Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread Nine

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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(KEEP ALL TRADE REQUESTS HERE OR IN PM'S)
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175548

PLEASE keep ALL trade requests in there or PM's. Thank you.

Reduced Price Guide Discussion Thread(KEEP ALL DISCUSSION NOT RELATED TO GUIDE DROPS HERE!!!)
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169252

Guide Lists(master drop lists and recent drops):

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

Recent Guide Drops(by date,also check the second post in this thread):
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
Guide Eight:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167157

Finally, below is a list of website links, each of which goes to their respective guide page. Whenever possible, I will update the links with better ones(if available).

Amazon
Barnes&Noble
BestBuy
BookPool
CircuitCity
Gamestop
Overstock
StrategyGuides.net
ToysRUs

Thanks to floormat, Guinavere and anyone else who has created and maintained the guide thread before, as well as to all of those who find out either advance information on drops or provide a list of which ones dropped when we do have a drop.

The post below this one contains a list going back at LEAST six months of the more current guide drops, which stores they occured at and which ones dropped. Note that sometimes(Oblivion guide, Quake Wars: Enemy Territory)there are multiple versions of a guide, be it that there are Prima versions, Brady versions and the occasional Nintendo and Doublejump guides.

Please specify WHICH version has dropped when mentioning possible guide drops. Thank you.


 
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[quote name='darkslime']Zelda Phantom Hourglass x2[/quote]

This rang up as a penny? It still shows as $19.99 on the web site.
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']It's not listed on the web site at all.[/quote]

Is this the hard cover that was pennied? How did I miss that...
 
I'm an idiot. He was at CC, I was thinking BB. This is what happens when you have to actually do something at work and try to scan things quickly. My bad.
 
Does anyone ever have any luck in Oklahoma with guides? So far I've only found a 1c Dark Sector guide at Best Buy. It seems that all Game Exchanges have a ton of newish guides on sale for $6 or $7. It seems people must just buy them and trade them there. I've also found lots of old guides at Hastings, but none are on sale as far as I can tell.
 
[quote name='ZackScott']Does anyone ever have any luck in Oklahoma with guides?[/quote]I'm doing OK. Can get them from most Best Buys and Game Crazies. GS/EB is a little harder. And I'm not having any luck yet with CC.
 
Its Zelda PH premiere edition non hardcover that's pennied at CC.

Those are all of the ones that I got. Don't remember any more that my friend got. Sorry.
 
Darkslime -
Thanks for the heads up! I stopped by the CC near me, and picked up some of the guides you've listed.

Yoshi's Island DS (Nintendo Power) x4
Metroid Prime Corruption (Premiere Edition) x2
Tomb Raider Anniversary x2
Super Paper Mario (Nintendo Power) x2
Zelda Phantom Hourglass (Premiere Edition)
Madden 08 x2
Pokemon Battle Revolution (Nintendo Power) x2

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon rang up 19.99 for me though.
 
Didn't see anything new at Best Buy today. The Mass Effect art book and strategy guide combo was $17.99 though, which is cheaper than their price for the Mass Effect guide by itself.
 
I think BB HQ may be catching on to the pennied guide thing. I've noticed in 2 stores now that the Ao2 Guide/Comic set is now priced at $9.99 and the Rock Band Guide is priced @ $2.99. This is the new scanned price. :(
 
[quote name='yuy104']Darkslime -
Thanks for the heads up! I stopped by the CC near me, and picked up some of the guides you've listed.

Yoshi's Island DS (Nintendo Power) x4
Metroid Prime Corruption (Premiere Edition) x2
Tomb Raider Anniversary x2
Super Paper Mario (Nintendo Power) x2
Zelda Phantom Hourglass (Premiere Edition)
Madden 08 x2
Pokemon Battle Revolution (Nintendo Power) x2

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon rang up 19.99 for me though.[/quote] No problem. ^_^
You probably rang up the guide for the PMD: Explorer's of Time/Darkness, not PMD: Red/Blue Rescue Team. That's why.
 
