Reduced Price Guide Thread XIV (FAQ in 2nd Post)

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The Reduced Price Guide FAQ/OP has been moved to the SECOND post. Read this first!
[customspoiler="Disclaimer"]
All credit goes to IAmTheCheapestGamer, floormat, and guinaevere. They ran this thread for years, and I can safely say we would not have penny guides here without them. Thanks for your work!
[/customspoiler]

Private message me if there is something incorrect or needs to be changed in the non-wiki pages.
Below is two years or so of guide drop info. If you want to see the full list, please refer to the third post of the Reduced Price Guide Thread XIV that can be found HERE.​

Note that date may be of confirmation, and not of drop.

CE/SE/LE=HARDCOVER GUIDE
Red=Gamestop drop
Blue=Best Buy drop
Pink=Toys R Us drop

 

Recent Drops (Last Six Months)

Dropped 3.23.16 at GameStop

Game Stop 1 Cent

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate CE

Just Cause 3

Halo 5 CE



Dropped on 3.26.14
 

Gamestop

Battlefield 4

Disney Infinity

Grand Theft Auto V

Remember Me

Super Mario 3D World

Dropped on 2.26.14

Gamestop 

Assassin's Creed IV: CE

Battlefield 4 CE
Grand Theft Auto CE

Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds CE

Skylanders Swap Force CE

Wonderful 101

Dropped on 2.14.14

Toys'R Us

Rage
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Mass Effect 3

Star Wars The Force Unleashed II

Dropped on 10.31.13

Gamestop 
 
Animal Crossing
Assassin's Creed 3
Borderlands 2 LE
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Cheat Code Overload: Winter 2013
Codes & Cheats Vol. 1 2013
Dead Island Riptide
Diablo III

Disgaea D2

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Legendary
Epic Mickey 2
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Halo 4
Hitman Absolution
Injustice: Gods Among Us

Injustice: Gods Among Us LE
Last of Us

Last of Us LE
Lego City Undercover
Madden 25
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Ni No Kuni
Pokemon Black & White 2 Pokedex
Resident Evil 6 LE
Resident Evil Revelations

Wind Waker LE
Dropped on 9.25.13

Gamestop
Army of Two The Devils Cartel
Dead Space 3
Metal Gear Rising Revengence
Star Trek
Super Mario Bros. Wii U
Epic Mickey 2 Limited Ed
Halo 4 Limited Ed
Hitman Absolution Limited Ed

Dropped on 9.04.13

Gamestop
 
Call of Duty Black Ops II CE
DMC: Devil May Cry
Dishonored
Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider CE       
 
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[quote name='arsenalcrazy8']haha pretty funny seeing how getting ~10 or so guides is now a huge come up. (not saying its not...these days it DEFFF is.) I remember back when Best Buy had actual penny guides that rang up a penny I would regularly get ~30 or so guides a drop lol and I havnt even been a CAG that long. Man those were the days...guide hunting was so fun.

Managed to pick up a Kingdom of Amalaur guide today at GS[/QUOTE]

I know, I used to love drop day. In the old days, the hunt would yield several kills per store but with the amount of guides and succes rates I don't feel its worth the drive these days :(
 
I went to BB today. Found a random copy of MK collectors edition guide missing the plastic but it had all the player cards. took it to the cashiers and ring for a penny. the cashier did not said anything about it. pretty cool guide but I do not think I need it if anybody wants to trade PM with offers.
 
Well I thought I hit the jackpot today. At a Best Buy I've never been to before, I found FF XIII-2 CE, Mass Effect 3 CE (unsealed with no barcode), Street Fighter X Tekken, and an old beat up guide of game I've never heard of before called Sacrifice.

Cashier scanned all of the pennied guides and told me he couldn't sell them.

The other guide, Sacrifice, rang up at $19.99. He offered it to me for $5.

Too bad it's not worth anything. For those that are curious, the guide is from 2000.

http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Off...4211&sr=1-1&keywords=sacrifice+strategy+guide

Can't believed it never pennied and that it lasted there so long.
 
[quote name='blinknot4']The Portal 2 CE Guide is just $9.99 right now at the Valve Store. Shipping is about $8. Good price for a Future Press guide...[/QUOTE]Especially since I don't think this came out in the US. I know I ordered it from Amazon UK when it came out (FuturePress guide, have to have it), though I think it was because it wasn't released in the US.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Especially since I don't think this came out in the US. I know I ordered it from Amazon UK when it came out (FuturePress guide, have to have it), though I think it was because it wasn't released in the US.[/QUOTE]

I've never seen it at a store, so I'm sure you are correct in this matter.

I have a question for the whole lot of you. In most of the GS if not all of them around me the stores no longer have a guide rack inside the store. They keep all the guides in the backroom like they are a nuisance to the store. The only guides they keep out front are for the newer release games. I just wish these stores would have sales more often and I would buy their guides more often. Is this the same in other parts of the country?
 
