Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread X(Ten)

Status
Not open for further replies.
IAmTheCheapestGamer

IAmTheCheapestGamer

Banned
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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
[quote name='loxthefox']Something I noticed at BB today. They had a End Of Sale (I think that's what it was called) list,dated 10/2, containing a list of pennied guides. It had ones from the last drop or two, along with a few others, like Fable II, WoW Atlus, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Lego Batman, and Spore. I was unable to check the guides in-store as they were gone, but it's possible they may have pennied.[/QUOTE]

lets hope for a drop on F2, TR:U, and Lego B!!!!! Anyone on the eastcoast have a chance to swing by BB this morning?
 
Fallout 3 reg edition did not penny but it does ring up at 12.99 this am.

Also Fable 2, TR:U and Lego Batman guides all were pulled so couldn't check them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='loxthefox']Something I noticed at BB today. They had a End Of Sale (I think that's what it was called) list,dated 10/2, containing a list of pennied guides. It had ones from the last drop or two, along with a few others, like Fable II, WoW Atlus, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Lego Batman, and Spore. I was unable to check the guides in-store as they were gone, but it's possible they may have pennied.[/QUOTE]

I noticed that all of the Fable II guides at my store had been pulled last week. I didn't check to see is Spore or Tomb Raider were still there, but I think they may have been pulled as well.
 
I am wondering if maybe we might see Animal Crossing Wii and Street Fighter IV guides penny at Best Buy today.They are pretty old, also my Best Buy has a copy of Zelda Twighlight Princess.
 
[quote name='GLOCKGLOCK']Fallout 3 reg edition did not penny but it does ring up at 12.99 this am.

Also Fable 2, TR:U and Lego Batman guides all were pulled so couldn't check them.[/QUOTE]That gives some weight to the theory that they're going to be pennied out if they all were pulled.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.
 
I picked up lego BM 80% off a couple of weeks ago. SPore was also on sale at another location for 30% off. Other guides like POP CE were also marked reduced (eventhough they eventually pennied).
 
[quote name='Purkeynator']I am wondering if maybe we might see Animal Crossing Wii and Street Fighter IV guides penny at Best Buy today.They are pretty old, also my Best Buy has a copy of Zelda Twighlight Princess.[/QUOTE]

I doubt AC will drop cause it's still active while SFIV is discontinued and a great candidate for the next drop. I can check everything in the system at 4pm when I go to work tonight.
 
[quote name='Doomstink']I still don't think we will see another drop until the 19th, but I'm hoping to be proven wrong.[/QUOTE]


Too be honest i'm looking for a damn good reason to go into work late so hopefully we might be having another stealth drop! Plus i could use some more trade in stock to take to my local Hastings; so far i've gotten a PS3, Samsung Blu Ray player, a Motorola Razr gophone, and Halo 3 ODST all from trading in penny guides and i still have another $300 in gift cards left!!!! Man i'm so glad i kept all those penny guides from years back!
 
[quote name='Frosty The Batman']I doubt AC will drop cause it's still active while SFIV is discontinued and a great candidate for the next drop. I can check everything in the system at 4pm when I go to work tonight.[/QUOTE]

Much obliged, sir.

[quote name='ballbarfer']Too be honest i'm looking for a damn good reason to go into work late so hopefully we might be having another stealth drop! Plus i could use some more trade in stock to take to my local Hastings; so far i've gotten a PS3, Samsung Blu Ray player, a Motorola Razr gophone, and Halo 3 ODST all from trading in penny guides and i still have another $300 in gift cards left!!!! Man i'm so glad i kept all those penny guides from years back![/QUOTE]

"...years back."

Riiiiiiight.:roll:
 
Can somebody please explain to me what a "stealth drop" is? It doesn't make sense. When has Best Buy ever had a penny drop and let the world know by putting it in an ad or something?
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']Can somebody please explain to me what a "stealth drop" is? It doesn't make sense. When has Best Buy ever had a penny drop and let the world know by putting it in an ad or something?[/QUOTE]

Haha, from what I can gather a "stealth drop" is when BB drops guides on any other day than the 1st monday of the month as they usually do.
 
Well the Best Buy drops traditionally are on the first Monday of the month and there are quite a few penny guides. I think maybe they mean it is in the middle of the month and there are fewer guides dropping. It can go under the radar of many CAGs and not even be noticed until days later.
 
A Best Buy stealth drop is one that does not occur on the first Monday of the month. If there is a drop today, it would not be considered a stealth drop. Today is the first Monday of the month.
 
