Reduced Price Game Guides: Thread Nine

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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 or which ones you've grabbed 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/showthread.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.

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/showthread.php?t=50515&highlight=guide
Guide Four:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1496376
Guide Five:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85976
Guide Six:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116918
Guide Seven:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131717
Guide Seven and a half:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142400
Guide Eight:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167157

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
BookPool
CircuitCity
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.


 
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I checked my three closest GS stores last night while I was out. Only one had any pennied guides left on the shelf and as usual refused to sell or give me one when I brought it up to the register.

Not that I NEED anymore guides at this point or anything, but they were the FFIV guides.
 
Stopped by GameCrazy and checked the price of the tan LoZ:TP HC guide while I was there. It has pennied out. (ours won't let us have penny guides tho :bomb:)
 
I stopped by a closeout Circuit City today and found all their guides at 70% off. YMMV. I picked up Lego Indiana Jones, Far Cry 2, and MGS4 for $6 each. Not exactly a penny guide, but worth checking out if you have one of these in your neighborhood. At least it was approaching the price I would pay in the cases where i trade for guides I don't have in the trading forum.

PS this was in Dublin, Ca.
 
[quote name='hellmutt']I stopped by a closeout Circuit City today and found all their guides at 70% off. YMMV. I picked up Lego Indiana Jones, Far Cry 2, and MGS4 for $6 each. Not exactly a penny guide, but worth checking out if you have one of these in your neighborhood. At least it was approaching the price I would pay in the cases where i trade for guides I don't have in the trading forum.[/quote]

thanks for the heads up, will check area CCs tomorrow
 
Went to GS to buy a GB Micro and was able to pick up a FFIV and Civ Rev guide. The girl didn't seem to care that they rang up a penny. She just muttered "these are only worth a penny". :whistle2:s

Not to me. :lol:
 
[quote name='hellmutt']I stopped by a closeout Circuit City today and found all their guides at 70% off. YMMV. I picked up Lego Indiana Jones, Far Cry 2, and MGS4 for $6 each. Not exactly a penny guide, but worth checking out if you have one of these in your neighborhood. At least it was approaching the price I would pay in the cases where i trade for guides I don't have in the trading forum.

PS this was in Dublin, Ca.[/quote]

scored a bunch of newer guides off my want list this way. worth checking out if $6 is your break point for buying guides.
 
my God! this thread was on the 4th frikin page! BLASPHEMY! BUMPPPP for the neglected thread!

Was able to grab the LAST FFIV at my Crapshoot (GS). was happy to cuz i was afraid they'd thrown it out..and now all im missing from my FF guide collection is FF chronicles..
 
Considering there probably won't be a drop until January this thread probably will be fairly dormant. January could be good, though, since the end of the fiscal year will be coming up and the accounting departments will want to get as much credit on the books as they can.
 
I think this was mentioned a few pages back, but I couldn't find it:

I nabbed the Assassin's Creed guide with the artbook at a penny from Best Buy. Huzzah!

I'll have to check out Gamestop tomorrow for FFIV.
 
[quote name='ForeStorm']I think this was mentioned a few pages back, but I couldn't find it:

I nabbed the Assassin's Creed guide with the artbook at a penny from Best Buy. Huzzah!

I'll have to check out Gamestop tomorrow for FFIV.[/QUOTE]


Hmm, didnt know AC + artbook was pennied...
 
Pennied at Game Crazy:


Bioshock (Brady, Original, Not the PS3 version)
Soul Caliber 4 Hardcover LImited Edition (brady also)

there was a decent list but these were the ones i picked up.
 
I did a quick search of the second post and didn't see it listed, but found a Twilight Princess (Prima GameCube Premiere Edition) for a penny at GameStop on Saturday. I know I had checked it as recently as early November or late October. and it hadn't pennied then. Maybe it happened at the same time the Wii version pennied? Also, FFXII hardcover is still $14.99 :bomb: I hope that pennies in January.
 
