Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread X(Ten)

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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 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/...d.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. Please, whenever possible, use RED font to make the drop info stand out. Thanks again.

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/...ighlight=guide
Guide Four:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/....php?p=1496376
Guide Five:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...ad.php?t=85976
Guide Six:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=116918
Guide Seven:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=131717
Guide Seven and a half:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=142400
Guide Eight:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=167157
Guide Nine:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187222

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
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.

Common Guide Drop Related Questions(FAQ):

FAQ - If you are new (or a vet with a few questions) look here SECOND! (After reading the above!)

Q: What Are Penny Guides?
A: 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.

Q: Do all guides from all stores drop at the same time?
A: No. While most chains have nationwide drops within their own store (as in every BB will have the same drops coast to coast), not every different chain drops at the same time (what drops at BB is NOT necessarily dropped at GS). When in doubt, check post TWO for drop info.

Q: I found a penny guide and a clerk denied me! I'ma report 'em!
A: Whoa, hold your horses there, pardner! First of all, not a question. Second, just because something is on the shelf, the clerk does NOT have to sell you that item. Most stores are PRIVATE property and as such can deny you just about anything they want - including a sale. The best advice is to not be rude, not be arrogant, and just try hard to get them to have pity on you.

Q: Why don't the clerks want to sell me their penny guides? Aren't they just throwing them away?
A: As stated above, the stores are ordered by the publisher to trash the guides, and are then given credit for those guides. If they don't do this, the publisher won't give them the credit - it's like losing a sale. On the employee level, selling a penny guide can sometimes get them in trouble (or even fired!) I know it seems silly, but this is their job we're talking about! Respect the man (or woman) behind the counter and you'll get a lot more guides than otherwise!

Q: Should I just ask if the store has penny guides then?
A: No, since that denotes that you have some insider information as to the runnings of these businesses.

Q: What if the clerk wants to know how I know so much about guide drops?
A: If asked where you got your info about guides that pennied, simply say either 'the internet' or 'a friend of mine told me they're on clearance'.

Q: But clerks will know what a penny guide is, right? I can talk to them like anyone else here...
A: Never use the word pennied to ANY store clerks unless you have built up a good rapport with them. Even then, it may seem a little fishy if you know more about their shop than they do.

Q: Are guides labeled as a penny on the shelf?
A: Sometimes. Most times, no. GS seems to label everything that gets a price drop, so often times guides will be stickered. But even so, they most likely won't sell them to you. A sticker does not mean 'have to sell'.

Q: I tried to buy a guide that this thread said was pennied and it didn't ring up as such! What gives?
A: Either 1) Our source was wrong (this rarely happens and is usually verified a FEW times within maybe an hour of posting), or 2) The clerk changed the price. It's usually number 2.

Q: What's the easiest way to get penny guides? This sounds like TONS of work!
A: Best Buy is probably the best place to get guides, followed by GameStop, GameCrazy, Toys R Us and then Blockbuster. From what I've seen though, probably 95% of guides that people get are snagged at BB - the rest come from the other stores. But it never hurts to try!

Q: Has there been a drop recently?
A: If you are asking this question you didn't fully understand the OP - go back and read it once more. When a drop happens, it will be posted, and then placed in the second post - trust us.

Q: How do you guys know so much about penny guides?
A: We sometimes have inside sources with the information from the stores themselves; other times, fellow CAGS just like you or me simply take suspected guides to the register and ask them to ring them up, to check their prices. Feel free to do this yourself, and help give back to the community by telling us what you find! However, DON'T ask "Has anyone checked XXX lately?", unless you are in the right thread (discussion area).

Thanks to GrilledWitOnions for creating the above FAQ, which should eliminate the need for such questions popping up in the thread from this point on out.
 
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FYI to any penny guide hunters in GR, MI. The Alpine, East Beltline/28th St., and Grandville Best Buy are all either pulled, or were hit by hoarders. At the Grandville one I was able to get the only Endwar that was left out, and then a copy of Brothers in Arms: HH, Crysis, and Quake Wars (rang up 0.68) from previous drops.

So if you were a hoarder over here fuck you... or if you work and pulled them screw you too.
 
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Metal Gear Solid Collector's Edition DID PENNY today. I'm sorry I couldn't color it red because my monitor's colors are messed up.
 
[quote name='mvp828']FYI to any penny guide hunters in GR, MI. The Alpine, East Beltline/28th St., and Grandville Best Buy are all either pulled, or were hit by hoarders. At the Grandville one I was able to get the only Endwar that was left out, and then a copy of Brothers in Arms: HH, Crysis, and Quake Wars (rang up 0.68) from previous drops.

