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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Got a Mirror's Edge and F.E.A.R. 2 this afternoon. In the guides section, they had printed a shelf sticker with the $0.01 price for F.E.A.R. 2 and a couple other games that I don't remember.
 
[quote name='confoosious']Not sure if you're being facetious... but wow.[/QUOTE]
We've talked about it in past threads: There is a whole culture of people who dumpster dive for deals. It's illegal in some states, counties, municipalities especially if a private garabage service is used . My wife's hairdresser did a few months in county lock-up for it- but he had two possession priors.
 
[quote name='xDerekRx']Arg Sonic Unleashed added to the penny list! I cant hit all 4 BB a 3rd time. Im going to wait to see if more show up first :)[/QUOTE]

Uh, I reported it and it was confirmed by others on Monday early afternoon...
 
[quote name='h3llbring3r'] My wife's hairdresser did a few months in county lock-up for it- but he had two possession priors.[/QUOTE]

I feel there is more to this story. And I would like to hear it. :lol:
 
[quote name='Richard Longfellow']I feel there is more to this story. And I would like to hear it. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Same, more like some outstanding warrant or something. No one does months time for purchasing guides for a penny.
 
[quote name='ShadowHero10']Same, more like some outstanding warrant or something. No one does months time for purchasing guides for a penny.[/QUOTE]
Needs more reading comprehension.
 
Glad I checked this thread today. I got PoP hardcover x4, Mirrors Edge hardcover x1 RE5 hardcover x1, Rise of The Argonauts x1. There is some more stuff I left behind as well like sonic more rota, etc. This is at Clackamas Oregon Best Buy.
 
[quote name='donut']Uh, I reported it and it was confirmed by others on Monday early afternoon...[/QUOTE]

Yeah but like a dumbass I only check the first post sometimes that has the list of latest pennied out guides and I didnt see. Unless it was there since monday and I didnt see it to which I then owe apology to IAM
 
Personally, since I know both of my local BB stores and most of the GS stores will deny me guides if I find them on the floor, I refuse to buy anything else to 'mask' the purchase. I just go all out and grab all them shits when I find some on the floor, instead of doing what I did during that messed up Best Buy drop a while ago where half the guides 'unpennied' a day later.

That time, I only took about 4-5 up to 'test the waters' and I ended up getting blocked when I came in to grab some more. Luckily, I grabbed mainly LE/SE/bundle guides(World Of Warcraft, Spore LE, etc)when I grabbed the few that I did, but ever since then I've only managed to get ONE guide out of that store.

So, since the local stores are so vigilant and such a bunch of cockblockers when I do find guides on the shelves anymore, I refuse to buy anything to hide the fact that I'm a devil customer.

Besides which, every time I've tried to buy something else with the guides, the clerks still call over a manager and the manager tells them to override the guides to cover price. At that point I then tell them to keep everything and walk out.
 
[quote name='TheWooz']I never bought the penny guides before. Do you guys price check them or just walk up to the cashier with them and see what they ring up as? I don't recall seeing scanners evr in any Best buys around here. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]
Dont ask them to price check, i made that mistake today. I asked him the price of godfather 2 to see if it would ring up as a penny. It did, and then he rushed to the shelf to grab the rest of them and said he couldnt sell them, not even if i bought something else.

That was like a slap in my face, so i grabbed 5 of teh POP hardcovers, and took em to the cashier lady. She didn't even think twice about selling them to me.
 
I checked a 3rd Best Buy Today and managed to get Rise of the Argonauts, Sonic Unleashes, Pikmin, ad Godfather 2.

Not any I was looking for but my first successful penny guide shopping. Maybe I can trade for some I need.

Ive checked 7 Gamestops and I havent been able to find a single guide.
 
[quote name='Dahk']I checked a 3rd Best Buy Today and managed to get Rise of the Argonauts, Sonic Unleashes, Pikmin, ad Godfather 2.

Not any I was looking for but my first successful penny guide shopping. Maybe I can trade for some I need.

Ive checked 7 Gamestops and I havent been able to find a single guide.[/QUOTE]

What do you need?
 
[quote name='rambo408'] I asked him the price of godfather 2 to see if it would ring up as a penny.[/QUOTE]

We already confirmed it was a penny... No need to price check. Anyways, glad you took 'em for a few POP LE's!
 
today i grabbed Resident evil 5 LE Hardcover x1, summer of 2009 cheats and codes x1, and Metal Gear Solid 4 x10 for a whopping 13 cents lol i got charged 1 cent in tax. Well worth my time . Thanx so much for list and the info!!!
 
