The Half Price Books Thread

BudzMcGee

BudzMcGee

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As a big fan of Half Price Books I thought a thread discussing the various discounts, promotions and of course our finds was more than well deserved.

All deals posted in the OP and in this thread are YMMV by nature. Some things have universal prices (or damn near) but still.

Always remember to check our local store's page on the HPB.com website to see if it has any additional specials (such as comic Wednesdays)!

Current Promotions:

Upcoming Promotions:


Miscellaneous contest and other deals:

Educator's Discount: If you are an educator you can apply for the Educators Discount Card to save 10% every day at HPB. http://www.hpb.com/community/educators/

Notable Deals (Items that seem to be more universal):
This is not to add every single descent deal found at HPB, but to post ones that seem to be more universal (i.e. items marked with SuperBuy rather than clearance or is reported in multiple places).

 
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Billzer said:
I love HPB. Last weekend I picked up paperback guides for Ghostbusters, Spirit Tracks (sealed), Phantom Hourglass, and FFVII !!

An employee mentioned this upcoming sale to me cause they had a

The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past Comic there.

I'd had never seen one so I obviously had to look through it.

Then I saw the price---$149.99...hence he mentioned the sale.
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This is out in May too!

http://amzn.com/1421575418

 
Vygelor said:
I think in the past the discounts were released earlier to some regions. I live in IL and usually we get the discounts later. Nevertheless, these coupons should work just fine.
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Ohio here, and I got them emailed. interestingly, the emails say "show on your phone, or print to save"

 
Shit, my HPBs are going to be picked clean of anything good since I missed the first day of the coupons. I may finally grab the UMVC fight stick they have at the one local HPB with that 50% coupon though.

 
There are apparently at least 2 "tiers" of stores, with the coupons being valid this week or next week depending on which tier your local store is in.

In other news, I did see a Killzone 2 FuturePress hardcover (which means it was a UK import originally). It had several light scratches on the front cover, with a 1/2 pea-sized ding (like from a sharp pointy object) on the front cover also (lower right quadrant). Probably $20-25 shipped if I can still find it next week when my sale starts if anyone is interested.

Edit: also saw a first print Skyrim Collectors Edition Guide. And the Killzone 3 FuturePress guide too.
 
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My coupons are for this weekend. Hoping my store still has that wacom tablet for 40$ so i can get it for 20$. Ten bucks says that it wont be there come sunday.

 
BudzMcGee said:
So has anyone actually successfully used these coupons?
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I have used them 4 times now up in Minnesota. Picked up YS silver edition for 26, a few random blu rays and have a Bravely default collectors on hold for tomorrow as well as SNES FF3 on hold for tomorrow.

 
BudzMcGee said:
So has anyone actually successfully used these coupons?
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Yes, they work anywhere but they won't scan. Found that out the hard way although the guy was cool and typed it in for me.

Will one of you who got the new coupons post them up? I'm on their mailing list but haven't received the actual valid coupons for my region.

 
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Morilak said:
I have used them 4 times now up in Minnesota. Picked up YS silver edition for 26, a few random blu rays and have a Bravely default collectors on hold for tomorrow as well as SNES FF3 on hold for tomorrow.
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Are you by chance referring to the Roseville store? They had YS and Bravely Default there forever haha.

 
I'm considering picking up Game of Thrones season 3 new blu ray with digital codes for $20 after 50% off coupon but idk....
 
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Morilak said:
I have used them 4 times now up in Minnesota. Picked up YS silver edition for 26, a few random blu rays and have a Bravely default collectors on hold for tomorrow as well as SNES FF3 on hold for tomorrow.
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Nax5 said:
Are you by chance referring to the Roseville store? They had YS and Bravely Default there forever haha.
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BudzMcGee said:
I doubt he was referring to Saint Louis Park. They had nothing good. lol
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So many MN CAG's :p

 
Is a new Pathfinder Beginner Box for ~$16 after coupon a good deal?