[quote name='Vader582']I think BB HQ may be catching on to the pennied guide thing. I've noticed in 2 stores now that the Ao2 Guide/Comic set is now priced at $9.99 and the Rock Band Guide is priced @ $2.99. This is the new scanned price. :([/quote] The asshats at my BB still have PES, Rock Band and a few others that are supposed to be pennied for full price. Dark sector finally went for a penny a week ago though, even though it was a penny everywhere else. >_
 
[quote name='Vader582']I think BB HQ may be catching on to the pennied guide thing. I've noticed in 2 stores now that the Ao2 Guide/Comic set is now priced at $9.99 and the Rock Band Guide is priced @ $2.99. This is the new scanned price. :([/quote]

The Rock Band guide was has been $2.99 for quite some time. It was listed on their website for that price like a month ago, and I think the in-store price has been the same since that time.
 
[quote name='darkslime']The asshats at my BB still have PES, Rock Band and a few others that are supposed to be pennied for full price. Dark sector finally went for a penny a week ago though, even though it was a penny everywhere else. >_
 
[quote name='yuy104']I think PES and Rock Band were pennied at GS, not BB yet.[/quote] Oh, that's why. lulz.

Is Burnout Paradise supposed to be pennied yet?
 
I again cleaned up the second post(wtf is with it seemingly getting misspaced on its own every couple friggin' days?) and after seeing someone quote the second post a bit, I realized that I had the ORIGINAL Condemned guide listed for the 7.22 drop from Gamestop(I believe) and it SHOULD be Condemned 2's guide.

As for the possible CC penny guides coming up, I'm going to hold off on adding those just yet, since it still seems HIGHLY YMMV. This is why I also don't list the guides that FYE drops to a penny occasionally, though I have found out about a few in times past and found ONE myself.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I again cleaned up the second post(wtf is with it seemingly getting misspaced on its own every couple friggin' days?) and after seeing someone quote the second post a bit, I realized that I had the ORIGINAL Condemned guide listed for the 7.22 drop from Gamestop(I believe) and it SHOULD be Condemned 2's guide.

As for the possible CC penny guides coming up, I'm going to hold off on adding those just yet, since it still seems HIGHLY YMMV. This is why I also don't list the guides that FYE drops to a penny occasionally, though I have found out about a few in times past and found ONE myself.[/quote] CC penny guides aren't YMMV. Its just YMMV for the employee to let you buy them.
 
I got a TON of guides at CC. Two things though, The phantom hourglass guide wasnt in their system. The cashier had to ask the manager and he, much to my surprise, overrode it and gave it to me for a penny. Also, and I think this may have been mentioned quite a while ago, Splinter Cell Double Agent comes up as a penny but only with a combo with the game. She had two there that have been there forever and said no one can buy them because they dont carry the game.
 
When I was ringing things up, it was kind of weird because some guides like the madden one, one would ring up as a penny, but another of the exact same guide would say not in system, and neither of the rogue galaxy guides would recognize, which sucks. IATCG, if you want to put CC penny guides on, I'll try to make a list.
 
[quote name='darkslime']CC penny guides aren't YMMV. Its just YMMV for the employee to let you buy them.[/quote]

Kind of like every place else then. But, we definitely need a conforming list of which ones dropped and when, since I know I don't want to clutter up the second post with a massive list of guides from the last 2-5 years that people just suddenly tried for at CC.

I mean, I could understand maybe listing the more recent guides, but if you're listing stuff that was sitting on the shelf for more than a year, that'll clog up the second post VERY quickly.

EDIT: If you feel like making a list, darkslime, I'll be happy to add them. But please try to keep it to only ones that rang up as .01 universally at CC. Thanks.
 
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Here is a list of the somewhat new guides. I'm gonna be checking them regularly now, so we'll probably get updates whenever they drop.

Circuit City Penny Guides

LoZ: PH (NP)
Yoshi's Island DS (NP)
Madden '08 (Prima)
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Prima)
Mario Party 8 (NP)
Super Paper Mario (NP)
LOTR online (Prima)
You And Wii (?)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (NP)
Pokemon Battle Revolution (NP)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (NP)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Pokedex (NP)
 
Got one of those Disgaea guides at GS today. The guy said it wasn't in the system and I responded that it should be a penny or so. He just rung it up for 0 and gave it to me for free. Woot!

