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='Link927']Well, my first attempt to get some gudies at Gamecrazy today, got shot down, the woman litterly just took the guide out of my hands and threw them in the bin behind the counter. I think I'll stick to GS and BB from now on.....[/quote]

Please list what Gamecrazy it is. I'd even go as far as to report it to corporate. That's unaccceptable. She didn't know who you are. You made an honest mistake and she shouldn't simply snatch something away from you.
 
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Cleaned up the second post a bit, respaced everything, still need verification on what day the one GC drop occured. Need info on the one that contained Castlevania: POR and Xenosaga III. Just need a day to properly update the second post.
 
I can confirm that I got a free copy of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin from a Gamecrazy. This was about 3 weeks ago or so. I asked the manager if he had it. He checked and said that it was on their list to be disposed of but he was kind and just gave it to me on the spot. If I remembered that Xenosaga III was on that list, he probably would've given me that too!

--Michael
 
I was wondering if these were at select locations or if it was at all? I want the folklore guide which I believe my store has but I don't want to go in and tell them it said here that it was a penny when it rings up 20 bucks.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Recent Drops:

>>>Dropped on 07.17.08Dropped on 07.17.08Dropped on 07.14.08Dropped on 07.14.08Dropped on 07.02.08Dropped on 07.02.08Dropped on 06.20.08
 
[quote name='bjstucker']I was wondering if these were at select locations or if it was at all? I want the folklore guide which I believe my store has but I don't want to go in and tell them it said here that it was a penny when it rings up 20 bucks. [/quote]

First off, the price should be universal(unless they put a new UPC sticker over the old one, as happened with the God Of War II regular edition guide @ Best Buy). The price should be good across ALL stores in that chain and some stores even MARK them .01 with price stickers and placards on the shelves. Thing is, if you're not sure if something IS or isn't pennied, look at the copyright date on it, since guides over a year old SHOULD be pennied.

Second, if they ask where you found out that they were clearing out these guides, simply say 'the internet'. DO NOT mention CAG specifically. We(meaning the site and some of it's members, specifically Speedy1961) have had some legal problems in the past because of leaking info on a sale or price drop early. So definitely DO NOT mention CAG specifically.

Third, the best tactic I've found to use when I think a store may have a guide that pennied, is to say that you heard that the guide might be on clearance. If they ask where you heard this, simply say The Internet as I said before.

I hope this helps to clear up any questions you have.

Also, if you can't find the guides you're looking for from that list in store, you can always try the trading forum and the guide trade thread, where I'm sure SOME CAG is sure to have many of the ones you're looking for on their list.
 
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Went to the best buy that I was told "You will never get another penny guide from this store again".

Well picked up a couple of Dark Sectors (I can't believe they were not pulled since they normally are within the first hour of drop day). Cashier scanned one and said "I can't sell you these" and took the second one out of my hands. I said "get your manager and we can discuss it" and he walked away and used his headset with the guides in his hands (for a minute). He then talked to another employee, came back to the register and scanned the second guide and said "two cents." He then tried to stare me down as I was leaving the store. :)
 
I was looking for the Folklore one. Thank you very much for the prompt response you have helped me greatly. Also thank you for actually keeping this thread pretty up to date :).
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']First off, the price should be universal(unless they put a new UPC sticker over the old one, as happened with the God Of War II regular edition guide @ Best Buy). The price should be good across ALL stores in that chain and some stores even MARK them .01 with price stickers and placards on the shelves. Thing is, if you're not sure if something IS or isn't pennied, look at the copyright date on it, since guides over a year old SHOULD be pennied.

Second, if they ask where you found out that they were clearing out these guides, simply say 'the internet'. DO NOT mention CAG specifically. We(meaning the site and some of it's members, specifically Speedy1961) have had some legal problems in the past because of leaking info on a sale or price drop early. So definitely DO NOT mention CAG specifically.