Also, does anyone know (roughly) how HPB comes up with their trade offers? (like 1/4 MSRP, or some other formula)? Thanks!

 
slowdive21 said:
MN is one of the best paces to live for cags. I thought about moving there. The land of Targets and Best Buys. Shinders RIP
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Ah, Shinders...Spent many childhood days at that store when parents made trips to Ridgedale. I believe a FuncoLand was nearby as well.

 
I've traveled throughout the US and I don't think I have ever found a chain store with deals like Shinders. They knew how to price stuff just right, so it was a good deal for the customer and they were able to make money. I went to a "pack wars" with my Dad and we got a Joe Montana rookie as one of the prizes. Good times.

I love HPB and bookmans, but Shinders was another level.

 
HPB in greenwood in has a ton of new stuff. Saw a xbox 360 i think it was a e model with a 250gb hd for 149. Also saw a copy of cod aw for 30. Also had a copy of phantasy star online i and ii for gamecube for 50. I picked up a copy of pokemon platinum for $20 complete.
 
My HPB is very lackluster on the gaming side of things. But for cool books it's great, just snagged a one volume collector's edition of the Lord of the Rings book series for about $12 after everything

 
Is the PDF on the front page a global coupon or is it for a designated state? I thought I was on the mailing list, but apparently I wasn't. 

Edit: I just printed them out and I'll try them at my local IL HPB.

 
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KuHLiiDE said:
Is the PDF on the front page a global coupon or is it for a designated state? I thought I was on the mailing list, but apparently I wasn't.

Edit: I just printed them out and I'll try them at my local IL HPB.
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Yeah I printed out the coupons on the front page and they worked just fine at my local IL HPB

 
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Stopped at the Roseville, MN location today. They said their coupon isn't supposed to be until next Sunday, but if you had one dated for today they would honor it. Nothing there worth getting, though.

However, I did notice an absence of a particular YS Silver Edition and Bravely Default =P.

 
Went to the Mesa HPB in AZ and was not bad.

I got Animal Crossing DS for $8 after coupon and a 1st Gen Kindle Fire with case for $30 after coupon.

They had some decent games like Watch Dogs and others.

The Phoenix HPB had crap.

 
Yup, I got them to bring Bravely down to 90 Prior to the coupon so $45 after. Also got YS knocked to 35 before coupon.

 Also Picked up a MGS4 Ps3 from the one on Ford street in St. Paul for $70 after coupon.

 
I picked up a PS3 120 GB slim, 2 controls, a cooling fan and all cables with 3 crappy games for $65 plus tax after the coupon #stealsnotdeals
 
Morilak said:
Yup, I got them to bring Bravely down to 90 Prior to the coupon so $45 after. Also got YS knocked to 35 before coupon.

Also Picked up a MGS4 Ps3 from the one on Ford street in St. Paul for $70 after coupon.
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Not bad. I was told that they wouldn't consider knocking prices down until they had been on the shelf for 6 months or so. How did you get them to do it?

 
Nax5 said:
Not bad. I was told that they wouldn't consider knocking prices down until they had been on the shelf for 6 months or so. How did you get them to do it?
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I always just show them the current amazon going rate for used and have them double check their system. Sometimes they will sometimes they wont its all kinda hit or miss.

 
Well, I picked up a Morrowind GOTY for $4.  Got to finally get the expansions while not giving Bethesda any money.  Win/win!

 
Morilak said:
I always just show them the current amazon going rate for used and have them double check their system. Sometimes they will sometimes they wont its all kinda hit or miss.
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Interesting. Maybe will try to talk them down on Diablo 3. I always thought it was ridiculous they were trying to sell it for $20.

