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

Alright, so let’s dive into this wild ride of a story. Console launches don’t happen every day, right? They’re like, this massive deal for big-name stores. Especially places like GameStop where hardcore fans line up because, well, they figure they’ll get more cool stuff there than at your average big-box store. But here’s the kicker. Rumor has it GameStop managed to sell a bunch of Switch 2 consoles that were… kinda wrecked. I mean, when you hear something like that, you’d think the folks over at GameStop’s HQ were probably having a meltdown. But, no, they totally leaned into the chaos with their latest PR move.

Right from the jump, GameStop was on shaky ground. Imagine buying something for nearly $500, only to find it might come with a stapled receipt right on the screen. Awful visual, right? This whole mess really blew up after it went down at a Staten Island store. Oh, and get this, it wasn’t even like a huge epidemic or anything – just a bunch of local mishap headlines.

But GameStop? They didn’t waste time. Quick as you like, they snatched up more stock from nearby to swap out the stapled consoles for fresh ones. And they didn’t stop there. Oh no. On social media, they cracked jokes about the whole drama with a cheeky GIF from “Office Space” — they even mentioned that staplers were now banned. Imagine that scene, though. It’s like they turned a nightmare into a half-hearted comedy.

Then, almost out of nowhere, GameStop threw out a new deal. Bring in a Switch 2 you got elsewhere and they’d toss you a 20% bonus for it. Now, GameStop’s done some weird promotions before, but this one felt like a nudge-nudge wink-wink about the whole receipt situation. Kinda like they were trying to mess with Google’s search results if you ask me.

Fast forward a little, and hilariously, they’re not even hiding from this mess — they’ve dubbed it “Staplegate.” Classic name, huh? They’ve even set up a charity auction with the infamous stapler, one of the busted consoles, and the very first dreaded staple. Apparently, it’s all in aid of Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Nuts, but kinda sweet, maybe? As of writing this, they’ve raked in about $15,000 just for that stapler, and there’s still almost a week to go. People are seriously into this; the bids are still climbing.

So GameStop’s CEO, Ryan Cohen, wraps it all up with this letter — part joke, part deep reflection, hoping the whole mess ends up having a greater good. Who would’ve thought a stapler could get this much attention?