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='h3llbring3r']I went buy to pick up QW:ET updated and it rang up full price in Atlanta, if anyone is curious. I had a stack full of stuff and the checker did not override. So does that make this a YMMV?

Can anyone else confirm?[/quote]
I'm confirming this. I tried it the other day and it rang up at full price.

IAmTheCheapestGamer~Does Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc. not penny out their guides? I'm pretty sure Borders and Barnes & Noble don't because I've seen some ancient guides in those stores.
 
[quote name='Ronin Bahamut']I'm confirming this. I tried it the other day and it rang up at full price.

IAmTheCheapestGamer~Does Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc. not penny out their guides? I'm pretty sure Borders and Barnes & Noble don't because I've seen some ancient guides in those stores.[/quote]

Wal*mart and Target both have guides and while they do drop them to lower prices from time to time, I've never heard of them dropping to .01. Although, probably when stuff comes up as 'out of the system' at either Target or Kmart, that's when it pennies. But most times the price won't come up as .01, it'll just come up as 'check shelf label' at Kmart or whatever it does at Target.

Wal*Mart does the same thing as Blockbuster does I think, in that they PULL the older guides FIRST and THEN penny them in the system.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Wal*mart and Target both have guides and while they do drop them to lower prices from time to time, I've never heard of them dropping to .01. Although, probably when stuff comes up as 'out of the system' at either Target or Kmart, that's when it pennies. But most times the price won't come up as .01, it'll just come up as 'check shelf label' at Kmart or whatever it does at Target.

Wal*Mart does the same thing as Blockbuster does I think, in that they PULL the older guides FIRST and THEN penny them in the system.[/quote]
So no chance in any of the stores mentioned?
 
[quote name='Ronin Bahamut']So no chance in any of the stores mentioned?[/quote]

Not unless you find a cashier who doesn't give a crap and the item actually rings up AS .01.

But, I'd say an emphatic NO on Wal*Mart completely, since I've never seen a single item actually reach that point. Plus, they're a horrible company who doesn't know what the fuck the word CLEARANCE means.
 
By the way, I've been meaning to ask, does anyone know which The Sims 2 (PC) strategy guide is pennied out at Best Buy? Is it the bundle one with two other guides or by itself?
 
[quote name='Ronin Bahamut']I'm confirming this. I tried it the other day and it rang up at full price.

IAmTheCheapestGamer~Does Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc. not penny out their guides? I'm pretty sure Borders and Barnes & Noble don't because I've seen some ancient guides in those stores.[/quote]QW:ET rang up full price at the only BB I was able to hit today.
Zelda HC was still $14.99 as well.
 
Bump for a good thread.
search_results_landing
 
[quote name='neocisco']Thanks. The $7.99 price was at BB, right?[/quote]According to Slim Gatsby, yes.

[quote name='cheapbastard']Yes I got it at the same price too.[/quote]Could you dig up the reciept and post the SKU # for it? I wanted to make sure to have that on-hand if I couldn't find it at my local store, and have someone check in RSS to see who might have one.
 
Went to a GameCrazy, not the one I usually frequent and I tried to pick up some guides. I bring them up to the register and the cashier scans them, he takes a double-take and I ask him how much they are. He hesitated and then looks down and says "they are each 9.99". He straight up lied to me, so I was kinda pissed, but I politely told him I wouldn't be buying anything today and I put the guides back in the carousel. After my first experience at a GameCrazy I believe I was expecting too much, alas I will probably never go there again.
 
What's up with all the people who get sad when they find out the guides have just been trashed?

You know what you do then? Grab a flashlight and head out back...
 
^^I think most CAGs don't want to be fiddling around in a steel box of filth. Plus, most GSs are in shopping centers and malls, so they are sharing their dumpters with who knows what. I remember one CAG mentioning how his GS is surrounded by a tattoo parlor and some food place, so you know he won't be grabbing his flashlight.

EDIT: So after reading about the differences between the revised and normal Twilight Princess hard cover, I found out mine was the revised edition! :D And for those who remember my story from last December, that was the same one I managed to get free! :D :D
 
[quote name='Xizer']What's up with all the people who get sad when they find out the guides have just been trashed?

