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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At the Glen Allen CC, I got a couple Viva Pinatas, Metroid Prime 3, Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga, Super Paper Mario (NP), and Tomb Raider Anniversary. They also had a lot Yoshi's Island DS and Pokemon Battle Revolution guides, but I passed on those.

At the Short Pump CC, they had everything but the Pokemon DP guide and Pokedex, including the one I really wanted, the Phantom Hourglass guide. But wouldn't you know it - the cashier scanned the first guide, saw that it was a penny, and called a manager. The manager whispered something in her ear and the cashier proceeded to mark up the guides without telling me what she was doing. Of course, it was pretty obvious anyway. I called her on it, so she pointed to the MSRP on the back and said "That's the real price." I didn't even argue, just turned and walked out. I'll check back tomorrow and see if they put the guides back out.

The Midlo and Colonial Heights CC's and The City on Broad and Gaskins were bone dry, BTW.
 
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[quote name='Civickid96']2. Phantasy Star Universe (Brady)[/quote]

I just checked that one!!! #-o

Guess I'll be going back on Monday (I know, I know, YMMV)
 
I'm going to attempt to do a guide run at BB's opening tomorrow if I can manage to wake myself early enough - do we have any speculations or guesses to what may drop since its the first Monday of the month? I figure the sooner I can get my search done the sooner I can go across the street to the Apple store and update you guys.

Oh, and my CC provided bupkiss for me. A shame too, I wanted a complete saga guide or two.
 
[quote name='Visc']I'm going to attempt to do a guide run at BB's opening tomorrow if I can manage to wake myself early enough - do we have any speculations or guesses to what may drop since its the first Monday of the month? I figure the sooner I can get my search done the sooner I can go across the street to the Apple store and update you guys.

Oh, and my CC provided bupkiss for me. A shame too, I wanted a complete saga guide or two.[/quote]

Orange Box, Mass Effect (regular and LE), Assassin's Creed (regular and LE), Zelda guides. Those are several key ones to check for that we have been hoping will penny for awhile.
 
As always, check the big five:

1. Super Mario Galaxy (soft and hardcover)
2. Zelda: Twilight Princess & Phantom Hourglass
3. Assassin's Creed
4. Final Fantasy XII (Tactics psp, Crisis Core, and Ring of Fates would be nice too)
5. Metroid Prime 3

The newest Fire Emblem has a chance of penny-ing out, but I'd be very surprised. Thanks for getting in early. Are you on the east coast? Any advance notice would help as I think my stores are catching wind of these penny guides...
 
I was at a GS the other day in my area and I found a Dark Sector guide in a box next on the counter marked free. Odd since I thought it was reported to be dropped at $4.99?
 
I'm gonna be kicking myself tomorrow probably. This is the last month I will miss going to the store at opening. I'm really hoping it's nothing major for that reason.
 
[quote name='punkmaggit']Are you on the east coast? Any advance notice would help as I think my stores are catching wind of these penny guides...[/quote]

Connecticut actually, so you'll be getting a good warning if you happen to live over on the west coast.
 
I just noticed that best buy has absolutely no twilight princess guides listed presently. None whatsoever on the website. Could this be the moment we've been waiting for?
 
So penny guides dont show up on there website, right? What about gears of war though? It was pennied but it still shows the 19.99 price on the website. Is it one of those exceptions?

Im hoping for mario galaxy and Zelda Twilight Princess(collectors) to drop. I actually found the regular edition for the wii but the manager rang me up and took the guide away and also a few others that i wanted:cry:
I have since learned from that experience.
 
[quote name='Visc']I just noticed that best buy has absolutely no twilight princess guides listed presently. None whatsoever on the website. Could this be the moment we've been waiting for?[/quote]

*crosses fingers* :pray:
 
I'll also make some visits to some Best Buys tomorrow. I'll let you guys know. I'm hoping for most of the Hardcover guides to go and MAYBE FFXII...I need one. :bouncy:

--Michael
 
[quote name='Civickid96']I'll also make some visits to some Best Buys tomorrow. I'll let you guys know. I'm hoping for most of the Hardcover guides to go and MAYBE FFXII...I need one. :bouncy:

--Michael[/quote]

You may as well wait to hear back from me too - I have a 3 hour head start on you. ;)
 
[quote name='Visc']Could this be the moment we've been waiting for?[/quote]This is like in the cheesy 80's movie when some amazing thing is about to happen and some kid says to his backwards-hat-wearing, skateboarding crew, "Could this be the moment we've all been waiting for?"