[quote name='dsh3311']Best buy in burbank, ca. just picked up Mirror's Edge HC, Godfather 2, and Fire Emblem: SD.[/QUOTE]

Those were from the last drop.
 
Didn't see any of the above mentioned "possible drops" (Fable II, TR: U, or LB) at the Chapel Hill, OH BB this morning.
 
[quote name='Ubiiquitous']Can somebody please explain to me what a "stealth drop" is? It doesn't make sense. When has Best Buy ever had a penny drop and let the world know by putting it in an ad or something?[/QUOTE]

In the past Best Buy would often send their employees a memo of guides being dropped to a penny a day or longer in advance, so that they could be pulled. Sometimes, and more recently, they haven't been doing that, instead giving the employees notice the day of the drop. Sometimes, they never even gave employees notice of the drop. This is my interpretation of what a "stealth drop" is.
 
Was unable to check anything at work, but looking at the web site, Tomb Raider and Spore are not available anywhere within a 50 mile radius from where I live. Hmm...
 
[quote name='neocisco']Much obliged, sir.



"...years back."

Riiiiiiight.:roll:[/QUOTE]

i still got Half-Life 2 Episode 2 and Mage Knight Apocolypse from like 2 or 4 years ago, those were the first penny guides i got and back then they were on BB website but shipping had killed the deal so i got what i could from the local stores. But then a week later they had a sale on free shipping with strategy guides so i started putting in multiple orders per day, so to get an idea of home many i got back then i still trade them today 3 or 4 years later, man was the post man sick of loading those in LOL!

[quote name='loxthefox']Was unable to check anything at work, but looking at the web site, Tomb Raider and Spore are not available anywhere within a 50 mile radius from where I live. Hmm...[/QUOTE]

Same here, also missing in my area at EVERY STORE is Fallout 3, Infamous, Wolfenstein, & Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings....TOTAL STEALTH DROP DANGNABBIT!!!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fallout 3 Regular edition is still on the shelves at my BB. Otherwise all the titles mentioned here have been cleared out.

I found only two of these hanging out in unusual places:
Wolfenstein
Indiana Jones: Staff of Kings

They both rang up for $19.99.
 
For any Utah Cags out there, Graywhale Entertainment is a good source for reduced priced guides. Today I picked up a Suikoden 1 guide and two Wild Arms 1 guides (one official and one un-official). They were all marked $3.99 but got reduced to $1.99 each after Killerwhale card. The Suikoden 1 guide is this one http://www.amazon.com/Suikoden-Unau...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254786871&sr=1-5 (BTW I will likely trade the un-official Wild Arms guide if anyone is interested)
 
I went to a store that had these same guides pulled today, including the 10+ Fallout 3 hardcovers! :cry: I talked with a girl who said she was instructed to pull them but either couldn't say or didn't know any more. I stopped paying attention when she said I couldn't have any. So, there was nothing for me to bring up and check.
 
I checked about 6 Best Buys today. No Fable II, Lego Batman, Tomb Raider: Underworld. I saw one Spore. It was a small size one. I did not check it. It appears to me that there was indeed a pull. I know these guides were on the shelves a couple weeks ago. I was only able to get a couple more guides from the last drop. I trust someone will find some of these for a penny and we will know for sure. Best Buy couldn't pull off a complete pull.
 
i struck out on all the above mentioned guides also...all had been pulled...FO3 guides all were ringing up $12.99 but I passed. I did find a copy of SFIV that had been opened and had no UPC , tried to get away with them selling it to me on the cheap but no-go, they wanted $19.99 for it even though it didn't appear on the in-store website...
 
Ok total wierdness, all stores in my area show they were sold out of a bunch of these guides so i dropped by my closest BB and all of them were still there and in large quantities and all still FULL PRICE, false alarm guys and thank god cuz i hate the stealth drops!
 
[quote name='Josef']Maybe Best Buy is getting smart and actually pulling guides before they are actually pennied out?[/QUOTE]

It seems to happen in spurts though. They get smart, start just pulling them or really cracking down on people buying them for .01, then they get all lax again.
 
[quote name='kell']Are people finding that these were pulled at BBs that normally don't pull the pennied out guides?[/QUOTE]

One store that has stickered them as .01 the last two drops was cleared out. They even pulled some older guides that were not marked down that had survived a few drops. Usually guides from the older drops survive since they are not on the latest list. I was very surprised today. I usually find 2 or 3 stores with a few guides. I said I hit 6 stores earlier, but the recount is 8 and no new "alleged" drop guides.
 
I checked a few guides at work and I'm pretty sure nothing dropped. I did check a bunch of random districts for the Fallout 3 CE and that got pulled from almost everywhere. There's only 3-4 in Florida!
 
