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

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Dark Rider

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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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Surprised to see a UFC Encyclopedia at my Gamestop. One of the employees and me took home the last two copies. Mine had a ripped up dust jacket, but the actual cover is pretty cool luckily.
 
[quote name='coopscohen']Did BB figure out a way to thwart penny guides? Grabbed about 8 guides and all of them had been deleted from the system so they couldnt sell them to me. I tried to have the guy give them to me for free but he said he couldnt. Manager said no also.[/QUOTE]


I Am The Cheapest Gamer contacted the strategy guide publishers and informed them we were buying $30 guides for a penny each at Best Buy. He was jealous some guy in his town was getting them and he was not, because he is banned from penny guides at Best Buy.
 
[quote name='gordojones88']I Am The Cheapest Gamer contacted the strategy guide publishers and informed them we were buying $30 guides for a penny each at Best Buy. He was jealous some guy in his town was getting them and he was not, because he is banned from penny guides at Best Buy.[/QUOTE]

Enough with this already.
 
Yes.

I was in BBY getting SSX and saw a guy removing guides. I saw Homefront CE, Dragon age 2, and Warhammer. I think he mentioned one or two more but I forget.

Might be a moot point though. He let me take DA2 and Warhammer up to the register, and nothing scanned. Tried all 3 barcodes and just invalid sku. Could be an isolated incident, but they might have clamped down totally.
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']Yes.

I was in BBY getting SSX and saw a guy removing guides. I saw Homefront CE, Dragon age 2, and Warhammer. I think he mentioned one or two more but I forget.

Might be a moot point though. He let me take DA2 and Warhammer up to the register, and nothing scanned. Tried all 3 barcodes and just invalid sku. Could be an isolated incident, but they might have clamped down totally.[/QUOTE]

Nope. Happened to me as well where the 8 guides I listed above wouldnt scan. You can add Warhammer, Brink and Deus Ex to that list. I overheard the employees talking and they mentioned it could be in the process of being "pennied" but as you mentioned maybe this is there way to prevent that from happening going forward :(
 
[quote name='Pookymeister']
I was in BBY getting SSX and saw a guy removing guides. I saw Homefront CE, Dragon age 2, and Warhammer. [/QUOTE]

Same here, I saw ME3 CE, Saints Row and FFXIII-2 CE in the cart of pulls. Checked the prices on those and they still rang up full price, I'm thinking pre-pull
 
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[quote name='Lord Chabelo']Same here, I saw ME3 CE, Saints Row and FFXIII-2 CE in the cart of pulls[/QUOTE]

Well crap, would love to get ME3 CE for a penny, lets hope BBY hasnt finally found a way to stop the penny guides!
 
[quote name='aspen1284']Well crap, would love to get ME3 CE for a penny, lets hope BBY hasnt finally found a way to stop the penny guides![/QUOTE]


Edited my post, those you mentioned seemed to be pre-pulls.
 
BB seems to have finally figured out to do prepulls for the last few drops. IMO, BB .01 guides are, with the occasional exception, essentially dead.
 
Just got back from bb and they had foNV,resistace3,infamous2, &brink alll marked a penny, had SR 3rd in my stack. They did not ring in system manager gave them to me said no reason to hold me up for a few pennies. Dont think SR3rd was pennied so might take it back. All where soft cover
 
Strangely I was able to pick up only one Dragon Age 2 guide, but no other guide would scan afterwards, "unable to scan item" or something like that. First guide did ring up a penny. Tried separate transactions for the others with no success.
 
[quote name='chefgamer']Just got back from bb and they had foNV,resistace3,infamous2, &brink alll marked a penny, had SR 3rd in my stack. They did not ring in system manager gave them to me said no reason to hold me up for a few pennies. Dont think SR3rd was pennied so might take it back. All where soft cover[/QUOTE]

This is the best strategy... Buy more than just the pennied guides, you can always just return it if ya don't want it. They seem more likely to give ya good deals when you spend $$
 
I ended up with sr3rd free also. It was all in confusion with that. So thats why part of me wants to return it


[quote name='TheLounge']This is the best strategy... Buy more than just the pennied guides, you can always just return it if ya don't want it. They seem more likely to give ya good deals when you spend $$[/QUOTE]
 
Some of these may be old drops and some may be new, but here's a list of what may have pennied just recently at Best Buy.

Homefront CE 2005124
Dragon Age II 2045121
Warhammer Space Marine 2936134
Deus Ex 2422297
Brink 2398787
Fallout NV (Regular) 1408448
Batman AC LE 3116199
Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii) 8695619
Red Dead GOTY 2936064
Gran Turismo 5 1487168
Goldeneye Reloaded 4037602
NCAA 12 2881476
Ratchet & Clank All 4 One 3784056
Mass Effect 2 (360/PC Original version) 9738413
Hunted The Demon's Forge 2422215
Spider-Man Edge of Time 3078086
WWE All Stars 2090041
Resistance 3 3074293
X-Men Destiny 3683804
Medal of Honor (Regular) 1425481
Bulletstorm 1980846
Kirby's Epic Yarn 1425551

Moreover, here's the page he's been using to determine if stuff has indeed pennied:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...&index3=index3&hideTBPSavings=true&active=rwz

You just need to do the SKU swap trick to find out the price.
 