So if you were a hoarder over hear fuck you... or if you work and pulled them screw you too.[/QUOTE]

I think BB's just were on the ball for once (guide pulling wise)
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']I think BB's just were on the ball for once (guide pulling wise)[/QUOTE]

Yea I am pretty sure they are too...
 
[quote name='Fayt13']Metal Gear Solid Collector's Edition DID PENNY today. I'm sorry I couldn't color it red because my monitor's colors are messed up.[/QUOTE]
Can you post the SKU to that plz?
 
Looks like they pulled the guides at mine. However they missed Afro and the Gow 2 LE. Was hoping to find the metal gear 4 LE that was there last week
 
[quote name='DragynFyre']actually i was trying to check pikmin but again my best buy sucks, it wasn't there for me to check. same with mirror's edge and prince of persia[/QUOTE]

I checked the LE's of Mirror's Edge and Prince of Persia, and both are NOT pennied for anyone looking.
 
I know the IATCG is also compiling everything everyone said, but here's my compilation anyways (I'm not confirming any of this, just organizing what everyone else has said):
Pennied:
Afro Samurai
Diablo II
Gears of War 2 LE
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars
Grand Theft Auto The Lost And Damned
Haze
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Lego Indiana Jones
Madden NFL 09
Madworld
Mario Kart Wii
Metal Gear Solid 4 CE
My Sims Kingdom
Pokemon Ranger: SoA
Resistance 2
Saints Row 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Premire Edition)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tom Clancy's Endwar


Checked, not pennied:
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Fable II
Fallout 3 Normal
Fallout 3 LE
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Lego Batman
Rise of the Argonauts
Pikmin: NPC
Star Ocean
Star Wars: the Force Unleashed

I'll be heading to BB today. Is there anything not mentioned here that you all think I should check?
 
[quote name='KABUKISTAR']I know the IATCG is also compiling everything everyone said, but here's my compilation anyways (I'm not confirming any of this, just organizing what everyone else has said):
Pennied:
Afro Samurai
Diablo II
Gears of War 2 LE
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars
Grand Theft Auto The Lost And Damned
Haze
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Lego Indiana Jones
Madden NFL 09
Madworld
Mario Kart Wii
Metal Gear Solid 4 CE
My Sims Kingdom
Pokemon Ranger: SoA
Resistance 2
Saints Row 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Premire Edition)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tom Clancy's Endwar


Checked, not pennied:
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Fable II
Fallout 3 Normal
Fallout 3 LE
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Lego Batman
Rise of the Argonauts
Pikmin: NPC
Star Ocean
Star Wars: the Force Unleashed

I'll be heading to BB today. Is there anything not mentioned here that you all think I should check?[/QUOTE]

How about Halo 3 and the WoW Atlus?
 
[quote name='DragynFyre']so are we sure the metal gear is pennied? i checked and it was still $20[/QUOTE]
Did you check the CE or the regular ed. ? Those (CEs) were all pulled at my BBy, leading me to believe it was pennied.
 
No MGS guide in my area. I had a good haul at the 3rd BB I checked. I was able to pick up several copies of GoW 2: LE while still leaving a couple behind for others. This BB still had guides from the last drop.

BTW, this BB had all the penny guides tagged at a penny.
 
[quote name='sgaldis']I absolutely just picked up a MGS4 LE (and a GoW 2 LE) for .01. Metal Gear is definitlely a penny![/QUOTE]


What's the BB # for MGS4 LE please?
I found a couple GOW 2 LEs but no MGS4 LEs.
thanks!
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']The first store I stopped at I got one of each guide, except GoW LE. The second store I stopped at was pulling guides as I walked in. The store manager saw me come in, smiled at me and then put her hand on the cart with all the guides on it. She knows who I am, and just wanted to rub it in that they pulled them before I hit them :([/QUOTE]

That's when you come in with a buddy...or three....and have them engage all of the media employees with questions that get them away from said cart and then hoard to your heart's content.

I've actually grabbed a few guides from a pull cart before, usually while the employees were otherwise distracted, though getting out of the store with them since the employees are ALL briefed on guides now is the harder part usually.

Any more guides that dropped today or does everyone think the list is complete? If so, I'll update the second post.

EDIT: SECOND POST IS UPDATED. If I missed any, feel free to point them out.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's when you come in with a buddy...or three....and have them engage all of the media employees with questions that get them away from said cart and then hoard to your heart's content.

I've actually grabbed a few guides from a pull cart before, usually while the employees were otherwise distracted, though getting out of the store with them since the employees are ALL briefed on guides now is the harder part usually.