[quote name='Frosty The Batman']I checked a few guides at work and I'm pretty sure nothing dropped. I did check a bunch of random districts for the Fallout 3 CE and that got pulled from almost everywhere. There's only 3-4 in Florida![/QUOTE]
Did you check the guides we can't find? Lego Batman, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Fable 2, Fallout 3 CE, Spore? I guess it's moot whether they are a penny or not if they cannot be found......
 
Sounds like the FO3 CEs are being put online in the outlet/ebay store.

Makes me glad to rip them off for penny guides if they do shady stuff like that instead of just putting them on sale(Read: not necessarily pennied) in store.
 
[quote name='dabamus']Sounds like the FO3 CEs are being put online in the outlet/ebay store.

Makes me glad to rip them off for penny guides if they do shady stuff like that instead of just putting them on sale(Read: not necessarily pennied) in store.[/QUOTE]

How is it shady? If it isn't selling in-store, maybe they think it will do better online as an outlet item.
 
My Best Buy had a handful of Mirror's Edge guides that are pennied. I took it to the cashier and it rang up as 1 cent. She looked confused and called over her manager. The manager, also confused, over-rode the price and sold it to me for full price $24.99. It pissed me off but I really couldn't do anything about it. I returned it five minutes later to the same manager and got all my money back.
 
[quote name='GunBusterX']My Best Buy had a handful of Mirror's Edge guides that are pennied. I took it to the cashier and it rang up as 1 cent. She looked confused and called over her manager. The manager, also confused, over-rode the price and sold it to me for full price $24.99. It pissed me off but I really couldn't do anything about it. I returned it five minutes later to the same manager and got all my money back.[/QUOTE]

LOL. Why in the world did you buy it? What in the world....Unbelievable

:wall: :wall: :wall:
 
[quote name='dabamus']Sounds like the FO3 CEs are being put online in the outlet/ebay store.

Makes me glad to rip them off for penny guides if they do shady stuff like that instead of just putting them on sale(Read: not necessarily pennied) in store.[/QUOTE]

Just because you're bummed about it, doesn't automatically make it shady.

When this thread was first created back in 1954, or whatever, people used to be so excited about the opportunity of getting a penny guide. Now there's such a sense of entitlement in this thread. I don't get it...
 
[quote name='GunBusterX']My Best Buy had a handful of Mirror's Edge guides that are pennied. I took it to the cashier and it rang up as 1 cent. She looked confused and called over her manager. The manager, also confused, over-rode the price and sold it to me for full price $24.99. It pissed me off but I really couldn't do anything about it. I returned it five minutes later to the same manager and got all my money back.[/QUOTE]

That's when I'd say 'thanks but no thanks' and walked out.

BTW, for anyone who can't find the Mirror's Edge guide for .01 @ BB, FYE has it for $9.99.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's when I'd say 'thanks but no thanks' and walked out.

BTW, for anyone who can't find the Mirror's Edge guide for .01 @ BB, FYE has it for $9.99.[/QUOTE]

Or Amazon marketplace for even cheaper now
 
[quote name='dabamus']Sounds like the FO3 CEs are being put online in the outlet/ebay store.

Makes me glad to rip them off for penny guides if they do shady stuff like that instead of just putting them on sale(Read: not necessarily pennied) in store.[/QUOTE]
I have actually thought something like this would be the death of this and some of the clearance we see in other forums. There is no reason BB sells guides for a penny. There is not reason the Sears sells some of their games for $1 or $2. If HWV wants to get rid of the stock of their used games they could get more the $5 for Fable 2, Halo Wars, MGS4, etc. The solution to some of the problems that those companies are having would be to auction that stuff on ebay or sell on Amazon rather than selling it to us for absurdly low prices. I hope I am wrong, but it only makes sense.
 
[quote name='GunBusterX']My Best Buy had a handful of Mirror's Edge guides that are pennied. I took it to the cashier and it rang up as 1 cent. She looked confused and called over her manager. The manager, also confused, over-rode the price and sold it to me for full price $24.99. It pissed me off but I really couldn't do anything about it. I returned it five minutes later to the same manager and got all my money back.[/QUOTE]

Bait & Switch. I'd call corporate or the BBB
 
[quote name='Bezerker']Bait & Switch. I'd call corporate or the BBB[/QUOTE]
I assume you are kidding. The poster did not say, but it is only (loosely) "bait and switch" if it was stickered $0.01. I'd just say "No Thanks" and walk away. Perhaps even offer to put it back on the shelf and try again with another cashier.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top