Third, the best tactic I've found to use when I think a store may have a guide that pennied, is to say that you heard that the guide might be on clearance. If they ask where you heard this, simply say The Internet as I said before.

I hope this helps to clear up any questions you have.

Also, if you can't find the guides you're looking for from that list in store, you can always try the trading forum and the guide trade thread, where I'm sure SOME CAG is sure to have many of the ones you're looking for on their list.[/quote]
 
Went to EB/GS and was told they just trash their guides. Funny thing a couple days ago they had the Folklore guide so I am mad :/.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Second, if they ask where you found out that they were clearing out these guides, simply say 'the internet'. DO NOT mention CAG specifically. We(meaning the site and some of it's members, specifically Speedy1961) have had some legal problems in the past because of leaking info on a sale or price drop early. So definitely DO NOT mention CAG specifically.

Third, the best tactic I've found to use when I think a store may have a guide that pennied, is to say that you heard that the guide might be on clearance. If they ask where you heard this, simply say The Internet as I said before.[/quote]

Why do you have to do any of these things?
I just bring them to checkout. I haven't had anybody ask any questions, but if they ask, I would say I just want a guide for a game I'm playing, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find out they've been marked down.

If you kept bringing only pennied guides to the same cashier, that would look unusual. But otherwise, I'm wondering where the problem is?
 
[quote name='gantt']Why do you have to do any of these things?
I just bring them to checkout. I haven't had anybody ask any questions, but if they ask, I would say I just want a guide for a game I'm playing, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find out they've been marked down.

If you kept bringing only pennied guides to the same cashier, that would look unusual. But otherwise, I'm wondering where the problem is?[/QUOTE]

You don't HAVE to do anything, but if someone pointedly asks you how you knew a guide was a penny (and let's face it, if you bring up all penny guides or multiple guides of the same game, they are going to know you knew they were a penny) then it's best to say something other than CAG. The less attention drawn to this site, the better. They may not even ask. They almost never ask with me. If they do ask, I just tell them that I saw them marked down on the Best Buy site and I came in to see if there were any left in-store.

I'm not sure why you would question this. Why would you want to tell them you found out about the guides here, specifically?
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']
I'm not sure why you would question this. Why would you want to tell them you found out about the guides here, specifically?[/quote]

I said nothing about telling anybody where you learned what guides are reduced. My point was, why even say you think the guide may be reduced/clearanced? And if it rings up as reduced/clearance and then they ask you where you found out the guide is clearanced, why not say you're just there to buy the guide, but you're pleasantly surprised that it's been marked down? If that doesn't fly because you're buying multiple pennied guides (and only pennied guides) at the same time from the same person, well, then, don't do that.

It's not a big deal. I just think that sometimes people volunteer too much information. My BB doesn't seem to care when I walk up to the cashier with the occasional guide that is pennied. However, if I started going in and saying "hey, I heard on the Internet this guide might be on clearance," I suspect that would raise an eyebrow or two.
 
I just say can you price check all of these in amounts of five guides per register:D Then when I go up, the employee starts laughing and they are like, "You only want the penny ones, right?" lol
 
When will they drop the damn Pokemon D/P guides? Its been over a year.
And the rock band ones? There are stacks of those.

Also, why is it that dark sector rang up for full price here but IATCG said that BB penny guides aren't YMMV?

Thanks.
 
[quote name='darkslime']When will they drop the damn Pokemon D/P guides? Its been over a year.
And the rock band ones? There are stacks of those.

Also, why is it that dark sector rang up for full price here but IATCG said that BB penny guides aren't YMMV?

Thanks.[/quote]

Was there a sticker over one of the UPC's on the back cover of the Dark Sector guide(s) you tried to pick up? If so, they may have pulled a God Of War II/Medal Of Honor: Airborne deal and put out a re-stickered guide on the shelf.

