Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread XI

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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.


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 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

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 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/...d.php?t=187222
Guide Ten:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219547

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, Guinaevere 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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[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']

Unfortunately when I got up to the register the girl waiting on me(who recognized me from using the RZ Gamer's Club coupons to get the free games earlier in the year:D) decided to remark to another cashier nearby about the price. Then they called for the guy from media, who said to sell them, but by that time it brought upon the attention of a guy with a pink shirt and a supervisor badge on.:cry:

While all that was happening the one manager who had interviewed me for a job there earlier this year walked by.:whistle2:#
[/QUOTE]

Time for a disguise.
 
[quote name='kiribee']Time for a disguise.[/QUOTE]
Nah. Even if I messed up by going back and buying more there will be a dead zone of X number of months and then I'll be able to go back and buy them again. It's a cyclical thing around here.

The guy on Tuesday got a kick out of how cheap they were coming up as and rung me up with no problems. I figured since the girl recognized me from the 'coupon glitch' that this wouldn't be an issue either.

From how calmly the transaction went though I don't think it really was an issue, but we shall see I suppose.:D;)
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']If for nothing I like to be consistent and keep my responses somewhere between jerk and asshole. How'd I do?;):booty:[/QUOTE]

I've come to appreciate you as a "lovable curmudgeon". :grouphug:

Honestly, I think most of us are all on the same side. We want the drops to continue. I'm torn on the "take every guide before they're pulled" vs "take just what you'll use so as not to draw attention (and result in said pull)". I take only what I'll use, which is relatively few, just to be safe.

But we can all agree that this is generally not something to cause a scene over. That's my point. Guys who want to argue with management about a penny guide are pure poison to this sweet deal.

I try to tag-team with a buddy of mine, and he went out a day later to hit a few other BB's in our area. Every single one had been pulled. Can't say for sure if it was pre-pulls, pulled after someone bought something, or a CAG cleaning them out. Man, I'd love to do an experiment and find out. :D
 
Want:

Have:

  • Alan Wake LE
  • Alpha Protocol
  • Animal Crossing: City Folk
  • Assassin's Creed
  • Bakugan
  • Battlefield: Bad Company
  • Bioshock
  • Bioshock 2
  • Bioshock 2 LE
  • Crackdown 2
  • Dragon Quest IV
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearer
  • God of War III
  • God of War III LE
  • Iron Man 2
  • Kane & Lynch 2
  • Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
  • Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks LE
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
  • Modnation Racers
  • Nier
  • Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
  • Spore LE Bundle
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  • Super Street Fighter IV
  • Uncharted 2
 
[quote name='Maniac Mansion']If I saw someone that looked like John Marston on the street, I'd think it would be IATCG.[/QUOTE]

I see IATCG as a bit pudgier than John Marston. But with the barfight scar on the side of his face. :)
 
[quote name='Maniac Mansion']If I saw someone that looked like John Marston on the street, pushing a wheelbarrow full of guides, I'd think it would be IATCG.[/QUOTE]

Corrected that for ya. LOL
 
[quote name='crazedracerguy']I see IATCG as a bit pudgier than John Marston. But with the barfight scar on the side of his face. :)[/QUOTE]
:rofl: I've never been in a bar fight in my life. Matter of fact I stopped going to bars and drinking within a year of turning 21. To me it was no fun when I could just walk into a bar and get LEGALLY drunk. I liked the adventure of having to find a place to sell me booze when I was underage and then sneaking away to find a place to drink it. ;)

If I've had more than a sip of alcohol since I stopped drinking it's a miracle and most of that alcohol has been from taking Nyquil when I have a cold.:lol:
 
Picked up a Batman, GoW 3, and Mass Effect II LE this morning. I also saw the yellow clearance stickers on the Assassins Creed II and Fallout 3 GOTY softcovers, but they were still ringing up full price. Anybody hear if these two are dropping soon?
 