Any more guides that dropped today or does everyone think the list is complete? If so, I'll update the second post.[/QUOTE]

Sometimes if you have an innocent face, all you need to do is ask. At one BB today, I asked for a Saints Row 2 and the CR ran to the back to grab one. The last big BB drop, my wife got the CR's to pull the cart from the back for her. I asked her not to tell me how on that one;).
 
After four BB's I grabbed everything I was looking for, except for MGS4 guide which I didn't know was pennied before I left. Thanks for the heads up OP.

BTW, I only grabbed one of each available guide.
 
[quote name='PapaSmerf']Sometimes if you have an innocent face, all you need to do is ask. At one BB today, I asked for a Saints Row 2 and the CR ran to the back to grab one. The last big BB drop, my wife got the CR's to pull the cart from the back for her. I asked her not to tell me how on that one;).[/QUOTE]

I asked really nicely, but the guy just looked on the system and in the RSS or whatever and found out it was .01.

I then had to feign my best 'surprised' response and say 'THAT must be why my one buddy in NJ can't find any either. For that price, I'd buy all you have.'
 
I picked up at least one of everything today, had results 100% consistent with what was reported both as drops and non drops. If anyone needs anything PM me.

I did NOT get a MGS4 LE though :(
 
I've been pretty lucky with these last few drops, before this, it had probably been half a year since I got anything. Picked up another Afro Samurai, GTA Chintatown wars and GoW2 LE. As usual, suprised cashier. This has been the first time I've found guides at this location, so I was unsure what their response would have been
 
anyone know Gears of War 2 LE guide SKU?


Or any other missing and I'll try to make stock availability links when i get home:
Pennied:
Afro Samurai
Diablo II
Gears of War 2 LE
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars
Grand Theft Auto The Lost And Damned
Haze
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Lego Indiana Jones
Madden NFL 09
Madworld
Mario Kart Wii - 8800611
Metal Gear Solid 4 CE - 8822517
My Sims Kingdom
Pokemon Ranger: SoA - 9132761
Resistance 2 - 9078561
Saints Row 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Premire Edition)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tom Clancy's Endwar
 
[quote name='darkslime']bad: got denied guides

good: called customer service line and bitched, they are sending me $30 gift card[/QUOTE]

Would that count as a runner up award? :D
 
[quote name='disillusion386']Would that count as a runner up award? :D[/QUOTE]

Shit, i think it's better than that. If you can turn any of these penny guides into that much money I tip my hat to you sir.
 
Scored big across three stores today. I'll update my list in the trading thread later.

At the second store, the cashier inquired about the Gears 2 LE, so I told her she can have one to put aside for herself.

I thought I was about to get challenged at the last stop, as someone was calling my cashier's name, but she seemed to engrossed in the guides being a penny, so she didn't respond.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's when you come in with a buddy...or three....and have them engage all of the media employees with questions that get them away from said cart and then hoard to your heart's content.

I've actually grabbed a few guides from a pull cart before, usually while the employees were otherwise distracted, though getting out of the store with them since the employees are ALL briefed on guides now is the harder part usually.

Any more guides that dropped today or does everyone think the list is complete? If so, I'll update the second post.

EDIT: SECOND POST IS UPDATED. If I missed any, feel free to point them out.[/QUOTE]

The manager knows who I am, and she bet me that I won't get a guide there again. She was literally leaning on the guide cart. I even had my buddy call the store and specifically ask for a manager. She answered her walky-talky and said she didn't have time. Moral of the story? Women managers are like elephants, they don't forget a face :cry:
 
[quote name='Armstrong x360a']Shit, i think it's better than that. If you can turn any of these penny guides into that much money I tip my hat to you sir.[/QUOTE]i probably could've sold them to a local used store and gotten more in trade credit but this is better because they don't sell new games there, just used, and don't usually have the new releases, whereas bb does.

maybe i got a little overboard, had about 50 guides in the cart. they even had price stickers for a penny on them. the guy in electronics was really cool about it when he saw me getting all the guides, got a couple for himself (a saint's row 2, a gears le, and a madden 09), i brought them up to the register and the guy there says he has to talk to the manager, i wait for 15 minutes and he comes back and says we can only sell them for full price, i ask to speak to the manager and she says the same thing, i ask to speak to her manager and she won't give me the number. she then asks me to put the guides back on the shelf and i tell her to fuck off and put the guides on the shelf herself, it's not my job, and leave.
i called the customer service number and told the lady there the same story, and asked "what are you going to do about it," (of course, saying i intended to buy the guides at full price and was pleasantly surprised when they were a penny), and she says we can offer you a $30 gc.
 
[quote name='detectiveconan16']Thanks everyone. I'm drooling over the Brawl guide.