Or maybe someone checked the guide who works there, saw it came up .01 and didn't know it was supposed to be pulled and instead re entered the info for it into the system somehow?
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Was there a sticker over one of the UPC's on the back cover of the Dark Sector guide(s) you tried to pick up? If so, they may have pulled a God Of War II/Medal Of Honor: Airborne deal and put out a re-stickered guide on the shelf.

Or maybe someone checked the guide who works there, saw it came up .01 and didn't know it was supposed to be pulled and instead re entered the info for it into the system somehow?[/quote] I'm not sure. I brought up paper mario, pups, PMD, and PBR and those scanned fine. Its kind of weird about dark sector. I'll check if there's a sticker tomorrow.

Do you know about when Rock Band and Pokemon D/P will drop?
 
[quote name='darkslime']I'm not sure. I brought up paper mario, pups, PMD, and PBR and those scanned fine. Its kind of weird about dark sector. I'll check if there's a sticker tomorrow.

Do you know about when Rock Band and Pokemon D/P will drop?[/quote]

I have no clue, but we seem to have a new source at Best Buy who goes by the sn Fuss on here, so hopefully they won't disappear and we will have advance notice of a pending drop like we used to get.
 
[quote name='fuss']I work at BB in the Media dept and can verify ONLY Dark Sector dropped today. Ths is the first time I have ever seen only one penny out. Strange, but true.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I missed this. Thanks for the heads up, fuss. It is greatly appreciated.
 
yesterday found out my store had wii sports for 9.99

the manager of the store gave me this guides for free

silent hill origins psp

qukae wars 360/ps3

viking battle for asgard all systems

turok
 
[quote name='boyboy1080']yesterday found out my store had wii sports for 9.99

the manager of the store gave me this guides for free

silent hill origins psp

qukae wars 360/ps3

viking battle for asgard all systems

turok[/quote]

I'm assuming you mean Gamestop, since I didn't see those the last time I was at the store, but when did they drop? With Madden 2008?
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I'm assuming you mean Gamestop, since I didn't see those the last time I was at the store, but when did they drop? With Madden 2008?[/quote]

yeah at gamestop, not sure when they dropped though
 
[quote name='Link927']If they ask of course, I just tell them I saw it for that price on their own site, or I just act suprised as well.[/quote]


I wouldn't recommend doing this. I said this once and he said "Let me check the Website" He came back and said they were not on the website (because they have their own company intranet in the stores). So I said "Good thing I printed them out" and pulled out the guide list from their website. Lately the penny guides have not been listed at a penny on the BB site, so this option is not always available.

I would go with "a friend told me." Note I have always been able to buy penny guides at BB (even with resistance).

I think one manager slipped when he told me they "have to sell it if it rings up at .01." If they have to price adjust, then they do not have to sell it.
 
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I just got back from Gamestop and I can confirm that Viking: Battle for Asgard has pennied out. They didn't have any of those others, so I couldn't check.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']I wouldn't recommend doing this. I said this once and he said "Let me check the Website" He came back and said they were not on the website (because they have their own company intranet in the stores). So I said "Good thing I printed them out" and pulled out the guide list from their website. Lately the penny guides have not been listed at a penny on the BB site, so this option is not always available.

I would go with "a friend told me." Note I have always been able to buy penny guides at BB (even with resistance).

I think one manager slipped when he told me they "have to sell it if it rings up at .01." If they have to price adjust, then they do not have to sell it.[/QUOTE]

"Well it was listed as a penny on your website as of this morning. They must have sold out then taken it down."

But honestly, why does it matter whether or not they check it? It's a penny in the system, regardless of whether it's on the website as such. Nobody has ever gone and checked the website when I asked how I knew they were a penny.
 
[quote name='boyboy1080']yeah at gamestop, not sure when they dropped though[/quote]

EDIT: Second post updated with the more complete list from the most recent Gamestop drop(July 17th), the list now includes:

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars(PS3/360 version)
Madden 08
Silent Hill Origins
Turok
Viking: Battle for Asgard
 
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Yes, GS are very YMMV. A few of mine have no problem either selling them to me or letting me take them. Several others say they need to destroy them, and don't let me take them when I offer to destroy them myself :whistle2:(
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']Nobody has ever gone and checked the website when I asked how I knew they were a penny.[/quote]

They have for me...if you re-read the post.
 