You know what you do then? Grab a flashlight and head out back...[/quote]

Fair warning in most states I know that is a crime- and I personally know someone who was arrested and convicted for dumpster diving in a retail store's garbage!
While household garbage picked up by a municipal waste service is open to the public in SOME states and cities; However, it is private property when it's a business's and/or when a private garbage service is used.
You can be charged and sentenced just like you stole it from the inside of a store, the law does not differentiate.
Prosecutions for dumpster diving are now taken much more seriously by local DA's and ADA's because of identity theft issues.
 
IAmTheCheapestGamer~I don't know if this helps out or not, but I will let you guys know anyway. I bought Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for 3 cents at Dublin, CA Best Buy (10.03.08) and Burnout Paradise for 39 cents & Unreal Tournament 3 for 95 cents at Milpitas, CA Best Buy (10.08.08). And, if it helps, The Sims 2 guide from Best Buy is the revised edition.
 
[quote name='Chronis']^^I think most CAGs don't want to be fiddling around in a steel box of filth. Plus, most GSs are in shopping centers and malls, so they are sharing their dumpters with who knows what. I remember one CAG mentioning how his GS is surrounded by a tattoo parlor and some food place, so you know he won't be grabbing his flashlight.[/quote]
I believe that was me, since the one GS is in a small shopping center with a tattoo parlor right next door, the next GS has a Subway right next door and the third is in a mall. So all three locations are pretty much off limits for me.
[quote name='h3llbring3r']Fair warning in most states I know that is a crime- and I personally know someone who was arrested and convicted for dumpster diving in a retail store's garbage!
While household garbage picked up by a municipal waste service is open to the public in SOME states and cities; However, it is private property when it's a business's and/or when a private garbage service is used.
You can be charged and sentenced just like you stole it from the inside of a store, the law does not differentiate.
Prosecutions for dumpster diving are now taken much more seriously by local DA's and ADA's because of identity theft issues.[/quote]
It's illegal in SOME states and municipalities, but not all. I'm also a member of a site wholly dedicated to dumpster diving(Dumpsterworld.com), though I've never done it myself, though I have 'curb crawled'(checked residential trash for reusable items like tables and what not). Most users on the DD site tend to take some cardboard boxes with them when DDing, so they can tell anyone who tries to come along like a junior detective that they're looking for boxes to help a friend move.
Plus, many businesses use a private shredding company anymore to prevent identity theft, where they come to the business in a truck made for shredding and destroy records while still on site.
[quote name='Ronin Bahamut']IAmTheCheapestGamer~I don't know if this helps out or not, but I will let you guys know anyway. I bought Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for 3 cents at Dublin, CA Best Buy (10.03.08) and Burnout Paradise for 39 cents & Unreal Tournament 3 for 95 cents at Milpitas, CA Best Buy (10.08.08). And, if it helps, The Sims 2 guide from Best Buy is the revised edition.[/quote]
I bought one of the PES 2008 guides for the hell of it and I picked up a bunch of copies of Burnout Paradise while it was actually pennied. I don't know WHY they raised it to .39, but if they keep doing this reduced price stuff instead of just pennying/destroying the stuff, it may make it easier for many of us. Albeit, if it's at $1 or so a pop, I doubt many would be buying all of the multiples like some of us have been already(me included).
As for the Sims 2 guide, that was one of the other ones with multiple versions besides the Godfather and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion guides.
 
Stopped by Fry's yesterday and saw that they had a TON of guides - none of which penny out. I asked the guy working what happens with guides and he says they just sit on the shelf until they're sold. The oldest one I saw was Baldur's Gate - Dark Alliance for $2.99 (almost bought it).

They were clearancing the LE Soul Calibur 4 guide (with soundtrack) for $19.90 and a couple others for around $10.
 
Went to the BB yesterday, and I think that the paperback LoZ: Phantom Hourglass guide went down to $10, according to the kiosk. Sadly, the hardcover is still at $15...
 
Does anyone know if/when the Metal Gear Solid 4 Special edition guide will drop in price? It's still $30 at my local best buy and there are like 3 copies.
 
[quote name='KarlMarx']Does anyone know if/when the Metal Gear Solid 4 Special edition guide will drop in price? It's still $30 at my local best buy and there are like 3 copies.[/quote]
Man, I wish there was some LEs of MGS4 left around my area. It's all gone everywhere and it's selling for high prices on Amazon.
 
So when you go into Best Buy (and cannot be completely sure that what you think has pennied actually has) how do you go about checking without carrying an armload of guides up to a cashier and saying "Can I get a price check on these" and drawing attention to their overlooking of the guides? Is there a price-checking kiosk-thingy like at Wal-Mart?

