Reduced Price Guide Thread-Lucky Number XIII(FAQ in 2nd post)

Status
Not open for further replies.
IAmTheCheapestGamer

IAmTheCheapestGamer

Banned
The Reduced Price Guide FAQ/OP has been moved to the SECOND post.

Below is SIX MONTHS or so(counting January 2010) of guide drop info. If you want to see the full list, please refer to the second post of the Reduced Price Guide Thread X that can be found HERE .

CE/SE/LE=HARDCOVER GUIDE
Red=Gamestop drop
Blue=Best Buy drop

Recent Drops(listed newest to oldest):

>>>Dropped on 3.07.12
Gamestop 1¢

Battlefield 3 CE

>>>Dropped on 1.25.12>>Dropped on 10.19.11Dropped on 10.13.11Dropped on 10.13.11Dropped on 10.6.11Dropped on 10.6.11Dropped on 9.15.11Dropped on 9.15.11Dropped on 9.7.11Dropped on 9.7.11Dropped on 8.17.11Dropped on 8.17.11Dropped on 8.8.11>>Dropped on 4.27.11Dropped on 4.13.11Dropped on 4.13.11Dropped on 3.30.11>>Dropped on 2.21.11Dropped on 1.26.11>>Dropped on 06.25.10Dropped on 06.07.10>>Dropped on 03.18.10Dropped on 03.04.10Dropped on 03.04.10Dropped on 02.22.10Dropped on 02.22.10Dropped on 01.27.10Dropped on 01.27.10
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
hmm. some GS still has the actual Halo Reach Legendary for $60. Maybe I can get one and get all their guides too. Of course they might want to use that as a selling point to get rid of their Legendarys
 
[quote name='Zygote']hmm. some GS still has the actual Halo Reach Legendary for $60. Maybe I can get one and get all their guides too. Of course they might want to use that as a selling point to get rid of their Legendarys[/QUOTE]

I'd buy a Legendary for $60 w/ guide. that's a sweet deal.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']If BB ever did like TRU and stopped pennying them, I would just wait till a sale of 5/$25 popped up for books on GoHastings.com and then wait for their usual Weds/Thurs free shipping day.;)[/QUOTE]

Is GoHastings.com good on shipping? I was intrigued after you posted this and found a guide I really want. Brand new. Do they ship nicely and are they in good condition?
 
[quote name='mr.Dobalina']Is GoHastings.com good on shipping? I was intrigued after you posted this and found a guide I really want. Brand new. Do they ship nicely and are they in good condition?[/QUOTE]
It depends. Since the items are shipped from individual stores you'll end up with multiple shipping charges for EACH item. But the two games I ordered from them last year arrived in two seperate bubble mailers in nearly perfect shape.

The only issue was a bit of sticker residue left on the front of the one case, which was easily remedied by using some clear packing tape to get it off there.
 
actually scored a Halo Reach Ce from GS today.

"Hello sir, what are you looking for?"
"Hoping to find the Halo Reach Ce guide"
"Oh sorry, that pennied the other day"
"Yea, I know. That's why I was looking for it" *flashes smile*
"Oh ok - let me grab you one from the back"

Renewed my Rewards card since it expired in Jan with him just for that.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']actually scored a Halo Reach Ce from GS today.

"Hello sir, what are you looking for?"
"Hoping to find the Halo Reach Ce guide"
"Oh sorry, that pennied the other day"
"Yea, I know. That's why I was looking for it" *flashes smile*
"Oh ok - let me grab you one from the back"

Renewed my Rewards card since it expired in Jan with him just for that.[/QUOTE]

blunt and straight to the point. good job
 
I tried to pull that at the BB during the last drop. I found the guy in charge of the games/guides and asked him about 'em and he said that he actually got written up because someone bought a guide for a penny a while ago.
I think that was me
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']Only a good deal (and maybe not even then if shipping goes up) if you are buying something there already - but there's a code for Dead Space 2 CE guide that makes it $20 at :

http://visceralstore.com/[/QUOTE]
Not bad. Kinda like getting a free t-shirt with purchase. Thanks.
 
Hey Pookymeister, does deleting and re-posting in the Strategy Guide Trading Thread still create a risk of killing the thread? I'm ok with continually editing just one post, but it is harder to let people know when you've updated your list. Just wondering, thanks!
 
[quote name='PapaSmerf']I also like the fact that the thread gets bumped when one creates a new post and deletes the old.[/QUOTE]


True, but everyone will keep deleting and creating a new post just to get priority position on the last page.
 