I have to ask, did anyone check Dragon Quest V? Nobody ever mentions it...[/QUOTE] it was full price
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']The manager knows who I am, and she bet me that I won't get a guide there again. She was literally leaning on the guide cart. I even had my buddy call the store and specifically ask for a manager. She answered her walky-talky and said she didn't have time. Moral of the story? Women managers are like elephants, they don't forget a face :cry:[/QUOTE]

That reminds me of that fucked up drop we had a while back, where half of the guides(including Spyro) went back up the next day. The one female media manager in the other local BB said I 'was lucky I got outta the store with the 4-5 I did'.

The one day I went back there, expecting to find nothing, but I found an NFL Head Coach guide or something, so I took it up to buy it.

I half expected to get denied at the register and they did call her. I was shocked when she said to sell it.

I then took pleasure in holding up the bag a bit as I walked past her on my way out and I heard her whisper to the guy by the door 'penny guide'.

Thing is, she had to approve the sale of it, so I didn't really 'get one over' on her, but it felt good to get what was probably my LAST .01 guide from there EVER.

Even funnier though, was when I price matched a God Of War II guide from Best Buy to Circuit City with just the receipt from BB. That shit was hilarious. The manager was really pissed cuz the clerk did the PM.
 
[quote name='ferant316']anyone know Gears of War 2 LE guide SKU?


Or any other missing and I'll try to make stock availability links when i get home:
Pennied:
Afro Samurai
Diablo II
Gears of War 2 LE
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars
Grand Theft Auto The Lost And Damned
Haze
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Lego Indiana Jones
Madden NFL 09
Madworld
Mario Kart Wii - 8800611
Metal Gear Solid 4 CE - 8822517
My Sims Kingdom
Pokemon Ranger: SoA - 9132761
Resistance 2 - 9078561
Saints Row 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Premire Edition)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tom Clancy's Endwar[/QUOTE]

All confirmed, well the Diablo 2 one is not on my list, but that would be on a different page. Looks like you got it all covered, sorry for being on the west coast lol.
 
[quote name='detectiveconan16']Thanks everyone. I'm drooling over the Brawl guide.

I have to ask, did anyone check Dragon Quest V? Nobody ever mentions it...[/QUOTE]

I don't recall BB ever stocking the guide for Dragon Quest V sadly.
 
[quote name='loxthefox']I don't recall BB ever stocking the guide for Dragon Quest V sadly.[/QUOTE]maybe it was a different dq title that i tried scanning. not sure...
 
[quote name='fuss']All confirmed, well the Diablo 2 one is not on my list, but that would be on a different page. Looks like you got it all covered, sorry for being on the west coast lol.[/QUOTE]

That's quite alright, fuss. Thanks for verifying and thanks again to everyone who went out and checked early this morning to see which ones dropped.

Many of the threads on CAG wouldn't be worth shit without the contributions of our fellow CAG's(and of course the all informative insiders).

:applause:
 
Yeah, I don't recall any BB in my area carrying DQV. One of my BB had a ton of Fallout 3: CE so I can't wait for that one to drop.

I have never had a cashier tell me that they have to get approval from a manager. Every BB cashier that i've encountered has seemed surprised at the price but has not hesitated to make the sale. It sucks that some of you have a hard time getting penny guides.
 
Scored about 60 guides including 14 Gears of War 2 LE's. Left another 20 of them on shelves. The things were stacked 6 high for like 8 rows worth. It was insane. Working on a list now and i'll be posting it later.

Whats odd is one store had 30+ copies of Fallout 3 CE guide and today they had 0.
 
[quote name='Brian9824']
Whats odd is one store had 30+ copies of Fallout 3 CE guide and today they had 0.[/QUOTE]

Black Helicopter Alert! - Watch for those on eBay BB outlet store. Makes your heart drop tho'. Not a guide on the same calibur, but Halo 3 went the same way, tons of guides disappeared.
 
A common response to that question is they send them back, but very unlikely. If anything they send a piece of the guide for proof of destruction and I doubt even that. It has been posted that BB at least recycles and they should as they are big enough to provide the resources, but who knows.
 
[quote name='PapaSmerf']And they lock their dumpsters so don't even try;).[/QUOTE] jump the fence
they don't lock the actual dumpster, just the gate around it.
i personally suck at climbing things but if you guys want to...
 
[quote name='darkslime']jump the fence
they don't lock the actual dumpster, just the gate around it.
i personally suck at climbing things but if you guys want to...[/QUOTE]

You know, I dont know if it is sad im considering this. The store nearby absolutely hates me and a nasty fat black guy runs the media department (not trying to be racist) and whenever i try to get guides he makes me feel like a criminal
 
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