Thanks for any help. I've been reading about your penny-guide exploits and went to a BB myself to have a look and found several guides that have supposedly dropped but want to make sure before I march up to the register. (I will buy another, regular-priced item as well just to make it look better :))
 
[quote name='cheapo72']So when you go into Best Buy (and cannot be completely sure that what you think has pennied actually has) how do you go about checking without carrying an armload of guides up to a cashier and saying "Can I get a price check on these" and drawing attention to their overlooking of the guides? Is there a price-checking kiosk-thingy like at Wal-Mart?

Thanks for any help. I've been reading about your penny-guide exploits and went to a BB myself to have a look and found several guides that have supposedly dropped but want to make sure before I march up to the register. (I will buy another, regular-priced item as well just to make it look better :))[/quote]

If you see it on the BB list then it is probably a penny. If you want to check for new guides, just go up and get the prices checked at the register. Be nice and return them yourself if they do not ring up for .01. I haven't seen a kiosk in Best Buy at all.

I've had so many experiences with the BB staff. One time I went up with an arm full and the guy said, "All those are a penny, right?". So they do know about it, I don't really think the staff want them most of the time. I mean, what is the average person going to do with 15 Madden 08 guides? If a person doesn't have access to a used bookstore, eBay or Amazon account then the books are pretty much useless space wasters.
 
[quote name='cheapo72']So when you go into Best Buy (and cannot be completely sure that what you think has pennied actually has) how do you go about checking without carrying an armload of guides up to a cashier and saying "Can I get a price check on these" and drawing attention to their overlooking of the guides? Is there a price-checking kiosk-thingy like at Wal-Mart?

Thanks for any help. I've been reading about your penny-guide exploits and went to a BB myself to have a look and found several guides that have supposedly dropped but want to make sure before I march up to the register. (I will buy another, regular-priced item as well just to make it look better :))[/quote] Just go up to the register with an armload of guides, put back what's pennied, and if the cashier is staring at one of the guides or makes a comment that they want it, don't be an ass and give one to them if you have multiple copies of it.
 
[quote name='cheapo72']So when you go into Best Buy (and cannot be completely sure that what you think has pennied actually has) how do you go about checking without carrying an armload of guides up to a cashier and saying "Can I get a price check on these" and drawing attention to their overlooking of the guides? Is there a price-checking kiosk-thingy like at Wal-Mart?

Thanks for any help. I've been reading about your penny-guide exploits and went to a BB myself to have a look and found several guides that have supposedly dropped but want to make sure before I march up to the register. (I will buy another, regular-priced item as well just to make it look better :))[/quote]
The list is spot on in the 2nd post except for a few that ring up as .39 and .85 cents, but everything is a penny otherwise.
 
[quote name='punkmaggit']The oldest one I saw was Baldur's Gate - Dark Alliance for $2.99 (almost bought it).

[/quote]

Silly rabbit. You should have pounced on that one.

I checked Oblivion: GotY edition (1 with regular bar code, and 1 with re-stickered code), Mass Effect guide and art book and DMC4 at BB. Still not a penny.
 
[quote name='shoe478']If you see it on the BB list then it is probably a penny. If you want to check for new guides, just go up and get the prices checked at the register. Be nice and return them yourself if they do not ring up for .01. I haven't seen a kiosk in Best Buy at all.
I've had so many experiences with the BB staff. One time I went up with an arm full and the guy said, "All those are a penny, right?". So they do know about it, I don't really think the staff want them most of the time. I mean, what is the average person going to do with 15 Madden 08 guides? If a person doesn't have access to a used bookstore, eBay or Amazon account then the books are pretty much useless space wasters.[/quote]
Only thing is, unless the guides are for RPG's or other popular games(Super Smash Bros., Oblivion), they may hold ZERO value after a week since the people who go in and buy out a storeload of guides stupidly flood the market with them.
Go check Ebay either the day of a drop, later in that same day or the next day, you'll see 5-10 auctions for the same guides from the same idiots.

[quote name='uchihabutter']what are the guides right now that is only a penny?[/quote]

Check the second post on the first page. :bomb::roll:
 
[quote name='shieryda']Silly rabbit. You should have pounced on that one.