On a second note, I can't wait till that Oblivion GOTY guide with all the extras gets pennied at GS or BB. I am going same day I here that.
 
[quote name='darkslime']Here is a list of the somewhat new guides. I'm gonna be checking them regularly now, so we'll probably get updates whenever they drop.

Circuit City Penny Guides

LoZ: PH (NP)
Yoshi's Island DS (NP)
Madden '08 (Prima)
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Prima)
Mario Party 8 (NP)
Super Paper Mario (NP)
LOTR online (Prima)
You And Wii (?)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (NP)
Pokemon Battle Revolution (NP)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (NP)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Pokedex (NP)[/quote]

But didn't you say that Madden came up as not in system on one copy and as .01 on another? I'll go through and alphabetize em and add them as having dropped today or something, unless we can get clarification as to when they dropped(or a majority of them anyway).

Most of the time stuff like Madden doesn't need info on which version of the guide dropped, but wherever there's a guide with multiple versions, I would like to ask anyone who reports on drops to report WHICH VERSION dropped, so not only I can make a note of it, but so those updating the Wiki can make note of it as well.

EDIT: I added the info about the CC guides to the second post, but let me say again that it may be just like ANY other drop and an EXTREME YMMV as to whether or not they'll sell them.
 
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What I meant by the Madden thing was that for some reason one that was EXACTLY THE SAME as the other one would ring up but the other one wouldn't, so he had to scan to one that did work twice. They were the exact same edition of it.
 
BTW, has anyone seen the Madden 2009 'Best Buy Exclusive' version guide in their local stores yet? I ask because I think you'll all be laughing when you see it. It's a mere 14 pages and it's marked $9.99.

Of course, you KNOW there's SOME sucker out there who WILL buy one, but I thought it was just a freebie preview of the guide or a pre-order bonus mini version of the guide until I saw the price tags on them.

WTF?!?!?! 14 pages for only $9.99. That's a mere 71 cents a page. What a steal.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']BTW, has anyone seen the Madden 2009 'Best Buy Exclusive' version guide in their local stores yet? I ask because I think you'll all be laughing when you see it. It's a mere 14 pages and it's marked $9.99.

Of course, you KNOW there's SOME sucker out there who WILL buy one, but I thought it was just a freebie preview of the guide or a pre-order bonus mini version of the guide until I saw the price tags on them.

WTF?!?!?! 14 pages for only $9.99. That's a mere 71 cents a page. What a steal.[/quote] Hot damn. I'm in for 100. Is that even worth buying when its pennied? lol
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']BTW, has anyone seen the Madden 2009 'Best Buy Exclusive' version guide in their local stores yet? I ask because I think you'll all be laughing when you see it. It's a mere 14 pages and it's marked $9.99.

Of course, you KNOW there's SOME sucker out there who WILL buy one, but I thought it was just a freebie preview of the guide or a pre-order bonus mini version of the guide until I saw the price tags on them.

WTF?!?!?! 14 pages for only $9.99. That's a mere 71 cents a page. What a steal.[/quote]

I'm pretty sick of all these Special Edition guides...multiple skus, console specific guides, etc. I hope this fad dies soon and they go back to making one comprehensive guide for each game and all platforms.
 
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd find it extremely helpful if we could flip-flop posts 1 and 2 of this thread. When I'm standing at the guide shelf trying to surf this thread on my cel phone, it's a real pain getting scrolled down to the guide listing.
 
I got all of the ones you mentioned, just forgot about MP3 and thought the others were too old. I also got RSV.
Its only the NP version of the pokedex that's pennied. Prima rang up as $19.99
 
[quote name='hellmutt']I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd find it extremely helpful if we could flip-flop posts 1 and 2 of this thread. When I'm standing at the guide shelf trying to surf this thread on my cel phone, it's a real pain getting scrolled down to the guide listing.[/QUOTE]

You people just want everything handed to you on a silver platter don't you

"Oh my God! I have to spend a few extra seconds scrolling down on my cell phone so I can get $15-20 strategy guides for a PENNY! My life is so hard!"

Learn how to use a printer.
 
Is everyone picking up the penny guides at CC fine now? I was in a CC that had a ton of them, but didn't bother trying because I read they had it built in to the computer not to sell them.
 