[quote name='nuahs77']Picked up a Batman, GoW 3, and Mass Effect II LE this morning. I also saw the yellow clearance stickers on the Assassins Creed II and Fallout 3 GOTY softcovers, but they were still ringing up full price. Anybody hear if these two are dropping soon?[/QUOTE]

RE5 softcover guides have had clearance stickers on them since the june drop near me, so no telling if it means they will drop soon or what.

Edit: I was thinking the red clearance sticker, the yellow is... yeah.
 
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A local Best Buy covers the UPC bar code with a yellow sticker. The cashier then has to sell them at MSRP. They have gotten too smart!
 
Some Best Buy's cover the ISBN with a yellow sticker simply so the cashier will scan the correct bar code. The item will ring up for whatever price is in the system when the UPC barcode is scanned.
 
Sorry, I thought there was a difference. Some of the guides at my store has them and some don't, but ALL of the clearance guides I've ever gotten has had that yellow sticker. Figured it meant something to someone, otherwise, what's the point?
 
There is not much point to them at all on a guide. The ISBN bar code does not register on the system so the cashier simply has to try again using the UPC bar code. It is a feeble attempt to save a few seconds at checkout (unless of course the cashier continues to try the wrong code over and over again which I guess isn't too far off the mark:roll:).
 
Went to a gamestop a bit out of town today while out with family, found GOW Collections and Scribblenauts. The barcode on scribblenauts was ripped off. Now the only guide I didn't manage to get from the drop is Borderlands. There's got to be one out there somewhere just waiting, and I shall find it.
 
Picked up a mixture of 8 guides from the past two BB drops at a store that pulled the first drop entirely after I tried to buy some from it, and then a manager said she would personally pull the second drop after I tried to buy some of them... that store has an idiot for back room since they put the GoW UEs back out along with a few others, and the manager missed everything that I hadn't tried to buy the second time...
 
[quote name='dabamus']Picked up a mixture of 8 guides from the past two BB drops at a store that pulled the first drop entirely after I tried to buy some from it, and then a manager said she would personally pull the second drop after I tried to buy some of them... that store has an idiot for back room since they put the GoW UEs back out along with a few others, and the manager missed everything that I hadn't tried to buy the second time...[/QUOTE]

jesus, pretty soon they're gonna have your picture taped up to each monitor at the register :lol:
 
[quote name='token2k6']jesus, pretty soon they're gonna have your picture taped up to each monitor at the register :lol:[/QUOTE]

I was suspicious that one BB had my picture taped up somewhere at one point because the managers kept mysteriously appearing at the register for a while when I was trying to make purchases...
 
[quote name='dabamus']Picked up a mixture of 8 guides from the past two BB drops at a store that pulled the first drop entirely after I tried to buy some from it, and then a manager said she would personally pull the second drop after I tried to buy some of them... that store has an idiot for back room since they put the GoW UEs back out along with a few others, and the manager missed everything that I hadn't tried to buy the second time...[/QUOTE]
The one manager is like that around here. She literally got up in my face and huffy after that screwy drop a while back where half of them went back to MSRP. I should've just 'grabbed all dem shitz' and forgone trying to just be selective. I saw her around when I went in for my surgical strikes after this drop but she didn't see me so I suppose I got away clean at that store.:D

Now my closest store, on the other hand......:whistle2:#:cry:
[quote name='token2k6']jesus, pretty soon they're gonna have your picture taped up to each monitor at the register :lol:[/QUOTE]
I really think the old DM for the Gamestops around here had my picture up at all the stores in his district after the couple really big hauls I had, where I literally had to make about 5-6 trips back and forth to the car to grab everything.:lol:

I wish I had had a cell phone with a video function on it that day when I bumped into him like 4 years ago when the closest store(now my best store:D) had about a year's worth of old drops on the shelves still and he was tossing them off there like a mad man as I named the pennied ones.:rofl:
 
I went to BB today to pick up that TvC stick but they were sold out! :bomb: I bet it was El Hoardo...they were 5 or 6 of them on monday when I was in there.

In regards to the guides, the ones that I left were either pulled or someone else bought them. I'm assuming they were probably pulled.