I checked Oblivion: GotY edition (1 with regular bar code, and 1 with re-stickered code), Mass Effect guide and art book and DMC4 at BB. Still not a penny.[/quote]

why for?:bouncy:
 
[quote name='shoe478']Thanks, I hope you had a good vacation.[/quote]
Thanks :) We all had a blast. Funny thing is - both Monday and Friday morning I kept wondering if the God Of War guide dropped and I missed it..... :cold:
 
[quote name='fuss']No drops today at BBY - sorry folks.[/QUOTE]

No need to be sorry, man. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we genuinely appreciate your help on this site. You make it so much easier for us. Thanks a lot!

And welcome back from vacation!
 
[quote name='FOnewearl']I stopped by Best Buy today and searched for "guides" on one of those costomer computer kiosks and it brought up a list of about 89 guides (instead of the 82ish you would see online). I saw a few old drops listed at being a penny. The only thing I think may have been new was I saw the Quake Enemy Territory Guide (New version that covers PS2 & 360) listed at .68 I'm pretty sure this is new as I seem to recall somebody mentioning that this wasen't pennied out just a few days ago. I should also note that I didn't actually try and buy it either since I wasen't really all that interested.[/QUOTE]

Even though it's not ringing up as .68 when you go to buy it I wanted to double check today since I was by Best Buy.

This is the one that shows up for .68 on the customer computer kiosk at my store (as to be clear which between the two listings of this guide online). Has anyone else checked a kiosk noticing the same price on this guide?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8585024&type=product&id=1190677230780
 
[quote name='FOnewearl']Even though it's not ringing up as .68 when you go to buy it I wanted to double check today since I was by Best Buy.

This is the one that shows up for .68 on the customer computer kiosk at my store (as to be clear which between the two listings of this guide online). Has anyone else checked a kiosk noticing the same price on this guide?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8585024&type=product&id=1190677230780[/quote]
I've checked various Best Buy locations' customer kiosks and they all have it at that price. I've realized (for Bay Area, CA at least) that the customer kiosk information is the same exact information as they show on their website online (for guides at least).

Anyways, no Best Buy guide drops today as an fuss's earlier posting stated.
 
I need to confirm this, but last night one of my non-CAG friends who knows about pennied guides told me that he had seen Tekken Tag and a WWF guide stickered at 0.01 each at a local KB Toys.
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']I need to confirm this, but last night one of my non-CAG friends who knows about pennied guides told me that he had seen Tekken Tag and a WWF guide stickered at 0.01 each at a local KB Toys.[/QUOTE]

I can't speak for WWF, but Tekken Tag was a freakin' PS2 launch title. It is astounding they still have that hanging around.
 
[quote name='SDC']I can't speak for WWF, but Tekken Tag was a freakin' PS2 launch title. It is astounding they still have that hanging around.[/QUOTE]

and WWF hasnt been call that for a long time now.
 
[quote name='SDC']I can't speak for WWF, but Tekken Tag was a freakin' PS2 launch title. It is astounding they still have that hanging around.[/quote]

This is KB Toys we're talking about here. They still had some lingering PS1 games at BOTH of the local stores that closed up shop a couple of years ago when they had all those store closings.

I also swore I saw a couple N64 games, so that just goes to show you HOW long some of their merchandise sticks around.
 
The KB around here sends all of the old crap to their discount outlet, which is actually only a couple miles away from here. At the stores in the mall they only have somewhat new budget PS2 and GBA games.

Maybe I'll check it out sometime.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']This is KB Toys we're talking about here. They still had some lingering PS1 games at BOTH of the local stores that closed up shop a couple of years ago when they had all those store closings.[/QUOTE]

IIRC the local Sears still had a PS1 game or two last time I was looking at the $20 and under bin a few months ago :D

That is pretty funny if the guide is a WWF guide and not a WWE guide since it was almost 6 1/2 years ago that they got the F Out!
 
Some misses and a hit last night:

Went to GameCrazy and spotted numerous penny guides (Perfect Dark Zero x3, Indigo Prophecy x4, DOA4 x4, DOAX2 x2, etc), but they wouldn't sell them to me. Apparently they're required by corporate to destroy the guides and send back the covers once the guide drops to a penny. Sucks since they have the biggest selection of old guides in town.

I then went to Best Buy and picked up 2 of the EA 25 Years hardcover books and the PGR4 guide. Cashier didn't even bother charging me the $0.03 and said to just take them for free!

Last stop was GameStop. Walked in only to discover they recently purged a ton of their guides while redoing the store layout. Looks like I won't be seeing a penny guide there for a while.
 
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