[quote name='FiendCameron']Pennied at Game Crazy:


Bioshock (Brady, Original, Not the PS3 version)
Soul Caliber 4 Hardcover LImited Edition (brady also)

there was a decent list but these were the ones i picked up.[/quote]


This is a new drop if it was GameCrazy
 
[quote name='FiendCameron']Pennied at Game Crazy:


Bioshock (Brady, Original, Not the PS3 version)
Soul Caliber 4 Hardcover LImited Edition (brady also)

there was a decent list but these were the ones i picked up.[/quote]

If anyone has the REST of the list(if anything else dropped), please post it.

I'll update the second post once we have a more complete list.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']If anyone has the REST of the list(if anything else dropped), please post it.

I'll update the second post once we have a more complete list.[/quote]

Well, like I said above (and highlighted as requested), the Zelda TP Hardcover pennied at GC.
 
[quote name='Torrwin']Well, like I said above (and highlighted as requested), the Zelda TP Hardcover pennied at GC.[/quote]

And I thank you for that, but usually the list is more than just TWO guides. I've made a note of the two that have been mentioned already, but I will hold off on updating the second post until we know if there is a bigger list of guides.

Thanks for the info nonetheless though.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']This is a new drop if it was GameCrazy[/quote]

it was on the 12th if i remember right.


a few others i remember were Rune Factory, WoW (2nd Edition), WoW Burning Crusade, and WoW Dungeon Companion 2. There were a lot of the Final Fantasy's for the DS as well.
 
[quote name='FiendCameron']it was on the 12th if i remember right.


a few others i remember were Rune Factory, WoW (2nd Edition), WoW Burning Crusade, and WoW Dungeon Companion 2. There were a lot of the Final Fantasy's for the DS as well.[/quote]

I think you are talking about GAME STOP, not Game Crazy. I went to game crazy today and the soul Calibur IV collector's ed rang up at 29.99. Are you sure it was game crazy?
 
[quote name='Civickid96']My manager friend who works at Gamecrazy isn't in today and will be in tomorrow. I'll have a list then unless someone else does it. :D

--Michael[/quote]

Cool. Thanks in advance.
 
Are the Mario Kart Wii or Lost Odyssey 360 guides pennied out at Best Buy? Not on site, wondering if they were missed on the list or recent removals...
 
[quote name='fairtrade']Are the Mario Kart Wii or Lost Odyssey 360 guides pennied out at Best Buy? [/quote]

they havent been pennied yet. im hoping they will be right after xmas.
 
I can confirm the Soul Calibur 4 LE (with soundtrack), Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hardcover), and the Final Fantasy III guide at Gamecrazy being pennied out. Was FFIII from an older drop? I didn't check much else besides those though. The only other one I checked was Crisis Core, and that was full price.
 
Not a penny, but it looks like ToysRus is having a half-off sale on guides on the 17th (effective now on the website). Maybe a double post, but since we're the ones who really care about these, I'm adding it here.
Oh, and definitely not the greatest selection, but Wii games, etc.
 
I've waited a LONG time for ESIV (goty ed.) to drop in price. I picked up a copy for the 360 (goty ed.) for $29.92 at a Walmart this weekend. The goty ed. normally goes for $59.99. It was a Walmart out past Halifax, PA. Out in the Amish area...so I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere.
 
[quote name='padlok']I've waited a LONG time for ESIV (goty ed.) to drop in price. I picked up a copy for the 360 (goty ed.) for $29.92 at a Walmart this weekend. The goty ed. normally goes for $59.99. It was a Walmart out past Halifax, PA. Out in the Amish area...so I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere.[/quote]

Um...this thread is for reduced game guides, not games.
 
[quote name='dragonjud']Not a penny, but it looks like ToysRus is having a half-off sale on guides on the 17th (effective now on the website). Maybe a double post, but since we're the ones who really care about these, I'm adding it here.
Oh, and definitely not the greatest selection, but Wii games, etc.[/quote]

A-ha, that should put the Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness I've been eyeing in the $2 range. That's right around my sweet spot for that one. Thanks dragon!
 