Ah well, at least I did get BB to PM Kmart's clearance price of White Knight Chronicles since I had about $25 in BB gift cards. I was debating between that & getting them to PM Castlevania for Kmart's price of $39.99 since you would also get SOTN.

*EDIT* - I forgot about the story regarding the bitchy cashier @ customer service when I returned that used copy of Madworld. I returned it because the back was all warped & wrinkly cause some dumbass held the heat gun on it too close or for too long. I didn't notice it until I got home & opened it. (sealed in BB yellow heatshrink):roll:

I wasn't making a scene & just wanted store credit. She tells me "We don't sell used games!". My reply was "Yes you do...they are right over there on the end cap...I bought one on monday." So she tells me to see if there is another copy & come back to the register, which is fine by me w/e.

There were no more copies & I told her, so she hands it off to another cashier that fiddles around on the register for 5 mins @ least then gives me a gift card.

I would have been fine returning the game for another copy where the case wasn't butchered, however there is no need to be bitchy w/ customers. ESPECIALLY when it's the CUSTOMER SERVICE counter you're working @. Then again this is BB we are talking about here... :lol:
 
I had some time in the morning so I drove around and spent my spare change picking up guides from the past couple of drops at some seriously pull-lagging BB stores and a couple of Gamestops.

The highlight was discovering a lonely Toy Story 3 Ironpack preorder stuffed in a wrong section. I promptly paid the $7.50 deposit for that puppy then immediately returned the pre-order card (sans ironpack) for the full deposit.
 
Had to work up north this weekend... Ran into a BB around where I was working and... 3 ACII LE. Weird to see those sitting around 5 days after a drop in a big city. Oh well. Good for me :)
 
I completely missed out from the last two drops. I think they pulled the first one completely. When I went back last week, they had completely reorganized the store's media section. There wasn't a guide to be seen. I'm thinking my penny guide days are over.
 
[quote name='erehwon']I completely missed out from the last two drops. I think they pulled the first one completely. When I went back last week, they had completely reorganized the store's media section. There wasn't a guide to be seen. I'm thinking my penny guide days are over.[/QUOTE]

Two drops ago at my local BB, everything was pulled. I went back to the store on Tuesday a week after the dropped and scored several guides. This week, again nothing to be found. I went back yesterday and may check again today. I am so hoping that they put back out several guides. I don't really care about the CE so much as just wanting several of the lesser guides for my own collection.

I assume everyone else feels like me when there is nothing to be found and you read here how some lucky people make out like bandits. I am happy for them but I hate the fact that I can't score anything. I just have to remind myself that penny guides are a bonus!
 
[quote name='erehwon']I completely missed out from the last two drops. I think they pulled the first one completely. When I went back last week, they had completely reorganized the store's media section. There wasn't a guide to be seen. I'm thinking my penny guide days are over.[/QUOTE]

The guide section also disappeared from my local BB between Monday and yesterday. It will be interesting to see if this is a trend.
 
What's everyone's thoughts on the trend of these smaller spiral bound guides?

I like them because they are smaller & easier to hold your place, but at the same time it would seem that like notebook paper the pages could rip out easier.
 
[quote name='Maniac Mansion']What's everyone's thoughts on the trend of these smaller spiral bound guides?

I like them because they are smaller & easier to hold your place, but at the same time it would seem that like notebook paper the pages could rip out easier.[/QUOTE]

I prefer the booksized ones. On a bookshelf if I need a guide its easier to look at the spines and know which guide is which. I don't want to tear down all those guides off my shelf so I can flip through and find the one for the game I want.

Although these would probably be a lot better for handheld system games(such as peace walker) where it's a nice portable guide for the game, that doesn't take up much space and is easier to bring on a vacation. Other than that though, for home console games I don't prefer them.

I'm glad they only do it for some games though, which I'm guessing are the ones they couldn't really make a regular booksized guide for unless it would be only a couple pages. This smaller notepad sized book makes it seem bigger and more worth the money as well.
 
FWIW, there appears to be a lot of re-organizing stores lately (a couple near me were), and the guides might end up somewhere weird. One store I went to had game stuff spread all over, and the guides were over near cameras.
 
