GameStop Raises $15,000 for Stapled, Broken Switch 2

Sure thing. Here it goes:

—

Alright, so console releases, right? They’re like, a big deal. Especially for GameStop, where the gamers gather like moths to a flame. You’d assume chaos when word got out that GameStop messed up, selling funky Switch 2 consoles. Imagine alarms blaring over there, heads spinning. But nah, they seemed to just roll with the punches. Weirdly embraced it, if you ask me. Some PR gymnastics happening there.

Honestly, GameStop had a lot to lose here. Almost five hundred bucks for a console, only to find a receipt plastered across the screen with staples? Yeah, I’d be ticked too. Made folks think twice about buying from GameStop instead of another shop. The whole scene blew up quick. Staten Island was where it started, somewhere in NYC. But to be fair, it was like, a small-scale mess.

GameStop scrambled a bit, tried fixing it. Pulled extra stock from nearby stores, swapped out stapled consoles for fresh ones. You gotta love social media — they poked fun at the whole thing, talking about confiscating staplers, like in that movie Office Space. Because honestly, what else could they do?

Then — get this — they launched a promo. Offered a trade-in bonus if you brought a Switch 2 with a receipt from somewhere else. I’m guessing it was a move to chase away the bad press. Not something they’ve done in that way before. Felt like they were trying to mess with Google searches for “GameStop” and “receipt.” Or maybe that’s just me overthinking it.

Fast forward a month, and they’re still poking the bear, calling it “Staplegate.” Classic. They’re auctioning off the stapler that started it all, plus the first messed-up console with the works. Proceeds go to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, so it’s not all for show. Bidding’s wild, $15,000 and counting last I checked.

And Ryan Cohen, the CEO, even tossed out a cheeky letter attached to all this, hoping the mishap’s legacy does some good. Gotta hand it to them, they’re spinning a bad day into something more worthwhile. Or at least, that’s the goal.