So My 1st time out for penny guides at Bestbuy and I scored mirror edge hc,summer of 2009 cheats and codes,godfater II, Rise of the Argonauts,left 4 dead, fear 2 and need for speed:undercover. Casheir had that look of suprise we all love. No asking manger took my 7 cents and sent me on my way. Thanks for answering my questions guys.
 
[quote name='xDerekRx']Yeah but like a dumbass I only check the first post sometimes that has the list of latest pennied out guides and I didnt see. Unless it was there since monday and I didnt see it to which I then owe apology to IAM[/QUOTE]

It was not, because I missed it too on Tuesday and that was even after reading several of the last posts late Monday night as well. So no apology necessary to IATCG ;).

But really, that's not a guide I wanted all that badly anyway...
 
[quote name='Brian9824']Got nothing at one bestbuy, will have to check another later. The only real want I had was Halo Wars and i'm 0 for 5 on that :whistle2:([/QUOTE]

You know only GS dropped Halo Wars, right? (Unless I missed a confirmation post.)
 
[quote name='DeathBringer']What to do with all these L.E. hardcovers? Do they sell well on ebay?[/quote]

Not dramatically. You'll typically get around five bucks per for hardcovers, unless the guide is particularly rare or in demand. I sell off surplus copies of guides after I've done my gifting/trading, and I find that they usually go for $2-5. You'll break even selling them off, but you won't get rich doing it, which is probably why most CAGs don't bother and just trade amongst themselves.

Can I trade them at gamecrazy or Half price books?
Click to expand...

I think Hastings takes them now, actually. No Hastingses in my area, though.

I'd also love confirmation on Halo Wars, I liked the demo a lot but am crappy at RTSes in general. An illustrated guide would be good to have.
 
[quote name='Mike Toole'] You'll typically get around five bucks per for hardcovers, unless the guide is particularly rare or in demand. I sell off surplus copies of guides after I've done my gifting/trading, and I find that they usually go for $2-5. You'll break even selling them off, but you won't get rich doing it, which is probably why most CAGs don't bother and just trade amongst themselves.
[/QUOTE]
That's been my experience as well. About $5 for a HC on a big title, $7 on Sony LE exclusives. Sometimes you might get 50-75% of MSRP for something the Gears 2 LE HC, or an AAA Sony exclusive LE HC. You can try and time sales around GOTY software edition releases and get a dollar or two more.
 
My best buy actually listed the guides for a penny. And still no one bought them.Kind of funny.

I of course bought 1 copy of each pennied title and left the rest. Now all I need to do is buy the game to go with some of those guides...
 
I hit a game stop today Found bioshock which is on the list but rang up$19.99 told the cashier I didn't have enough and left. Hit 1 best buy and got code overload 2009, RE5 LE HC, POP CE HC, C&C red alert 3.
 
[quote name='TheWooz']I hit a game stop today Found bioshock which is on the list but rang up$19.99 told the cashier I didn't have enough and left. .[/QUOTE]

That's a good excuse to not buy a reg priced guide. I've never thought of that. (Mainly cause I always have a credit card on me) But I guess I can just pretend I don't have anything buy $12 in my wallet.
 
The Bioshock at GS stores right now is not pennied... It is the 360/PS3 version that they have and it is only the 360 version that pennied a long time ago.
 
[quote name='postaboy']Holy shit! I just picked 2x copies of Lego Star Wars Complete Saga for 10.XX at GameCrazy.[/QUOTE]

Now THAT is a nice find!
 
[quote name='mvp828']The Bioshock at GS stores right now is not pennied... It is the 360/PS3 version that they have and it is only the 360 version that pennied a long time ago.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the update.
 
[quote name='Brian9824']Oh i know it was GS only. I checked 5 Gamestops to and got nothing from them as usual.[/QUOTE]

Just wanted to make sure. The post read like you were checking BB's and I just wanted to give a heads up.
 
[quote name='Richard Longfellow']Sorry if this is redundant, but I noticed in Best Buy that the regular Fallout 3 guide was marked $12.99.[/QUOTE]
To be sure this is redundant. Confirmed. This one does not seem to be YMMV.
 
Yeah, regular fallout 3 guide is $12.99 on bb's website too. Although all the guides that just pennied are all still on there at full price, so that's weird.

I wonder if the fallout 3 hardcover also had a price drop there?
 
