are cheap?[/quote]


[quote name='slofton']You all will have to excuse my newness, but where do you find these penny guides? I'd love to pick up a few here and there. Also, is there a list on which ones cost that much at stores?[/quote]

Please read the second post on page ONE of this thread, which includes a list going back roughly six months or so. All of the guides on that list have been pennied, though best of luck trying to find most of them in stores by now.

Oh and before you even think of trying at Toys R Us, let me say that THEY are the hardest store to get guides from, in my own personal experience.

Best story to use before they ring up the guides is 'I heard these were on clearance'. But, if anyone asks you where you got the information from, just say 'the internet' or 'a friend'. DO NOT MENTION CAG AT ALL!! AND DO NOT CALL THE STORE TO ASK ABOUT PENNIED GUIDES, AS THAT WILL ALERT THE STAFF.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']DO NOT MENTION CAG AT ALL!! AND DO NOT CALL THE STORE TO ASK ABOUT PENNIED GUIDES, AS THAT WILL ALERT THE STAFF.[/quote]

AND DO NOT PASS GO! DO NOT COLLECT $200!!!

I haven't said Monopoly in the longest time... Luckily, I have it on CD-ROM and the computer won't get bored 30 minutes in.
 
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