[quote name='Maniac Mansion']What's everyone's thoughts on the trend of these smaller spiral bound guides?

I like them because they are smaller & easier to hold your place, but at the same time it would seem that like notebook paper the pages could rip out easier.[/QUOTE]
I don't even think I've used any of the guides that I've bought recently on any of my games.:razz:

But the smaller sized ones would be good if going on a road trip, as opposed to the normal sized ones.

One thing that annoys me though are when guides get bent too much that they don't wanna close right anymore. The one copy of the Oblivion guide(PC version) that I gave to my buddies bro-in-law was so dog-eared and raggedy looking by the time they were moving out of the area that it brought a tear my eye almost.

I typically keep my guides in MINT condition, just like my games, but some view these all as disposable entertainment.:roll::whistle2:#
 
I, too, find it's much easier to keep items mint when you don't actually use them. \\:D/

I thought your comment was going to be about the abuse guides get in the store. GS's use of those carousels is atrocious. They cram guides in , which means the covers get mangled if they catch on the metal.

I haven't tried any spiral guides yet (I need a Peace Walker one but struck out locally), but since I use my guides and enjoy the large color photos, I'm on the fence. I'll often flip through a guide if my eyes are bothering me from a marathon gaming session. Just to enjoy some backstory or artwork. The best guides are written such that it's almost like chatting with a friend about a game you both dig, sharing strategy and such. The smaller guides probably have to get right to the point, which would make me less likely to want to flip through them for fun.
 
[quote name='Zippon']I, too, find it's much easier to keep items mint when you don't actually use them. \\:D/

I thought your comment was going to be about the abuse guides get in the store. GS's use of those carousels is atrocious. They cram guides in , which means the covers get mangled if they catch on the metal.

I haven't tried any spiral guides yet (I need a Peace Walker one but struck out locally), but since I use my guides and enjoy the large color photos, I'm on the fence. I'll often flip through a guide if my eyes are bothering me from a marathon gaming session. Just to enjoy some backstory or artwork. The best guides are written such that it's almost like chatting with a friend about a game you both dig, sharing strategy and such. The smaller guides probably have to get right to the point, which would make me less likely to want to flip through them for fun.[/QUOTE]
I absolutely hate those GS carousel guide racks as well. I found an Uncharted 2 guide with rips on the cover and other damage that was caused by it being crammed in behind about 3-5 other guides on the same section of the rack.:whistle2:#

As for not using the guides at all though, I DO use them at times, but not lately. It's just easier to surf to Gamefaqs or one of the other sites since my PC is to the left of me when I'm playing my PS3 downstairs. Both are connected to my 'Brazilian internet' so I just surf over to find the answer instead of digging out a guide and unsealing it just to flip through and find the answer.:cry:
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Both are connected to my 'Brazilian internet' so I just surf...[/QUOTE]

Reading up on Brazilian Butt-lifts? ;)
 
[quote name='Maniac Mansion']Reading up on Brazilian Butt-lifts? ;)[/QUOTE]
Nope. Watching the Ms. Brazil paegant.;):applause: So did you make it back to Target to get the Bioshock 2 LE or was it long gone?
 
[quote name='dabamus']So... it's monday... new drop? :p

(for those that are slow, I'm joking)[/QUOTE]


Be careful, there are sum that will go cry to their mama's about this sort of joke, trust me i've almost be lynched over it!

Back on topic....normally i'd say no chance at a drop but with two in one month then why not a third....WHOS WITH ME!!!
 
Heck - My BB stores have hardly anything left to drop. I'm not lying when I say that one store I checked has ONLY Borderlands, Fable, Fallout:NV and Medal of Honor guides in the store. That's it. No more. I wonder if guides are just going away at BB entirely.
 
[quote name='ballbarfer']Be careful, there are sum that will go cry to their mama's about this sort of joke, trust me i've almost be lynched over it!

Back on topic....normally i'd say no chance at a drop but with two in one month then why not a third....WHOS WITH ME!!![/QUOTE]


Still a few LE's I'm eying at GS, lol.
 
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