 
FWIW, from when I worked there, there weren't any hard fast rules about reducing prices or putting stuff on clearance. For this being a chain, they really leave a lot up to the individual stores when it comes to pricing. Based on what I've seen as a customer with four stores within reasonable driving distance, that doesn't seem to have changed. As I'm sure you all have noticed, you can find the same thing in two different stores with a drastically different price. I guess that's why I still like shopping there though. There will always be some prices that will literally make me laugh out loud (especially in the records. Stuff that is so beat it wouldn't have made it out to the floor five years ago seems to regularly go for $10 and up at one store.) But I'll be damned if every time I don't find enough legit bargains to make my credit card hurt a little. 

 
Captain Wrong said:
FWIW, from when I worked there, there weren't any hard fast rules about reducing prices or putting stuff on clearance. For this being a chain, they really leave a lot up to the individual stores when it comes to pricing. Based on what I've seen as a customer with four stores within reasonable driving distance, that doesn't seem to have changed. As I'm sure you all have noticed, you can find the same thing in two different stores with a drastically different price. I guess that's why I still like shopping there though. There will always be some prices that will literally make me laugh out loud (especially in the records. Stuff that is so beat it wouldn't have made it out to the floor five years ago seems to regularly go for $10 and up at one store.) But I'll be damned if every time I don't find enough legit bargains to make my credit card hurt a little.
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Yep, I have 2 within about 10-15 minutes of each other and I've found items at one for 3.99 that are at the other, in much worse shape, for 16.99 or more. That's how I got my MGS4 CE guide, it's crazy. I actually really like vinyl so I'm excited about the 50% this Sunday because I can get some brand new sealed stuff for 8 or 9 bucks.

 
reaperztoll said:
Yep, I have 2 within about 10-15 minutes of each other and I've found items at one for 3.99 that are at the other, in much worse shape, for 16.99 or more. That's how I got my MGS4 CE guide, it's crazy. I actually really like vinyl so I'm excited about the 50% this Sunday because I can get some brand new sealed stuff for 8 or 9 bucks.
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Thanks for the heads up. For some reason it never occurred to me that these things work on records and consoles. I'm buying games like a sucka. I wonder if there are any good remasters at my store.

 
Captain Wrong said:
FWIW, from when I worked there, there weren't any hard fast rules about reducing prices or putting stuff on clearance. For this being a chain, they really leave a lot up to the individual stores when it comes to pricing. Based on what I've seen as a customer with four stores within reasonable driving distance, that doesn't seem to have changed. As I'm sure you all have noticed, you can find the same thing in two different stores with a drastically different price. I guess that's why I still like shopping there though. There will always be some prices that will literally make me laugh out loud (especially in the records. Stuff that is so beat it wouldn't have made it out to the floor five years ago seems to regularly go for $10 and up at one store.) But I'll be damned if every time I don't find enough legit bargains to make my credit card hurt a little.
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Found this out first hand this weekend. Went into on Saturday and almost got the Limited Edition Soul Calibur IV guide with soundtrack. It was $14.99 but I passed. Went to another location on Sunday and they had it in better condition and only $7.99. Sometimes it pays to wait.

 
Here's a ProTip from someone who used to work there (it was a long time ago, so take it with a grain of salt, but seems things are still running this way):

Each store assigns sections to individual employees. For instance, mine were military history and SciFi/Horror. With books, pricing is mostly standard, half of the cover price. However, with stuff like games and records, it gets tricky. If it's something currently in production, they usually go half of MSRP. But, for older stuff, it's usually up to the person running the section who is supposed to be the "expert" about this stuff. Some stores seem to be rigidly in the look it up on eBay/Amazon camp, but some seem to be more arbitrary, which is the way it was when I worked there. I've seen some really nice deals passed on to regular customers (hell, I've been the beneficiary of this myself) with no one batting an eye. I've also seen some stuff held back because a regular was looking for it, etc. 

So my point is, befriend the person in charge of the section you're interested in. Not guaranteeing anything will come of it, but it might be worth your while.

 
Morilak said:
Yup, I got them to bring Bravely down to 90 Prior to the coupon so $45 after. Also got YS knocked to 35 before coupon.