[quote name='slowdive21']I think you are talking about GAME STOP, not Game Crazy. I went to game crazy today and the soul Calibur IV collector's ed rang up at 29.99. Are you sure it was game crazy?[/quote]

yea, i'm sure. i have it sitting next to me, sealed w/ the soundtrack and such. It's been confirmed a few posts above me as well. Don't doubt :roll:
 
[quote name='FiendCameron']I'm curious as to why everyone automatically says i'm wrong or i have the wrong store. I work at Game Crazy. Pretty sure i know the difference.[/quote]Pfft. Because everyone here knows better than everyone else. You'll soon join us.

[quote name='dragonjud']Not a penny, but it looks like ToysRus is having a half-off sale on guides on the 17th (effective now on the website). Maybe a double post, but since we're the ones who really care about these, I'm adding it here.
Oh, and definitely not the greatest selection, but Wii games, etc.[/quote]That's pretty sweet actually. Biggun took the only FE Radiant Dawn when that dropped at GS :bomb:, and I really want that guide. I'm pretty sure my local TRU has a few copies of that.
 
Added the guides from the Gamecrazy drop(which I listed as having happened on the 12th of Dec).

We need verification on the ones that haven't been confirmed as of yet though.

Thanks for the info, Antic and FiendCameron.
 
[quote name='FiendCameron']I'm curious as to why everyone automatically says i'm wrong or i have the wrong store. I work at Game Crazy. Pretty sure i know the difference.[/quote]

If you would have said that in the first place there wouldn't have been a question.

It seems I have confirmed that the fat fuck at my gamecrazy and one other guy there lie about .01 guides. He scanned it and said 29.99 for ISBN: 0744010314. Is this the correct one? I have not seen a Hardcover version...Only the LE Softcover wrapped with the soundtrack.
 
[quote name='slowdive21']If you would have said that in the first place there wouldn't have been a question.

It seems I have confirmed that the fat fuck at my gamecrazy and one other guy there lie about .01 guides. He scanned it and said 29.99 for ISBN: 0744010314. Is this the correct one? I have not seen a Hardcover version...Only the LE Softcover wrapped with the soundtrack.[/quote]

It's not really a "hardcover" per se, but more like a thicker, more sturdy paper cover. You'll know it when you see it. Bradygames has done similar things with FFXII:LE, KHII:LE, God of War:LE, and Soul Calibur III:LE guides.
 
^^That's the one I brought up to the counter at Gamecrazy. This is the third time I have been lied to at that store. Time to call corporate. Every time I go in there and find something the price is different. The case will say 12.99, but he scans a game and says the case is wrong it is actually 17.99. (I am not talking about the difference between member and nonmember prices either).
 
^^I've been lied to two out of the two times I've been to my GameCrazy (it's really really out of my way). The first time I bought a game and was getting a penny guide. He told me he'd give me the gudie for free if I signed up for the MVP. I said no, but he kept arguing for about five minutes, saying that the guide was $15 anyway (this is after he rang it up) and it would be paying for itself. I held fast, and eventually he gave it to me with the back cover ripped off.

The second time I was there I brought up two pennied guides and a few other really old guides that I wanted to check on. He rang them all up and told me the normal prices for some, but the two that were pennied he told me were $10. I asked him why they were $10 even and the others ended in $X.99, and he said he didn't know. Since they weren't anything worth arguing over, I just left at that point. I don't think I'm ever going there again unless something like Dawn of Sorrows or Disgaea 2 drops.
 
[quote name='Rave Child']^^I've been lied to two out of the two times I've been to my GameCrazy (it's really really out of my way). The first time I bought a game and was getting a penny guide. He told me he'd give me the gudie for free if I signed up for the MVP. I said no, but he kept arguing for about five minutes, saying that the guide was $15 anyway (this is after he rang it up) and it would be paying for itself. I held fast, and eventually he gave it to me with the back cover ripped off.

