What's the most you've paid for a strategy guide?

[DigitalSpace]

I have a small but decent collection of strategy guides, despite the fact that I don't like to pay too much for them and hardly ever acquire "penny guides." Even the two in my collection that stand out the most - the official Earthbound guide, and a Nintendo Power guide for SMB 3 - were Goodwill finds that cost me 49 cents each.

My record shouldn't be too hard to top - $2.99. Here's the guides I've paid that price for:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Official Nintendo Player's Guide
Sega Dreamcast Collection - Prima's Official Strategy Guide

And I can't remember if I paid $1.99 or $2.99 for this one, but if it's the latter, then the Versus Books "Official Perfect Guide" for The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons is a part of that list as well.

So, what about you? And if there's something you paid a lot for, tell us why.

[maxlords]

I think I paid retail for the Lunar: Eternal Blue HC guide.... $29.99. I THINK that's the most I've paid for a guide....though I may have paid as much as $35 for the Phantasy Star IV guide...that was a bitch to find. 95% of em were under $30 and I'd say 20% of my guides (around 150) were $5-10 and maybe 75% were $5 or less.

Just as an aside...it's INSANE to pay more than $50 for guides...I've seen some of mine rocket to $100+ before and then come all the way back down to $10 or $20.

[Nirvana]

I paid 20 bucks for a Legend of Dragoon strategy guide on eBay, but it also came with the game. I actually already have the game, but it's nice to have 2 copies :P

[mindlesspunk77]

I sell strat guides on ebay in my store and it is ridiculous to me what people pay for guides. Like today I sold a final fantasy 8 perfect guide for 43.00. I never saw one except for one that was in completed listed at 10 and ended early so I didnt know what it was worth.

[TurboGenesis]

The most I had paid was $43.00 for the Valkyrie Profile (Prima) guide for the PlayStation game. This was back around 4 years ago - I had got to the 7th chapter and was stuck in a dungeon and I needed the map to get through… that was the cheapest I could get it at that time as they were sell for even more back then. It was for months I search to get that guide at that price…

For Lunar 2 Eternal Blue complete and Arc the Lad Working Designs guides, I paid retail price which I believe was $29.99 plus tax.

[coreys429]

Sold my Earthbound one for $50 if that counts?

[Aussie2B]

Probably 20-some dollars. I mostly only go after RPG guides, and since they often get expensive, I don't have any qualms paying MSRP. But I really don't like paying more than that. I don't think I've gotten the majority of my guides through the standard means, though. I'd say my collection is equally divided between guides I got as subscription bonuses, guides I got in game lots, and guides I found at thrift stores. Unfortunately, I mostly only come across PC guides in thrifts, though.

[Leo_A]

$.01 for a Metroid Prime 3 guide and a Twilight Princess guide at a GameStop recently (Only two I've ever owned, I think they're mostly a waste of money).

[darkslime]

Like 30 bucks for the kingdom hearts II LE guide before I knew that if you wait a month it'll be a penny.

[boatofcar]

I paid retail for the Link's Awakening guide about a year after the game came out. I think it was $15 or so. I paid $20 for the Prima FFIX guide, probably the worst guide ever because most of the stuff in the book was only 50% complete.The $@#* guide had the nerve to tell you to go to Prima's web site to get the rest of the info! I BOUGHT THE GUIDE SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO GET ON THE INTERNET! Argh! It gets me fired up just by talking about it.

[Emuaust]

Ive been using gamefaqs for many years so what ever that cost me in dial up calls back then would be and will be the most ill ever pay for a guide.

[carlcarlson]

I got a Disgaea 2 guide and a guide for Vay for $12 (for both). I also just got Final Fantasy XII and Oblivion GOTY guides for $8.50 (again for both). Other than that I think I've mostly done penny guides.

[namzep]

I think it's probably around $20 for some of the old Nintendo Power guides (from the mid to late 90s) in my collection. Since I got back into collecting, I haven't spent more than $10 on a guide.

[heybtbm]

I think I paid $40 on ebay for a Final Fantasy Anthology guide. This was before the reprint years later. Lesson learned.

[The 1 2 P]

Back in the day(before I discovered penny guides) I paid full retail that amounted to about $12.99. Today I'd never pay full retail. Also, I sell strategy guides on ebay alot and I too am amazed at what some of them go for. I just sold a Lost Odyssey guide on ebay last week for $24.00, but you can still find it new in some stores for less than that. It simply boggles the mind, but I'm not complaining.

[Gameguy]

I haven't really bought many strategy guides. I think I bought one for $10 when it was new, and most others used for under $5(or traded for them). It seems I can't sell off many of my extra guides for more than $5(it's lucky if I can sell them at all), so I don't spend much on them. There's a few that are worth more than $5, but I still limit myself with my spending.

[Cornelius]

mine was today, when I picked up the MGS4 guide at CC for 2.14 after tax. I'm not at all into guides. I have probable 30 or so, but all the rest came from garage sales or game lots

[VACRMH]

I never saw Phantasy Star 4 guides on eBay that often. So when a new one was up for about $40 BIN I snatched it up. Wasn't really thinking, just wanted it.

[maxlords]

Nah, that guide is rare as hell it seems like. It was only available via a coupon that came with the game. You'd mail in the coupon and $15 for the guide. Old guides like that are a pain to find.

[Cobra Commander]

The Twilight Princess and Phantom Hourglass hardcover guides. I think they were $30 or maybe $40. I can't remember, but they were too expensive.