[quote name='punkmaggit']I tried to pull that at the BB during the last drop. I found the guy in charge of the games/guides and asked him about 'em and he said that he actually got written up because someone bought a guide for a penny a while ago.
I think that was me
[/QUOTE]

I know many here are still having success, but it sounds like penny guides at BB are on the way out. If corporate is pushing this, it's only a matter of time before every store has a pre-pull and we are left without the joy of receiving penny guides. Locally my BB and GS do pre-pulls.

I think the manager at GS is a CAG because when I asked about a Fallout3 GOTY guide he said they had been pennied and tossed out. He then said I would probably find some in the dumpster. I think he realized what he had said and quickly added that they shred them (BS). I was tempted to check later that night but i'm not ready to go down that path. :)
 
[quote name='bgame2']True, but everyone will keep deleting and creating a new post just to get priority position on the last page.[/QUOTE]

That didn't really happen much at all on the previous thread. People bumped when they added new items and not very often besides that.

If someone makes a new post w/o deleting their old one then maybe the mods can give them a 3-day trade ban or something. That would serve as an excellent reminder the next time they make a new post.
 
[quote name='mr.Dobalina']Is GoHastings.com good on shipping? I was intrigued after you posted this and found a guide I really want. Brand new. Do they ship nicely and are they in good condition?[/QUOTE]
For games, they're good. For guides unfortunately, they're not reliable if you want it in good condition. They just stick guides in a bubble mailer and ship it to you, expecting it not to get damaged...of course it gets damaged. My Star Ocean The Last Hope International guide has creases and bends :cry: And it was the last copy too, so I couldn't do returns......T_T
 
[quote name='ragingst0rm6']Hey Pookymeister, does deleting and re-posting in the Strategy Guide Trading Thread still create a risk of killing the thread? I'm ok with continually editing just one post, but it is harder to let people know when you've updated your list. Just wondering, thanks![/QUOTE]
Just add a title to your trade post and change that when you update your post. Just hit 'go advanced', add a catchy title and the word 'updated' followed by the date you updated it.
 
well all i have to say is MAJOR SCORE!!! not what i wanted sadly but got lots of trade barter...this is also a partial list as im at parents and doing it off memory basis..
poke ranger guardian signs x4
assassins creed 2 x 9
sly collection x2
spiderman shattered x2
sonic colors x2
tron x2
lost planet 2 x5
halo odst x4
front mission evolved x4
super scribblenauts x3
dead rising ce x2
zelda spirit tracks x2
cheat codes fall 2010 x1
i believe that is everything. all in all considering i struck out at 2 best buys earlier this made me smile.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Just add a title to your trade post and change that when you update your post. Just hit 'go advanced', add a catchy title and the word 'updated' followed by the date you updated it.[/QUOTE]

But this still relies on a reader sequentially scanning through however many number of posts in the Trading Thread until he finally gets to yours. I suppose you could do pretty much the same thing with an "updated on" link in your signature, but again a reader would need to see one of your recent posts before they would know to check your list again.

[quote name='neocisco']
If someone makes a new post w/o deleting their old one then maybe the mods can give them a 3-day trade ban or something. That would serve as an excellent reminder the next time they make a new post.[/QUOTE]

If deleting and re-posting doesn't pose a threat to crashing the Trade Thread, I'd vote for this method. Of course, some people here know I'm pretty liberal supporter of the temp ban hammer. :D

*oops* and this probably should be in the guide discussion thread. my bad! :whistle2:#
 
i left over 20 something other penny guides and actually handed a huge stack to another lady who had a list her 15 yr old son was looking for.
 
Good news! One of the stores I did in-store pickup on actually had the 3 guides I ordered - Spidey, Sly, and SMG 2 CE (YES!). Now hopefully I can trade for a couple of the ones I really wanted.
 