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[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Some of these may be old drops and some may be new, but here's a list of what may have pennied just recently at Best Buy.

Homefront CE 2005124
Dragon Age II 2045121
Warhammer Space Marine 2936134
Deus Ex 2422297
Brink 2398787
Fallout NV (Regular) 1408448
Batman AC LE 3116199
Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii) 8695619
Red Dead GOTY 2936064
Gran Turismo 5 1487168
Goldeneye Reloaded 4037602
NCAA 12 2881476
Ratchet & Clank All 4 One 3784056
Mass Effect 2 (360/PC Original version) 9738413
Hunted The Demon's Forge 2422215
Spider-Man Edge of Time 3078086
WWE All Stars 2090041
Resistance 3 3074293
X-Men Destiny 3683804
Medal of Honor (Regular) 1425481
Bulletstorm 1980846
Kirby's Epic Yarn 1425551

Moreover, here's the page he's been using to determine if stuff has indeed pennied:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...&index3=index3&hideTBPSavings=true&active=rwz

You just need to do the SKU swap trick to find out the price.[/QUOTE]

Very nice! I am going to update the OP with that trick!
 
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[quote name='coopscohen']Too bad they arent ringing up a penny.[/QUOTE]

Really? It seems strange that they would be a penny in the system, but not ringing up at that price. I guess I will hold up on updating the OP until we get some more confirmations.
 
[quote name='Dark Rider']Really? It seems strange that they would be a penny in the system, but not ringing up at that price. I guess I will hold up on updating the OP until we get some more confirmations.[/QUOTE]

As someone mentioned, when scanned, message box appears that says "Unable To Add Item". I've found guides at (3) different BB and had the same thing happen. A few others have reported that also. From what I gathered from my experiences, the SKU had been deleted from the POS System and cant be rung up. Info still appears in the RMS but if it doesnt ring, they cant sell it to you technically. I got lucky at one BB and the manager did an overide for the 7 guides I found.
 
Really don't have much useful to contribute other than I found a Brink guide today at Best Buy and it wasn't in the system when scanned so they wouldn't sell. Didn't push the subject and really didn't care too much but it seems like this may be Best Buy's new way of removing old guides from inventory.
 
Too bad they are just deleting SKU's. I know of a couple Arkham City CE's around me but no point in wasting gas to get denied because the SKU doesn't exist in their system anymore.
 
[quote name='coopscohen']Too bad they arent ringing up a penny.[/QUOTE]
Yeah mine would not eing up today hence why manager just gave them to me
 
[quote name='neocisco']BB seems to have finally figured out to do prepulls for the last few drops. IMO, BB .01 guides are, with the occasional exception, essentially dead.[/QUOTE]
Not only that, but when i tried they didn't actually penny out. they were deleted from the system so they refused to ring me up.
Does anyone know if it is a corporate-wide policy now? And how long do we have before a new batch of guides disappear from their system? Immediately? A few days?
 
No go on DA2 and Fallout NV for me. Seems like the end of BB cent guides is over. Had a manager that could not figure out why the guides were not selling. He called up a few employees over an none knew why. Seems like a district manager type showed up and told him about how the guides should not be on the floor and that they had to be returned to the manufacturer for credit. So four employees just got privy to BB's new policy.
 
I as well struck out, there was a lone Batman AC LE guide, unable to add item message showed up and after 5 mins off scanning the barcode. The employee radioed and the voice on the other side said its supposed to be a penny to sell it as a penny. But of course he was unable to add it so he took it to the "Game section Mgr" who grabbed it and said it was no longer for sale.

I guess its not meant to be for me to have the Batman guide, I preordered from brady (sold out didnt honor my order), ordered from amazon and shipped to my sis house, the ups must have took it or gave to another house. which is my fault for waiting to long to check with my sis and now this... oh well

Goodbye BB Penny Guides its been fun,,, time to find another killer deal to milk
 
[quote name='chefgamer']Just got back from bb and they had foNV,resistace3,infamous2, &brink alll marked a penny, had SR 3rd in my stack. They did not ring in system manager gave them to me said no reason to hold me up for a few pennies. Dont think SR3rd was pennied so might take it back. All where soft cover[/QUOTE]

[quote name='chefgamer']I ended up with sr3rd free also. It was all in confusion with that. So thats why part of me wants to return it[/QUOTE]

Saints Row: The Third guide scanned at full price today. Not sure what was up with your experience. Did they just forget to scan it?
 
Well this truely is a sad day. Spent many years getting penny guides from BB. Lots of fun adventures along the way. Cant believe its over... maybe they will return again some day... but sad nonetheless :(
 
[quote name='showtimefolks']what is the trick? please tell[/QUOTE]

If you would have looked above, you would have found IATCG's post about SKU swapping to find the system's price. Although, it appears it may not be working as expected, as some are showing up a penny, but are out of the system in store.
 