Usually they're too busy or rather not do the extra work to confirm. But I plan to say something like "It was on the site last night" or something if they ever did check.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']They have for me...if you re-read the post.[/QUOTE]

Don't need to. I was referring to me. I assumed that would be inferred since I did mention "I" twice in the sentence you quoted.
 
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[quote name='darkslime']Also, are GS guide deals YMMV?[/quote]

The deals aren't. Getting the employees to give you the deals are.
 
I'm thinking about stopping in to BestBuy today. Any particulars I should be checking? I know drops typically happen at the first monday of each month, but if they were to happen any other time, it'd be a monday, right?

Condemned 2
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Tan Hardcover
Pirates: Burning Sea
Assassin's Creed Collector's Edition
Army of Two
Halo 3

These are ones that are not appearing online anymore (some haven't been for a while now) in case someone wants to check these before I get a chance to hit up BB.
 
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I would check Fire Emblem, Crysis, PES 2008, and Phantom Hourglass. Most of those are just what I'm hopeful for, but I know PES 2008 has already dropped in price, so it will probably penny soon. I'll probably be doing some checking today or tomorrow, so I'll report any findings, too.
 
I know that Crysis and Orange Box were at 9.99, so they're due for a pennying, but they're still listed online, so I figure maybe it'll happen beginning of August.
 
There are guides listed on their site for full price that have pennied, though. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Hellgate: London, I remember there being others. PES 2008 was $9.99 last I checked and wasn't on the website. Any listed at $9.99 are probably worth checking, unless it's a hassle and the employees give you a hard time.
 
[quote name='Rave Child']I would check Fire Emblem, Crysis, PES 2008, and Phantom Hourglass. Most of those are just what I'm hopeful for, but I know PES 2008 has already dropped in price, so it will probably penny soon. I'll probably be doing some checking today or tomorrow, so I'll report any findings, too.[/quote]
On BBs website:
Fire Emblem game guide 19.99
Crysis guide: 9.99
Pro Evo Soccer 08... can't find the guide on their site
Phantom Hourglass: hardback 29.99, soft cover 19.99
 
[quote name='GuardianE']I'm thinking about stopping in to BestBuy today. Any particulars I should be checking? I know drops typically happen at the first monday of each month, but if they were to happen any other time, it'd be a monday, right?

Condemned 2
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Tan Hardcover
Pirates: Burning Sea
Assassin's Creed Collector's Edition
Army of Two
Halo 3

These are ones that are not appearing online anymore (some haven't been for a while now) in case someone wants to check these before I get a chance to hit up BB.[/quote]

A local BB had the Halo 3 guide with handwritten price labels for $1.50; they were still $19.99 in the system, so manually marked down to $1.50. Lately they're down to a few copies at the register but no more handwritten price label. I checked one about a week ago: back to $19.99 LOL.
 
Ugh I was shot down at GameStop. They had one Turok out and about 10 Quake Wars. I went to the register with one of each. It took them 10 fricken minutes to ring them up! The cashier went into the backroom. Then I gave him about 9 more gudies of Quake Wars since he :surprised" me by informing me that they are a penny. He said "Oh there were more?!. I can only sell you one of each." I was like "Why? I want them, and they were outside on the shelves to be sold!" He then goes on and asks me a weird question, "Are you selling these to us?" I said "No, they were on the shelves with the guides." He then goes on saying that they have to return them to the manufacturer and can't sell the rest anymore. I am fricken pissed off. Don't you think that if the fricken lazy employess leave the penny guides out, that the customers should be able to buy them? Last time, I got shot down by some bitchy asian woman saying "I will not price check this guide for you. The price on the book(the one that is on it from being printed) is the price it is.!" I was just checking to see if it was "on sale."