The second time I was there I brought up two pennied guides and a few other really old guides that I wanted to check on. He rang them all up and told me the normal prices for some, but the two that were pennied he told me were $10. I asked him why they were $10 even and the others ended in $X.99, and he said he didn't know. Since they weren't anything worth arguing over, I just left at that point. I don't think I'm ever going there again unless something like Dawn of Sorrows or Disgaea 2 drops.[/quote]


Hi guys,

This post and the one above is the kind of thing that makes me mad about this stuff. When you get an employee that flat out lies to you then call them on it and ask for the corporate phone number for complaints. You should in turn stick the lie back to them by saying - "I have a buddy who works for the publisher and he told be about these being cleared out at a penny - so I know that you are not quoting me the price which comes up in the system". If the person in question continues with the charade - ask to see the screen when the bar-code is scanned and you will be happy to leave it at that.

Before anyone starts trolling with the whole "doing you a favor", "keep a low profile", "don't ruin it for everyone" nonsense - this is not about getting a penny guide, it is about rude, uncaring staff who are blatantly dis-respecting you and your custom.

I am aware that they do not have to sell these guides - but I would appreciate them saying that and pulling it from the shelf than flat-out lying to me - plus, like a naughty puppy, they will think twice about doing it again.

I am sure any company would want to know about employees pulling stunts like this - I am also sure that if he charged 10 bucks for the guide, he put 1 cent in the register and put 9.99 in his own pocket.

Cheers

G
 
[quote name='gripper']
I am aware that they do not have to sell these guides - but I would appreciate them saying that and pulling it from the shelf than flat-out lying to me - plus, like a naughty puppy, they will think twice about doing it again.[/quote]
If you didn't know it were a penny, and wanted to buy the guide - as just a normal customer - being told that something was supposed to be destroyed and can not be sold to you would cause all kinds of problems. Average people don't understand the weird business parts of retail, and would expect that since it's on the floor, they should be able to buy it. Marking it up and selling it at a higher price makes more sense, less confusion. The employee probably doesn't know what experience and knowledge you have about the guide drop process.

I am sure any company would want to know about employees pulling stunts like this - I am also sure that if he charged 10 bucks for the guide, he put 1 cent in the register and put 9.99 in his own pocket.
Click to expand...
The price would be reflected on the receipt, and if it's not and it says .01, then that employee would get some major trouble - if one ever tried that, I'd get them fired so fast.

A thought just occurred to me: I can't remember if price adjustments show on gamestop receipts? If a guide is a penny, and the employee wants to sell it for $10, will that show on the receipt? That would be something...
 
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[quote name='dragonjud']Not a penny, but it looks like ToysRus is having a half-off sale on guides on the 17th (effective now on the website). Maybe a double post, but since we're the ones who really care about these, I'm adding it here.
Oh, and definitely not the greatest selection, but Wii games, etc.[/quote]

Thanks, I picked up a couple guides for half price today.
 
[quote name='dragonjud']Not a penny, but it looks like ToysRus is having a half-off sale on guides on the 17th (effective now on the website). Maybe a double post, but since we're the ones who really care about these, I'm adding it here.
Oh, and definitely not the greatest selection, but Wii games, etc.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for posting - I'm gonna go see if they have an Animal Crossing guide in stock.
 
I managed to find a Rainbow Six: Vegas and a DMC4 guide at CC for a penny each. I found 2 others, also, but I don't remember one (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Chernobyl was the other).
 
[quote name='bordjon']Thanks for posting - I'm gonna go see if they have an Animal Crossing guide in stock.[/quote]

The TRU I went to today, had about 5 animal crossing books. (Columbia MD) Good luck at your location.
 
I'm confused about exactly which Zelda:TP guide is pennied at Gamecrazy.

Is it the new, thicker one that doesn't say "Gamecube" or "Wii" on it?
 
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