[quote name='jhuneycutt']Yeah, regular fallout 3 guide is $12.99 on bb's website too. Although all the guides that just pennied are all still on there at full price, so that's weird.

I wonder if the fallout 3 hardcover also had a price drop there?[/QUOTE]


The hardcover edition is no longer available at bestbuy.com
 
okay I read the first post but am still a little confused. the most recent drop shows PoP:le guide, and Mirrors Edge Guide for a penny at BB, i check the site and they are still listed at 29.99 and 24.99 respectively. the site shows it unavailable at my local store, but i walk past their guides every time i am in there and they have tons of the PoP guide.

are these universal drops, or is it ymmv?
 
[quote name='ctrek3']okay I read the first post but am still a little confused. the most recent drop shows PoP:le guide, and Mirrors Edge Guide for a penny at BB, i check the site and they are still listed at 29.99 and 24.99 respectively. the site shows it unavailable at my local store, but i walk past their guides every time i am in there and they have tons of the PoP guide.

are these universal drops, or is it ymmv?[/QUOTE]

Confusion is normal at first (heck, the concept of nice books for a penny is tough to grasp).

Here's what you need to do:
1) Ignore the price on the site.
2) Walk your ass over to your Best Buy, and pick the guides you actually want (keep it to a minimum if possible). Say you pick RE 5 CE, POP LE, and maybe Pikmin.
3) If you feel uncomfortable with the concept of buying these for just a few cents, pick something you actually would want to buy. Otherwise, walk over to a cashier (not customer service), and try to look surprise when they ring a penny. Pay and leave.
4) If people refuse to sell them to you, then do not make a scene, and leave. Just look for other Best Buy within drive distance, and try it there (if it's worth it to you).
 
As long as it's listed in the second post, you can be sure it's been confirmed and re-confirmed at least twice more by your fellow CAG's before I EVER put it into that second post.
 
IATCG, you need to change Fire Emblem to Shadow Dragon, NOT Radiant Dawn, RD pennied awhile back. SD is the one that just pennied, I got 1 myself the other day.
 
[quote name='dragonjud'] and try to look surprise when they ring a penny[/QUOTE]

Everyone's approach is a bit different, but I've had better luck by preparing them for what they will find when they scan the guides: "I think these guides are on clearance -- can you please check them for me?"
 
I also have a Q. So if they were dropped to a penny 2 weeks ago and go to get it today, will they still ring at a penny or are these "deals" weekly only? Like if I try to pick up Killzone2 guide at BB, will it ring as a penny or is the deal over for it?
 
[quote name='darknight88']I also have a Q. So if they were dropped to a penny 2 weeks ago and go to get it today, will they still ring at a penny or are these "deals" weekly only? Like if I try to pick up Killzone2 guide at BB, will it ring as a penny or is the deal over for it?[/QUOTE]

99% of the time they stay a penny forever, though there are the rare cases where they go back up in price (one of the BB drops from last year for example where a bunch of Prima guides were depennied after initially being pennied out).
 
[quote name='hellmutt']Everyone's approach is a bit different, but I've had better luck by preparing them for what they will find when they scan the guides: "I think these guides are on clearance -- can you please check them for me?"[/QUOTE]

Agreed

I usually look the cashier in the eye and say, "Is it a penny each for these shits or what?"

Works like a charm
 
[quote name='darknight88']I also have a Q. So if they were dropped to a penny 2 weeks ago and go to get it today, will they still ring at a penny or are these "deals" weekly only? Like if I try to pick up Killzone2 guide at BB, will it ring as a penny or is the deal over for it?[/QUOTE]

Once they hit $.01 the are like that forever. It's the trigger that is supposed to notify BB to field destroy them and no longer sell them. We go in, like blazing White Knights to 'recycle' them. ;)

They only go up if they re-issue them or the ISBN number changes, but I am not sure about that.
 
Just picked up KZ2, Resident Evil 5 LE, Mirrors Edge, POP, NFS, and Argonauts at the bestbuy in Edison all for a penny each.

Thanks CAG Community
 
Went to one BB and everything was pulled. Huge gaps in the guide racks. Went to another one, they pulled every freakin guide that was out, except the Halo ODST guides because they were in a big Halo display in a different area. Then I went to my special BB and was able to get PoP LE, Mirror's Edge, and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. Sadly, I really wanted Pikmin and but my special BB didn't have a copy for weaks now.
 
Picked up the last two copies of LOTR Conquest at Best Buy. Cashier didn't even flinch when she charged me $0.02. And no, I did not use my Reward Zone card
 
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