[quote name='Friend of Sonic']Is everyone picking up the penny guides at CC fine now? I was in a CC that had a ton of them, but didn't bother trying because I read they had it built in to the computer not to sell them.[/quote]

I've never tried, especially since I had such a hassle with even clearanced games that weren't properly marked at a CC the one time where they refused to sell them for the price they came up as on the register.

Oh and if I haven't already mentioned it, I hate my local Gamestop stores anymore. I figured I'd call around 4-5pm to see if I could talk to the manager who usually lets me grab the pennied guides and see if/when I could come in and grab the Super Mario Galaxy LE I was forced to leave there yesterday.

The guy I got on the phone when I called told me 'been destroyed already, sorry bro'. So, I guess unless I went there or called at 1 pm when he came in, I was SOL. Ahhhh well, I never grab any from them anymore.

I'm actually ( ) THAT close to calling about 10-20 environmental groups and letting them know that instead of recycling or donating these things, stores have been dumping these in landfills for years.
 
[quote name='Xizer']You people just want everything handed to you on a silver platter don't you

"Oh my God! I have to spend a few extra seconds scrolling down on my cell phone so I can get $15-20 strategy guides for a PENNY! My life is so hard!"

Learn how to use a printer.[/QUOTE]

What printer would I find while I'm standing around looking at my cel phone? In any event, it's just a simple request to reorganize the information to make it slightly more useful. Take the suggestion or reject it, but I'm not sure it was great cause for sarcasm.
 
OK, which one of you Tulsa/BA CAGs got to the 71st CC today before me? ;) Thanks for leaving a few!

Was able to pick up a few, surprisingly. Probably made it easier since whoever showed up before me bought 20 or so...so most of the employees knew about it. Ones that I picked up that I haven't seen reported on post #2 or the past 3-4 pages (apologies if I missed it somehow):

Splinter Cell Double Agent (out of system, likely because it was supposed to be purchased in a bundle with the game)
New Super Mario Brothers (NP)
 
[quote name='eugaet']OK, which one of you Tulsa/BA CAGs got to the 71st CC today before me? ;) Thanks for leaving a few!

Was able to pick up a few, surprisingly. Probably made it easier since whoever showed up before me bought 20 or so...so most of the employees knew about it. Ones that I picked up that I haven't seen reported on post #2 or the past 3-4 pages (apologies if I missed it somehow):

Splinter Cell Double Agent (out of system, likely because it was supposed to be purchased in a bundle with the game)
New Super Mario Brothers (NP)[/quote]

Howd you get the cashier to sell you the double agent guides? There was 2 where I was but the cashier wouldnt sell it unless it was bundled with the game. She said it came up as a combo.
 
No go at Vernon Hills CC for me. Checkout guy thought something was up and talked to CSR then said they would sell them at list. Then I argued with the CSR and told a BS story that I had a friend who found them at another CC and told me about it. Argued with her for a while then she checked with her manager and they said list only. fuck CC. I need the pokedex and MP3 if anybody will trade guides with me.
 
The Splinter Cell: Double Agent wouldn't ring up, it kept saying something about needing to be with a "max package"? So, they just typed in misc service/part at $.01.
 
[quote name='hellmutt']What printer would I find while I'm standing around looking at my cel phone? In any event, it's just a simple request to reorganize the information to make it slightly more useful. Take the suggestion or reject it, but I'm not sure it was great cause for sarcasm.[/quote]

Yeah. Let me get right on that project of totally messing around with the first and second posts JUST to suit you. Print up a list prior to hitting BB/TRU/GS, that's what many of us do. Unless you want to take over the thread, then please.....kindly....shut the fuck up. Thanks. :razz:

As it stands, I see the clutter has crept in again and we're already up to close to a third of the size that the old one was capped off at. No offense, but it's a pain in the fuckin' nuts to have to sift through 100 posts of 'any drops' or mindless chatter just to find info on what dropped.

Anyone with info on what dropped and when(since I made a couple ?? additions to the post 2 list since no one knew when the GC 0 cent drops happened), please PM me with them. Thanks.