And, I feel like a small child watching this movie; I'm as excited as they are. It's so damn lame but, God help me, it's just so much fun.
 
Doesn't appear to be anything missing or a penny on Best Buy's site, so it looks to be a bust.

And before someone says "just because it's listed as full price, it doesn't mean it's not a penny in-store", realize that's something that's happened once or twice, so it's not a common occurence.
 
Zelda hasn't been on the website for a while now, from what I remember. I've been keeping my eye on that baby for some time.

As for what to check,
Orange Box, Crysis, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Assassin's Creed, and Army of Two are all possible candidates.

Possible and hoping for, but far less likely:
Mass Effect, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Call of Duty 4, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Tan Hardcover)

I'm on the East Coast, but I can only get to checking after work, so it'll be into the evening by then.
 
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Do you guys have to take these to the counter and they ring up as a penny or something? Iv been to places like BB, CC, Gamestop and Target a million times and never found penny guides.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Do you guys have to take these to the counter and they ring up as a penny or something? Iv been to places like BB, CC, Gamestop and Target a million times and never found penny guides.[/QUOTE]

yea you have to bring it to the counter. The do get sticker as 1 cent but thats very rare
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Do you guys have to take these to the counter and they ring up as a penny or something? Iv been to places like BB, CC, Gamestop and Target a million times and never found penny guides.[/quote]

Rarely will they be marked a penny. You should ask a clerk/employee walking around if they could do a price check for you. Be nice and polite, then act surprised when they ring up a penny. If they don't, place them back. Whatever the price check says is how much they'll ring up for at the register.
 
Sorry guys.

I scanned everything but the Halo 3 guides and all the guides for crappy games based off of recent movies - bupkiss. Rock band guides are still $2.99, and I don't know if this is new, but ORange Box guides were $4.99 (I passed on them), but nothing came up as a penny. I didn't get there as early as I had hoped (I got there at 11), so they may have pulled them already, but if thats the case then a colleague who works there will let me know for me to go back and pick them up.

Here's hoping that happens.
 
Hmm... Orange Box did drop... just not to a penny. Very odd. Maybe BB is changing how they're dropping guides because of the influx of people like us?

Which of our lists were you not able to check, Visc? Just so I know what to check when I head out later today.
 
I checked the following and none were $.01:

Assassin's Creed w/ art book
Mass Effect Hardcover w/ art book

Super Mario Hardcover ($14.99)
Zelda: PH Hardcover ($14.99)
New Super Mario Bros ($14.99)
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn ($9.99)
 
Hit a different CC yesterday.

Picked up
Pokemon D&P (NP)
Brute Force
LOTR Online
Madden 08
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Also found Super Mario 3, but it rang up $2.98
 
You can add these to CC drops:
Zelda Twilight Princess (NP)
Tomb Raider Anniversary (Prima)
Zelda Phantom Hourglass Premiere Edition (Prima)
The Ultimate Pokedex Diamond & Pearl (NP)

And these, they wouldn't sell me because the system wouldn't let them:
Guild War Factions
Army Of Two
Microsoft Flight Simulator X

I can also say that there is a max of 18 guides you can purchase at one time as there is a limit to the number of items the system will let you purchase in a transaction.;)
 
[quote name='shieryda']:applause::rofl:[/QUOTE]
There were at least 6 copies of Brute Force all neatly lined up in the Xbox section. I was amused myself, but since I didn't have the guide, I figured I'd see if it was pennied....
 
[quote name='GuardianE']Hmm... Orange Box did drop... just not to a penny. Very odd. Maybe BB is changing how they're dropping guides because of the influx of people like us?

Which of our lists were you not able to check, Visc? Just so I know what to check when I head out later today.[/quote]
How much did it drop?
 
[quote name='Homerun17']How much did it drop?[/quote]


[quote name='Visc']Sorry guys.

I scanned everything but the Halo 3 guides and all the guides for crappy games based off of recent movies - bupkiss. Rock band guides are still $2.99, and I don't know if this is new, but ORange Box guides were $4.99 (I passed on them), but nothing came up as a penny. I didn't get there as early as I had hoped (I got there at 11), so they may have pulled them already, but if thats the case then a colleague who works there will let me know for me to go back and pick them up.