The other three guides from my in-store pickup order(SMG2 CE, DR2 CE, C: LOS) are still showing as 'searching for inventory'.:roll:

If they're still showing that on Monday maybe I'll give customer service a ring, since chances are the other guides they pulled from the shelves at my closest store got 'sent back'(to the dumpster) by now.:bomb:
 
[quote name='ragingst0rm6']
If deleting and re-posting doesn't pose a threat to crashing the Trade Thread, I'd vote for this method[/QUOTE]

All the deleted posts is what killed the last thread so we are trying it the other way - one post that is maintained. You can do what IATCG suggested - either edit the title of your post, or probably better to just date the top of the post with last update. I think you regular folk can see when a post was last edited too at the bottom, right? :D
 
i know this doesnt belong here but the strategy guide list trade forum i have in favorites says you cant post anymore and is closed. can someone please give me the link to where i can go now???
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']All the deleted posts is what killed the last thread so we are trying it the other way - one post that is maintained. You can do what IATCG suggested - either edit the title of your post, or probably better to just date the top of the post with last update. I think you regular folk can see when a post was last edited too at the bottom, right? :D[/QUOTE]

Wasn't it more the sheer volume of posts being deleted, one after the other in a very short time, that caused the problem, not so much the act of deleting itself? I reposted and deleted dozens of times during the life of the previous thread and it never seemed to cause any problems.

As far as adding the latest date to the post, that works. If anyone wants an example, just go take a look at post #28 in the trading thread (blatant plug).
 
This is a little late, but I've got the GS SKU for the FFXIII CE: 830038.

EDIT: Um...I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate, but I may have found a way to check for deleted SKUs at Gamestop.com; could someone verify if these links work (they work for me)?

AC:B CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830352
FFXIII CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830038

The reason I'm not sure this approach works is that I got a FFXIII CE from one of the stores that appears when I do the search, but the manager there told me that I got the last one (and he scanned the guide when I got it).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='czissis']Found some Halo 3 ODST at my BB. Nothing else from what I could see.[/QUOTE]

I only found 2 Lord of Shadow. The others were pulled
 
[quote name='Vigilante']This is a little late, but I've got the GS SKU for the FFXIII CE: 830038.

EDIT: Um...I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate, but I may have found a way to check for deleted SKUs at Gamestop.com; could someone verify if these links work (they work for me)?

AC:B CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830352
FFXIII CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830038

The reason I'm not sure this approach works is that I got a FFXIII CE from one of the stores that appears when I do the search, but the manager there told me that I got the last one (and he scanned the guide when I got it).[/QUOTE]
Both of those links work for me.:shock: Care to explain(in detail) how you got them to work, since I always thought that Gamestop removes the pages completely once a guide/item has dropped.

EDIT: I just cut/pasted the one link, edited out the FFXIII CE guide SKU, replaced that with the Halo Reach CE guide SKU then repasted that in the address bar and hit enter and it brought up the page for THAT guide now.:shock:

I wonder how long these deactivated SKU search pages will remain on their servers.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']actually scored a Halo Reach Ce from GS today.

"Hello sir, what are you looking for?"
"Hoping to find the Halo Reach Ce guide"
"Oh sorry, that pennied the other day"
"Yea, I know. That's why I was looking for it" *flashes smile*
"Oh ok - let me grab you one from the back"

Renewed my Rewards card since it expired in Jan with him just for that.[/QUOTE]

I had a similar experience last night at a GS in Vegas.

'Can I help you with something?'
(scanning the guide rack) 'Do you have the Halo Reach CE guide?'
'Oh, that just pennied out.'
'What does that mean?'
'Its free. Let me grab it for you.'

He then comes back with the beautifully sealed guide (the last copy)! :) My boyfriend ended up buying MVC3 game from him after that.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']This is a little late, but I've got the GS SKU for the FFXIII CE: 830038.

EDIT: Um...I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate, but I may have found a way to check for deleted SKUs at Gamestop.com; could someone verify if these links work (they work for me)?

AC:B CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830352
FFXIII CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830038

The reason I'm not sure this approach works is that I got a FFXIII CE from one of the stores that appears when I do the search, but the manager there told me that I got the last one (and he scanned the guide when I got it).[/QUOTE]

Nice find. If this proves to work for awhile we may need to compile a list of SKU numbers for gamestop.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']This is a little late, but I've got the GS SKU for the FFXIII CE: 830038.

EDIT: Um...I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate, but I may have found a way to check for deleted SKUs at Gamestop.com; could someone verify if these links work (they work for me)?

AC:B CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830352
FFXIII CE: http://www.gamestop.com/browse/storesearch.aspx?sku=830038

The reason I'm not sure this approach works is that I got a FFXIII CE from one of the stores that appears when I do the search, but the manager there told me that I got the last one (and he scanned the guide when I got it).[/QUOTE]

wow very nice find thanks dude
 
[quote name='Ultragamer']Nice find. If this proves to work for awhile we may need to compile a list of SKU numbers for gamestop.[/QUOTE]


The inventory checker is YMMV. When u enter zip code, it pulls up stores of the # of stock. BUT, when u choice a store from the list and reenter a different zip, the # of stock changes.
 