[quote name='skiizim']I've never seen it at a store, so I'm sure you are correct in this matter.

I have a question for the whole lot of you. In most of the GS if not all of them around me the stores no longer have a guide rack inside the store. They keep all the guides in the backroom like they are a nuisance to the store. The only guides they keep out front are for the newer release games. I just wish these stores would have sales more often and I would buy their guides more often. Is this the same in other parts of the country?[/QUOTE]

That's how it is in all the Gamestops I've been to (in PA). Only a few guides of newer games at the counter. When I ask they offer to look up on the computer if they have a certain title. It's annoying. I don't think the excuse that they don't have room is kind of lame for many stores. Maybe they had a problem with theft?
 
[quote name='tribalnoise']i actually can't think of a single store in my area that DOESN'T have a guide rack.[/QUOTE]
Ditto, all the GSes in my area have Guide Racks.
 
[quote name='salty tbone']That's how it is in all the Gamestops I've been to (in PA). Only a few guides of newer games at the counter. When I ask they offer to look up on the computer if they have a certain title. It's annoying. I don't think the excuse that they don't have room is kind of lame for many stores. Maybe they had a problem with theft?[/QUOTE]


The store I worked at over the holiday season was a mall store, and coupling the tiny size of the store (about a quarter of the size of most of the other GameStops I've been in) and the huge rush, there was honestly no space for guides at all, aside from a few on the front counter.

As for the other stores, my guess is it's a way to get you to interact with the GA and talk a little bit. It is a business after all.
 
[quote name='Vulgarism']
As for the other stores, my guess is it's a way to get you to interact with the GA and talk a little bit. It is a business after all.[/QUOTE]

IMO it's not conducive to business. Every store I've been to has them all in the back - and glimpses i've seen show hundreds of them...they aren't selling back there.
 
tried to pick up an AC Revelations CE guide at the Pico and Sawtelle BB. they couldn't find it in the system (it was unwrapped and didn't have a UPC) so the clerk wanted to charge me for a regular edition at $20. i passed, but if someone wants to try their hand, might get a nice guide out of it.
 
As far as I know my gamestop has racks for the guides and the magazines. Even the one in the mall.
I'd imagine they have many old ones in the back though. With gas near $4 dollars a gallon going to my gamestop or bestbuy is at least $10 bucks a trip. If I'm going for a praticular game or to run errands then ill look for penny guides but going to the store for the sole purpose of looking for penny guides is too risky with how many stores deny the sale.

I see some of you go crazy amounts out of the way for some deals. I just saw a poster say they spent 2 hours going to stores to buy a game that was the exact same price on amazon. For whatever reason I guess they wanted to buy it in stores and probably spent at least $20 extra in gas and 2 hours of time for what could of been got on amazon for within a $5 dollar range or so.
 
Had a great haul today at BB. Was able to grab a Battlefield 3 CE, Mass Effect 3 CE, Dragon's Dogma and the non-revised Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim paperback guide. I was buying a few other things and the manager came over when they wouldn't scan. He saw I was a RZ Silver Member and said I could have them for being such a valued customer ;)

The non-revised Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim paperback I haven't seen mentioned before. It did have it's SKU deleted and rings up as "Not Able to Sale Item."

I scored a Max Payne 3 guide at GS after. The guy knew they were a penny and told me I could have it when I walked up to the counter. He didn't even bother to scan it. Easiest time I've ever had getting a guide at GS. :)
 
Is the pokemon white/black CE the one with the holographic slip included?

I went to best buy to see if I can nab that one. The guy working scanned it a few times, then scanned another thing and said it was $37... :(
 
[quote name='Namurashi']Is the current list on the OP up to date? I thought FFXIII-2 and ME3 were still ringing up at retail.[/QUOTE]


Went to a different Best Buy and found:

FFXIII-2 CE
Silent Hill Downpour
Mass Effect 3
Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City

I took
FFXIII-2 CE, Mass Effect 3, and Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance up to purchase.

After the usual wait and confusion, a manager opted to sell them to me for $4.99 each using some random holiday sku. I figured they may be worth some value in some other way some time.
 
[quote name='detectiveconan16']At least $5 is much better than a really solid NO and you wishing you had the guides.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I definitely agree, that's why I got them. I didn't bother with the other games because I figured I wouldn't play them. I've played all the previous Silent Hill games but since the qulaity keeps deteriorating I decided to give up on them.

It's also funny that I got my hands on the FFXIII-2 CE guide since I just finalized a trade for one. But I figure it's better that I save that one from being in the dumpster.

Stores definitely should go this route instead of throwing them in the dumpster.
 