Here's hoping that happens.[/quote].
 
[quote name='Homerun17']How much did it drop?[/quote]

[quote name='Visc']Sorry guys.

Rock band guides are still $2.99, and I don't know if this is new, but ORange Box guides were $4.99 (I passed on them), but nothing came up as a penny.
Here's hoping that happens.[/quote]
RTFT:lol:
 
Man I was hoping for a mass effect drop. Im really leaning toward picking up the orange box guide at 5 bucks but I know that as soon as I do it will drop to a penny.
 
IATCG,

Add the following to the Gamecrazy List:

1. Transformers (Brady)
2. Spiderman 3 (Brady)

Sucks that Best Buy didn't have any drops today but it's all good. I'm thinking they might do the drop on another day but we'll all have to wait and see.

--Michael
 
I caved on the Orange Box for $5 - and it did not go down to a penny yet!

Seriously, that is actually good value for the size of the guide you are getting and I figure with all the cash I have saved buying penny guides it was well worth it.

Thanks for this thread, it has led to me having a real life Splinter Cell adventure trying to buy a 1c guide from the local CC with a major Jr Detective as the manageress. Tina the witch is evil incarnate and runs the place with a pimp hand. Employees cower when she is in the building - and the temperature drops by 10 degrees around her.

She caught me out trying to get Splinter Cell on the same transaction as Madden 08 - and denied me both. She said she would let them go for their cover prices (which were hard to see through all the dust and grime). I started in on a "you have to sell it for what the POS says" and then just asked for the corporate complaints number and left.

I know calling them would be a waste of time - but I went back later when I thought her shift had ended and got one of the zombies to bring it out of the CS area and sell it. He started to ring it up and I thought victory was mine - when he used his little CIA headset to summon the evil one from her spider's lair. I just said "oh forget it" and walked off before she arrived - unfortunately she walked right towards me as I turned around and gave me a huge smile - obviously having forgotten the morning operation.

Soooo.... there it remains - a challenge to all who know of its mighty 1c goodness. I could really care less about the guides - this thing is so much fun to see if you can get them and pull it off.

Happy hunting guys - and may all your guides fall to 1 penny immediately with no transaction limit.

Cheers

G
 
[quote name='gripper']I caved on the Orange Box for $5 - and it did not go down to a penny yet!

Seriously, that is actually good value for the size of the guide you are getting and I figure with all the cash I have saved buying penny guides it was well worth it.

Thanks for this thread, it has led to me having a real life Splinter Cell adventure trying to buy a 1c guide from the local CC with a major Jr Detective as the manageress. Tina the witch is evil incarnate and runs the place with a pimp hand. Employees cower when she is in the building - and the temperature drops by 10 degrees around her.

She caught me out trying to get Splinter Cell on the same transaction as Madden 08 - and denied me both. She said she would let them go for their cover prices (which were hard to see through all the dust and grime). I started in on a "you have to sell it for what the POS says" and then just asked for the corporate complaints number and left.

I know calling them would be a waste of time - but I went back later when I thought her shift had ended and got one of the zombies to bring it out of the CS area and sell it. He started to ring it up and I thought victory was mine - when he used his little CIA headset to summon the evil one from her spider's lair. I just said "oh forget it" and walked off before she arrived - unfortunately she walked right towards me as I turned around and gave me a huge smile - obviously having forgotten the morning operation.

Soooo.... there it remains - a challenge to all who know of its mighty 1c goodness. I could really care less about the guides - this thing is so much fun to see if you can get them and pull it off.

Happy hunting guys - and may all your guides fall to 1 penny immediately with no transaction limit.

Cheers

G[/QUOTE]

gripper, where do you live? I swear, I had an identical incident happen to me at Circuit City today. My witch manager tried to use the line "it's a glitch in the system," however, and tried to ring them up for cover price as well. I didn't catch her name when I left the store. They never have those damn regular checkout counters open. I don't know why they even have them.

Time to send in other agents to try again, try again... one day we will succeed on her day off!
 
[quote name='Xizer']gripper, where do you live? I swear, I had an identical incident happen to me at Circuit City today. My witch manager tried to use the line "it's a glitch in the system," however, and tried to ring them up for cover price as well. I didn't catch her name when I left the store. They never have those damn regular checkout counters open. I don't know why they even have them.