Just placed a pick-up order for AC:B LE at a store - let's see what happens. I know it wasn't on the floor there when i checked.

I like how it says :

In-store price

$0.01
 
Whoa, one of my stores still shows it on hand? That's gotta be a mistake, but likely a mistake I will check on anyway. After that one (~10 miles), nothing else within an hour.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Both of those links work for me.:shock: Care to explain(in detail) how you got them to work, since I always thought that Gamestop removes the pages completely once a guide/item has dropped.[/QUOTE]OK, this is what I did, and I'll try to be as detailed as possible:

1. After having some success searching for Halo: Reach LEs, I wondered if the GS search page for finding copies of the LE was still up so I could search for additional copies. I remembered that someone posted a GS link on the last page or so (the day it was announced that that guide pennied) that served this very purpose, and I had used it almost immediately after it had been posted.

2. Using my URL history (in Firefox) in conjunction with the posted SKU for the Halo: Reach LE in one of the first posts, I found the link and navigated to it--lo and behold, it was still active.

3. I remembered that back when the AC:B, DR2, FFXIII, and SMG2 CEs pennied at GS, their product pages hadn't been removed yet, so one could still search for copies at their local stores. Naturally I did this for those guides, so those URLs were still in my history. However, the URLs differed from the one I used for the Halo: Reach LE in that they had gibberish after the "sku=......" string (stuff like "searchKeyword=FFXIII", etc.), so when I tried using those URLs in the days after those CEs pennied, I got an error message.

4. On a whim, I decided to replace the SKU in the Halo: Reach LE store search link (830265) with the SKU for the AC:B CE (830352), and shockingly enough, it worked, the difference being that the URL was cut off after the "sku=......" string.

5. Since I had searched for the FFXIII CE when GS hadn't removed its page, I still had the URL in my history, and hidden in the URL itself was the SKU for the FFXIII CE (830038). So like I did in (4.), I pasted this SKU into the URL, and it worked.

...I think that's everything. Like I said, I'm still unsure it's accurate, but I'm also still shocked that anything happened. :shock:
 
[quote name='neocisco']Wasn't it more the sheer volume of posts being deleted, one after the other in a very short time, that caused the problem, not so much the act of deleting itself? I reposted and deleted dozens of times during the life of the previous thread and it never seemed to cause any problems.

As far as adding the latest date to the post, that works. If anyone wants an example, just go take a look at post #28 in the trading thread (blatant plug).[/QUOTE]That is correct. The cleanup process with hundreds of deleted posts on single pages is what broke it, according to an email dialogue I had with John. He hard deleted the posts and the issue was fixed.

As long as people keep up with cleaning up their posts and make sure they're being deleted, it won't be an issue.
 
[quote name='radioactivez0r']Whoa, one of my stores still shows it on hand? That's gotta be a mistake, but likely a mistake I will check on anyway. After that one (~10 miles), nothing else within an hour.[/QUOTE]That's the reason I'm a little wary of the reliability of this process. I suspect that these store searches might be showing all stores that had the CE/LE at the time it pennied, but since the guide is technically "discontinued" (in a manner of speaking), the stores don't update their inventory if someone gets a copy.

So...yeah, this might not be an entirely foolproof method, but at the very least you'll know what stores used to have the guide you want. :lol:

EDIT: If we're starting an SKU list for GS, I'll get the ball rolling:

DR2 CE: 830279
SMG2 CE: 830270
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So I went to EBgames last night to try to look for some of these guides (first time trying). I found Lost Planet 2, Scribblenauts, and Mario Galaxy 2 CE there, but when I took them up to the cashier, he said they weren't in his system and he couldn't sell them to me. Was he lying? Could I go back there and ask for them, even if they're not on the shelf. Or is it that some employees just choose to sell them even though they're not supposed to? Just wondering, cause I'd love that Mario Galaxy Guide.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']That's the reason I'm a little wary of the reliability of this process. I suspect that these store searches might be showing all stores that had the CE/LE at the time it pennied, but since the guide is technically "discontinued" (in a manner of speaking), the stores don't update their inventory if someone gets a copy.

So...yeah, this might not be an entirely foolproof method, but at the very least you'll know what stores used to have the guide you want. :lol:

EDIT: If we're starting an SKU list for GS, I'll get the ball rolling:

DR2 CE: 830279
SMG2 CE: 830270[/QUOTE]

Thanks how did you find the SKU for them? i thought SKU's were universal but apparently not. I tried using the SKU for the Halo Reach LE CE off of Best Buy (1254102) but it wouldn't work for me.
 