/ANGRY RANT
 
[quote name='Mr.Bojangles']Ugh I was shot down at GameStop. They had one Turok out and about 10 Quake Wars. I went to the register with one of each. It took them 10 fricken minutes to ring them up! The cashier went into the backroom. Then I gave him about 9 more gudies of Quake Wars since he :surprised" me by informing me that they are a penny. He said "Oh there were more?!. I can only sell you one of each." I was like "Why? I want them, and they were outside on the shelves to be sold!" He then goes on and asks me a weird question, "Are you selling these to us?" I said "No, they were on the shelves with the guides." He then goes on saying that they have to return them to the manufacturer and can't sell the rest anymore. I am fricken pissed off. Don't you think that if the fricken lazy employess leave the penny guides out, that the customers should be able to buy them? Last time, I got shot down by some bitchy asian woman saying "I will not price check this guide for you. The price on the book(the one that is on it from being printed) is the price it is.!" I was just checking to see if it was "on sale."

/ANGRY RANT[/QUOTE]


He was willing to sell you one of each and you are complaining? I can never even get ONE of any penny guides at GS, so you should be thanking your lucky stars. I don't know what good 10 copies of the same guide is going to do anyway.

While it may seem unfair that a store has something on the shelf and refuses to sell it, it is their right to not sell them, so that's the way it goes. It disappoints me too, but my expectations are pretty low going in anyway, so I just blow it off.
 
Well it was my first time actually attempting to buy one. If they are just there, and no one has taken them yet, why wouldn't I get mad? So this happens at about 90% of all GameStops, not just mine? I guess Best Buy is the way to go.
 
Well, what exactly were you planning to do with 10 guides anyways? I rarely get even one guide here and there, and the occasions that I do, its only because they recognize me as a good customer. Picking up multiples is odd, 2 or 3, maybe they'll let you slide, but 10, from the employees point of view, sends up reg flags everywhere.
 
[quote name='Mr.Bojangles']Well it was my first time actually attempting to buy one. If they are just there, and no one has taken them yet, why wouldn't I get mad? So this happens at about 90% of all GameStops, not just mine? I guess Best Buy is the way to go.[/QUOTE]

This is the case at a lot of them. It's YMMV, as some CAG's have a good relationship with some stores and even have employees that hold guides specifically for them. I don't have that type of luck with GS, and most of the other CAG's would echo that sentiment.

You shouldn't get mad because that certainly won't help future chances to get penny guides in that store or for any other good help from them. I wouldn't want to help somebody who got mad at me in my GS, if I was an employee there. Especially at only $7-9/hour, or whatever they make. Besides, just because something is on the shelf, doesn't mean they have to sell it. I know someone is going to say "OMG!!111!! You should callz teh korporate office!!!!111!!!", but, again, they don't HAVE to sell anyone those guides, ESPECIALLY if they are supposed to be sent back/destroyed. That's why I say it's fortunate you even got one.
 
[quote name='Mr.Bojangles']Well it was my first time actually attempting to buy one. If they are just there, and no one has taken them yet, why wouldn't I get mad? So this happens at about 90% of all GameStops, not just mine? I guess Best Buy is the way to go.[/quote]

Be glad you got the two. You tried to take an unreasonable number and they halted the sale. They have every right to do that.
 
[quote name='Guerrilla']Be glad you got the two. You tried to take an unreasonable number and they halted the sale. They have every right to do that.[/quote]

Um no. They informed me it was a penny and asked if there were anymore out. I said yes, and asked if I can buy the rest. They nodded, went to the back, and said only one of each. Once again, it was their fault.
 
Again, sorry if I didn't make this clear, I added the rest after they asked if there were any more out! Basically, they told me to get them, and I did, in hope of them selling them to me. They didn't, and I find that unacceptable.
 
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