Time to send in other agents to try again, try again... one day we will succeed on her day off![/quote]

I had that same incident at a regular checkout counter last week in NYC. I had a couple guides that apparently needed to be sold with the games, but she didn't know which ones they were and was unable to take them out and ring up the rest. She ended up asking 4 people for help, and eventually 2 of them met a manager and talked to 5 minutes.

They came back and the manager began ringing everything up as full MSRP. I asked him why he was doing that if they all just rang up as a penny, and he said it was an error in the system and they all rang up wrong. I told him I wasn't going to buy them for more than a penny and that I'd find them at a different Circuit City.

Of course the next day I did check another Circuit City and scored bigtime with a ton of really really old guides (Battalion Wars, NCAA '07, Driver: Parallel Lines, etc.). They were all so old that I figured they must either be a penny or out of the system. Surprisingly, they were all in the system, but half of them rang up as needed to be sold with the matching game. However, the cashier at this store was able to tell me which ones needed the matching game as soon as she rang them up.
 
[quote name='gripper']I started in on a "you have to sell it for what the POS says" and then just asked for the corporate complaints number and left.[/quote]

I understand your frustration, but please understand that these stores are technically supposed to throw the guides away. Any guide you actually do buy for a penny is a gift. Making a scene and/or calling corporate complaint depts will only result in the stores easing the hammer down on penny guides. It won't help. Just adopt the attitude of appreciation when you get some, and accept the denials with as much grace as possible. We all stand a better chance at getting some in the futureif things stay as cool and quiet as possible. :)

And thanks for the Orange Box for $5 @ BB tip. That's the golden price for me. Better to get some at $5 than to miss it all for a penny, I say.
 
[quote name='Richard Longfellow']I understand your frustration, but please understand that these stores are technically supposed to throw the guides away. Any guide you actually do buy for a penny is a gift. Making a scene and/or calling corporate complaint depts will only result in the stores easing the hammer down on penny guides. It won't help. Just adopt the attitude of appreciation when you get some, and accept the denials with as much grace as possible. We all stand a better chance at getting some in the futureif things stay as cool and quiet as possible. :)

And thanks for the Orange Box for $5 @ BB tip. That's the golden price for me. Better to get some at $5 than to miss it all for a penny, I say.[/quote]This! :applause:QFT!
Penny guides are like finding money on the ground. You don't complain that it's only $10 instead of $100. You count yourself lucky and hope it happens again.
The whole reason the Target coupons died is because people got stupid and started throwing hissy-fits at corporate. The same could happen with guides if we don't police ourselves.
A little grace/civility will go a long way. Just some additional food for thought. :D

BTW, BB.com is showing the Orange Box guide as $9.99. Can anyone comfirm this in-store? Has the price gone up?:cry:
 
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I went to a different CC today and Halo 3 rang up as $19.99. 0_o

Oh, and IATCG, you can also add Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Premium Edition (P) and Pokemon Ranger (NP) to the list. :D
 
[quote name='Vader582']BTW, BB.com is showing the Orange Box guide as $9.99. Can anyone comfirm this in-store? Has the price gone up?:cry:[/quote]

I purchased it in store today for $4.99 here in Richmond Va. Huuuge guide, worth it IMO.
 
[quote name='Vader582']This! :applause:QFT!
Penny guides are like finding money on the ground. You don't complain that it's only $10 instead of $100. You count yourself lucky and hope it happens again.
The whole reason the Target coupons died is because people got stupid and started throwing hissy-fits at corporate. The same could happen with guides if we don't police ourselves.
A little grace/civility will go a long way. Just some additional food for thought.[/quote]

Excellent analogy.
 
[quote name='neocisco']Excellent analogy.[/quote]Refresh my memory, neocisco. What's CC's official policy on any items that ring up $0.01? Same as everyone else, don't sell it unless they're not paying attention or they're clueless?
 
No idea what the policy is, but after much hassle I came up with

Super Paper Mario NP x 1
Tomb Raider Anniversary x 1
Pokemon Battle Revolution x 1
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass x 2 (Did not ring up, needed an override)

Found a Rogue Galaxy, but rung up as "package required". They didnt sell it to me as they couldnt find the package required.

Dave
 
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