Also Picked up a MGS4 Ps3 from the one on Ford street in St. Paul for $70 after coupon.
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I take it you're talking about Bravely Default CE and Ys...I'm not sure which one?

DM7000 said:
Seems like round 2 of coupons. Starts on Wednesday with 30%.
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This for a different region? I mean Arizona just had their sale this past week and they never do sales back to back. Unless this is the new thing they've got going.

Captain Wrong said:
Here's a ProTip from someone who used to work there (it was a long time ago, so take it with a grain of salt, but seems things are still running this way):

Each store assigns sections to individual employees. For instance, mine were military history and SciFi/Horror. With books, pricing is mostly standard, half of the cover price. However, with stuff like games and records, it gets tricky. If it's something currently in production, they usually go half of MSRP. But, for older stuff, it's usually up to the person running the section who is supposed to be the "expert" about this stuff. Some stores seem to be rigidly in the look it up on eBay/Amazon camp, but some seem to be more arbitrary, which is the way it was when I worked there. I've seen some really nice deals passed on to regular customers (hell, I've been the beneficiary of this myself) with no one batting an eye. I've also seen some stuff held back because a regular was looking for it, etc.

So my point is, befriend the person in charge of the section you're interested in. Not guaranteeing anything will come of it, but it might be worth your while.
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That happened to me...once. Of course, I never asked for anything specific except that one time.

I managed to get a Wii complete with box and Wii Sports and Resort for $45. Not bad. Managed to get the first six Star Trek movies for $20 too last week...been putting that off for years now since I'm still wondering what happened to those director's cuts...

 
JustinTheGamer said:
Gonna check the northtown one usually nothing there. *crosses fingers
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Unless you found something on the 15th, the W & NW stores weren't too exciting. Some wonky pricing in the case too at Northtown. They wanted $65 (before coupon) for The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night for DS. Checked ebay ~1/3 of that price.

I did pick up Legend of Heroes III for PSP and a few GB cases, SNES plastic dust sleeves in the clearance bin from the Northtown store.

Crystal Store: Dragon Quest Monsters

St. Louis Park Store: Breath of Fire III

Since Crystal is usually my last stop, that is right near the Games N Go in Brooklyn Park. Grabbed a copy of Game & Watch 2 for DS (Club Nintendo) from there.

You can literally make a day of it here in MN with all of the stores around the cities.

 
There are a ton of HPB's here in MN its wonderful. I hit up the Ford st store and there was not much for gaming there other than the MGS4 PS3 CE system that I grabbed.

But... at the Roseville store I did manage to find Digimon world 1 and 2 for PS1 to put on hold for sunday :).

 Going to Check out Maplewood store afterwork tonight on my way home.

 
Morilak said:
There are a ton of HPB's here in MN its wonderful. I hit up the Ford st store and there was not much for gaming there other than the MGS4 PS3 CE system that I grabbed.

But... at the Roseville store I did manage to find Digimon world 1 and 2 for PS1 to put on hold for sunday :).

Going to Check out Maplewood store afterwork tonight on my way home.
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So they let you put stuff on hold all the way through the sale so you can get the 50% off? That's surprising - I think I had them hold a game one time and was told it could only be for the day.

 
Not a video game, but I scored a copy of the Metal Gear Solid Risk board game at my local Half Price Books a few weeks ago for $25.

My store in Greenwood, IN rarely has any good gaming deals, most of the rarer games are priced accordingly and none are ever all that rare.  

 
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TiktaaLink said:
So they let you put stuff on hold all the way through the sale so you can get the 50% off? That's surprising - I think I had them hold a game one time and was told it could only be for the day.
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Yeah, They dont mind at most stores here putting stuff on hold for a week. They know people love to use the coupons. Ive even talked to some of the people who price things and depending on if they know a coupon week is comming up they just expect more holds and will price it as what amazon price is (generally) so that they still make some money from selling it at 50% off.

 
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