I cut/pasted the FFXIII CE guide stock locator link into the SKU wiki post with instructions on how to replace the SKU from that link successfully to make a page for the guides people want to search for.

Thanks again Vigilante.

Now let's see how long these links work for before they come up to the bad url error page. If they work perpetually and are pretty accurate, then even better.;)
 
[quote name='centarian07']So I went to EBgames last night to try to look for some of these guides (first time trying). I found Lost Planet 2, Scribblenauts, and Mario Galaxy 2 CE there, but when I took them up to the cashier, he said they weren't in his system and he couldn't sell them to me. Was he lying? Could I go back there and ask for them, even if they're not on the shelf. Or is it that some employees just choose to sell them even though they're not supposed to? Just wondering, cause I'd love that Mario Galaxy Guide.[/QUOTE]

Despite the thread title, "penny" guides aren't reduced in price. They are marked "$.01" in some computer systems (Best Buy, Gamestop) as an indicator to "pull and destroy" those guides. Corporate policy is not to sell them or give them away, so the employee did the right thing. If a store ever does let you buy the guide (or take it for free) it's a happy mistake.

Don't ever demand a guide or make a scene, but it can pay off to ask at a different time when a different employee is working.
 
[quote name='Donut2922']Thanks how did you find the SKU for them? i thought SKU's were universal but apparently not. I tried using the SKU for the Halo Reach LE CE off of Best Buy (1254102) but it wouldn't work for me.[/QUOTE]As I stated in my lengthy post, I had searched for those guides back when the product pages hadn't yet been taken down, so I still had those URLs in my URL history. I just started typing "gamestop search a store dead rising 2" (for the DR2 CE, obviously) into my URL bar and the link showed up with the SKU embedded within it. It basically comes down to my being fortunate enough to search for those guides before their pages vanished.

For the Halo: Reach LE SKU, you can find the SKU in the fifth post, and it's on the GS sticker of one of the copies I managed to get. SKUs for GS are 6 digits long, while BB SKUs are 7.
 
[quote name='Zippon']Despite the thread title, "penny" guides aren't reduced in price. They are marked "$.01" in some computer systems (Best Buy, Gamestop) as an indicator to "pull and destroy" those guides. Corporate policy is not to sell them or give them away, so the employee did the right thing. If a store ever does let you buy the guide (or take it for free) it's a happy mistake.

Don't ever demand a guide or make a scene, but it can pay off to ask at a different time when a different employee is working.[/QUOTE]
What do you suggest doing when a manager comes over and talks to you like you're an impetulant three year old and talks down to you as if her people who are supposed to take guides off the shelves are infallible?

I had that happen at the further BB from me this last time when the one manager who has grilled me on how I knew about the guides in times past(and knows that I know it's an item that shouldn't be sold) came over and just shook her head and started informing more of the cashiers to not sell them in the future.

If they're on the shelf I'm gonna try to grab a few. That's just who I am. If they deny me outright, then so be it. But if a cashier is 3/4's of the way through the transaction or completely done with it by the time they realize they screwed up, then score for me.;)

But talking to a customer like she(and another manager) did is inexcusable imo. If her employees did their job right I would never find ANY of these on the shelf.:razz:
 
You know what you do? You say "woah, relax. I just picked these up cause I heard they were on clearance. It's not that big of a deal. It's allright man, I don't NEED these guides. Relax."

The best way to deal with people who get nuts is to treat them like they're blowing everything out of proportion and make them feel stupid. Getting angry yourself is just a lose all around. But if you can make them feel stupid, you at least get some satisfaction.

Obviously I don't mean to do this to every manager or cashier. Just the assholes that do try to make you feel like you're the one doing something wrong.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
But talking to a customer like she(and another manager) did is inexcusable imo. If her employees did their job right I would never find ANY of these on the shelf.:razz:[/QUOTE]

Sorry, but you can't have your cake and eat it, too. My take is that you are going in there, every time, to rip them off. Let's not sugar coat it. You've found a loophole and are exploiting it to it's fullest extent. If they catch on, expect to be treated appropriately.

I'm not one of the majority that thinks we can pull every dirty trick and think the other guy has to play like a consummate professional. ;)

You've admitted yourself that you are pure poison to most of these retail chains (never buying anything unless free or hugely discounted). Yet you want to be treated like a valued customer?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top