As it is, I may well remove some of the second post soon, since we're almost to the point of having a years worth of old drops listed and I'm sure if there's a post limit, it'll be coming up SOON.

So with that all being said, the format is staying AS IS and if you don't like it, then go check out SlickDeals or FatWallet whenever a new drop occurs for a 'concise list' since they're all about making little chatter and getting the deals as quickly as they can.

This is why I refused to take over the thread a couple times before, since people think it's like Burger King. No, you cannot have it YOUR way here.
 
[quote name='Torrwin']The Splinter Cell: Double Agent wouldn't ring up, it kept saying something about needing to be with a "max package"? So, they just typed in misc service/part at $.01.[/quote]That's what they did for me as well. At first, they were going to go find the game to go with it...they asked which system and I said 'Wii'. :) ...since it's the only system I have. Of course, I already had the game (recent TRU clearance)...so I told them I was only interested in the guide and the manager showed them how to do the 0.01 misc srvc/part thing.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']No, you cannot have it YOUR way here.[/quote]

Bah da ba ba ba.

Checked BB that actually had guides and found no drops.

*edit* crap that is McDonalds
 
[quote name='Xizer']You people just want everything handed to you on a silver platter don't you

"Oh my God! I have to spend a few extra seconds scrolling down on my cell phone so I can get $15-20 strategy guides for a PENNY! My life is so hard!"

Learn how to use a printer.[/QUOTE]

I didn't see his post that way at all. It seemed he was just genuinely trying to make a suggestion, as opposed to being whiny or a jerk. If his idea isn't a good idea, or something that would take someone a lot of work, then I'm sure he would be cool with having to continue to scroll like he's been doing.

I don't see anything wrong with making a suggestion on here, as long as it's not mean or spiteful.

You know, kind of like your post, for example.....
 
[quote name='Torrwin']The Splinter Cell: Double Agent wouldn't ring up, it kept saying something about needing to be with a "max package"? So, they just typed in misc service/part at $.01.[/quote]

Thats what the cashier had to do for the zelda guides for me. But she said she couldnt do it for splinter cell...LAME
 
Xizer is just a lurker, eugaet, pay no attention to him.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Yeah. Let me get right on that project of totally messing around with the first and second posts JUST to suit you. Print up a list prior to hitting BB/TRU/GS, that's what many of us do. Unless you want to take over the thread, then please.....kindly....shut the fuck up. Thanks. :razz:

As it stands, I see the clutter has crept in again and we're already up to close to a third of the size that the old one was capped off at. No offense, but it's a pain in the fuckin' nuts to have to sift through 100 posts of 'any drops' or mindless chatter just to find info on what dropped.

Anyone with info on what dropped and when(since I made a couple ?? additions to the post 2 list since no one knew when the GC 0 cent drops happened), please PM me with them. Thanks.

As it is, I may well remove some of the second post soon, since we're almost to the point of having a years worth of old drops listed and I'm sure if there's a post limit, it'll be coming up SOON.

So with that all being said, the format is staying AS IS and if you don't like it, then go check out SlickDeals or FatWallet whenever a new drop occurs for a 'concise list' since they're all about making little chatter and getting the deals as quickly as they can.

This is why I refused to take over the thread a couple times before, since people think it's like Burger King. No, you cannot have it YOUR way here.[/quote]

You are REALLY overreacting, IATCG. All eugaet was doing was making a suggestion/asking a question. If you don't think it's a better idea, that's fine but telling him to "shut the fuck up" is just childish, particularly coming from someone in their 30's. It's just a .01 guide thread, not the Library of Congress. Stop being so self-important about it.
 
[quote name='neocisco']Xizer is just a lurker, eugaet, pay no attention to him.[/quote]Think you mean hellmutt, not me. ;)
 
Well i had a bad run at circuit city today.

I bring a stack of 10 guides to the customer service counter. The lady CSR rings up the first one and it comes up a penny. She says hold on a minute. She goes in the back and after she comes back tells me that they can't sell me these. They have to "destroy" them. I try to make an argument but i knew that she wont budge. I just said fine and left. I just have to remember to go to the service counters inside the store and not the customer service area. There is another CC close to me anyway. And also a BB a few blocks away too.

Any suggestions on what to say or do next time?
 
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