Me and my brother went for a FF XIII-2 CE, we went to seperate cashiers and my cashier knew about penny guides and just did the override. My brother's cashier tried to charge him the same price as the standard guide. We didn't wanna fuss over it since we already got one but geez I was literally 20 ft away and got mine.
 
I was able to get a FF XIII-2 CE & RE 6 LE. I went to buy a couple blu- rays and i saw a those guides and went to see if i could get them. I went to check out and when the cashier was scanning the guides he didn't seem to care about the pop up that showed on his screen of "not for sale". He scanned both guides then just told me my total I paid and I left happy.
 
[quote name='darken']Went to a different Best Buy and found:

FFXIII-2 CE
Silent Hill Downpour
Mass Effect 3
Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City

I took
FFXIII-2 CE, Mass Effect 3, and Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance up to purchase.

After the usual wait and confusion, a manager opted to sell them to me for $4.99 each using some random holiday sku. I figured they may be worth some value in some other way some time.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the heads up, will have to try in a few days. Just grabbed a couple of games that popped up clearance that were listed differently so the employees here are kinda skeptical. One girl here is really cool with me so I'll have to try back when she's on register. haha
 
[quote name='maxpower0965']I was able to get a FF XIII-2 CE & RE 6 LE. I went to buy a couple blu- rays and i saw a those guides and went to see if i could get them. I went to check out and when the cashier was scanning the guides he didn't seem to care about the pop up that showed on his screen of "not for sale". He scanned both guides then just told me my total I paid and I left happy.[/QUOTE]The RE6 CE guide "pennied out" (i.e. rang up "not for sale")? That's a new one, isn't it?
 
The RE6 CE guide has been pennied out at my best buy for sometime now. My bestbuy makes it pretty easy to know when guides are pennied out. The guides that get pennied out get a rubber band around them with the corresponding game that goes with it.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']The RE6 CE guide "pennied out" (i.e. rang up "not for sale")? That's a new one, isn't it?[/QUOTE]

It was on the BB list I posted a few weeks back.
 
NewEgg has the Darksiders II guide in stock for $14.99. This guide is another one that is fading away into non-existence -- so if you need it, get it while you still can. It has been OOS at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc for a while now...
 
[quote name='detectiveconan16']At least $5 is much better than a really solid NO and you wishing you had the guides.[/QUOTE]

I agree - the whole "do not sell" thing really bites. I managed to get the RE6 guide only because I know someone there and she let me have it. Was the only one I *really* wanted so I was happy with that. But if they would just mark them all down to $5 that would work for me too.
 
Dark Souls was marked down to $5 then to $2.50 during their half off sale but it never got pennied out. MP3 And GW2 did. If your looking for MP3 and Dark Souls I have them for trade if your interested.

[quote name='OscillatingFerret']Does anyone know if the Dark Souls guide ever pennied at GS?

And I noticed that max Payne and guild wars 2 finally dropped off the site after a couple weeks.[/QUOTE]
 
[quote name='OscillatingFerret']Do you have a sku for the Dark Souls guide? I'd like to get a store to look for it nearby first.[/QUOTE]


SKU? Best buy never carried this guide.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']SKU = Stock Keeping Unit. Not exclusive to Best Buy.[/QUOTE]


True though I've never heard it used at any of my GameStop stores.
 
I got a free Mortal Kombat prima guide at Walmart today. I was actually looking for AC 3 CE to PM best buy but didn't find one. I price check the MK guide on a scanner and it said ask associate for help. I checked out it didn't scan. Manager came and just gave it to me. There were other old guides there, but didn't scan them. This is really YMMV since it is Walmart.

This would be pretty cool if Walmart started giving the guides like this but it won't happen :(

Allso got Mass Effect 3 at BB
 
Hey guys, sorry I have been neglecting this thread a little. The OP should be completely up to date now.

Edit: Also, to the people whom have sent me PMs regarding whatever, I apologize if I didn't respond. It's nothing personal. With heavy participation in the Madden leagues and running this thread I get a lot of messages on here and I just simply don't have time to respond to them all. I do read them all, and appreciate them all.
 
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I went to my local Best Buy a few days ago and saw that they had Mass Effect 3 and FFXIII-2 CE. When I went to checkout, the lady scanned them and it said Not For Sale. They called a manager over and he went to the back. When he came out he said he had a SKU for each one and that they would be 4.99 each. Of course when he put in the SKU it came up Not For Sale. So I left empty handed.
 
dunno if its been posted. best buy has halo 4 and assassins creed 3 collectors edition guides for 7 bucks. the regular editions for 5. dont think its available for shipping but u can check locations near you. picked up ac3 collectors guide.
 
Went into Best Buy today and was able to get Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance for free from a manager. They had RE6 and Operation Raccoon City but I thought I was pushing it with Kingdom Hearts as it was. I'll have to try again. xD
 
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