I can comfirm that this is really happening. Fallout NV was ringing up for a penny for a moment at a Best Buy, then it said Unable to Add Item. I got it for free, but only at that Best Buy. I'm starting to panic. I... I want my pennied guides.
 
yesterday i went to bb to buy soulcalibur 5. after checking this thread, i decided to pick up RDR GOTY guide hoping it would be a penny. since the guide would not ring up, the guy called a supervisor and they spent the next 30 minutes on the phone with "the bridge" to tell them how to handle it. i could hear them considering selling it for $.01 but in the end the found a dummy SKU to charge me $29.99. i figured i would just return it later instead of rejecting the sale (i felt bad for all the time they spent trying to help me - the associates were really nice). turns out that "dummy sku" is a service contract or installation sku. can't wait to see how difficult it will be to return this guide. what's funny is i already own the guide. i just wanted to get it as a stocking stuffer for a friend.
 
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One of my local stores had about 15 copies each of Fallout NV and Dragon Age II. Same as has been reported, the items are completely removed from the system as being for sale. A few reported this on the previous BB drop and this drop just seems to be confirmation that .01 guides are dead at BB.
 
Using that link IATCG posted, I saw that White Knight Chronicles II was showing up for a penny. I found one today and it rang up $19.99. Maybe this is a guide that will actually penny at some point. I find it weird that the four posted prior did actually penny and all the ones on this big list got deleted. Wishful thinking probably but I'll check again next week and see what happens.
 
Went to BB and they had freaking 15 Dragon Age II guides. What's more, it was tagged at a penny. There was a sign there. First time I ever saw that. Or maybe the second. But it was removed from the system, as usual. They gave me one, but I wanted them all, since I knew what they were planning on doing with them. This is not right.

It seems that a price scan will reveal the price to be a penny, but if you try to add it to cart, it will not work.
 
[quote name='Lord Izanagi']Went to BB and they had freaking 15 Dragon Age II guides. What's more, it was tagged at a penny. There was a sign there. First time I ever saw that. Or maybe the second. But it was removed from the system, as usual. They gave me one, but I wanted them all, since I knew what they were planning on doing with them. This is not right.

It seems that a price scan will reveal the price to be a penny, but if you try to add it to cart, it will not work.[/QUOTE]

Damn thats a double smack from BB.

Penny guide hunting used to be one of my favorite cagging events. Especially at BB for at least the last 4-5 years.

Its really hard reading how its all over.

Maybe its just a one time thing. Maybe next penny pull will be penny guides.

But Im thinking Best Buy finally figured out a way to halt it.

To be fair its been over 4-5 years of us CAGs slamming BB for penny guides. You would have thought at some point they would have done this exact thing.

So in the end I guess we just have to be thankful we lasted this long.
 
I picked up 3 dragon age II guides at bb for .01 and just told them they pennied on the website so they sold me them.
 
Went to a Tampa Best Buy today and found a Brink guide. It wouldn't scan, so the cashier called a supervisor who then called another manager/supervisor. They told her to just give it to me for free.
 
FYI- Resident Evil guide is $0.01.

The ETK inventory system shows $0.01, but when scan/entering the sku, item not found.

The manager wouldnt give it to be because they couldnt scan it. It looks like this maybe the end of penny guides at Best Buy.....

Not game related, but 24 Season 8 is on sale for $9.99 and breaking bad season 4 for $24.99. I did in store pick up and they me the breaking bad season 4 with promo shirt package????
 
[quote name='Lord Izanagi']Went to BB and they had freaking 15 Dragon Age II guides. What's more, it was tagged at a penny. There was a sign there. First time I ever saw that. Or maybe the second. But it was removed from the system, as usual. They gave me one, but I wanted them all, since I knew what they were planning on doing with them. This is not right.

It seems that a price scan will reveal the price to be a penny, but if you try to add it to cart, it will not work.[/QUOTE]
That's the type of greedy behavior that got pennied guides being blocked every time on me around here, whether it was them just outright denying the sale at the registers or them pulling them before I could get to the store.

If I had it to do all over again, I still would more than likely grab more than 1-2 per guide, but not the 5-10 per guide that I was grabbing at one point. It definitely raises a red flag when management sees a big transaction with 30-50 items and it comes out to under a buck.:cry:
 
[quote name='Lord Izanagi']Went to BB and they had freaking 15 Dragon Age II guides. What's more, it was tagged at a penny. There was a sign there. First time I ever saw that. Or maybe the second. But it was removed from the system, as usual. They gave me one, but I wanted them all, since I knew what they were planning on doing with them. This is not right.

It seems that a price scan will reveal the price to be a penny, but if you try to add it to cart, it will not work.[/QUOTE]

You're lucky you got 1 when they easily could have denied you. Stop crying about it.
 
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