- GameStop made viral headlines for the wrong reasons with one store location ruining consumers' Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
- The video game retailer is turning to laughs with an auction to raise money for charity.
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Fans of video game retailer GameStop Corp GME, a once popular meme stock, have the opportunity to bid on a unique piece of gaming memorabilia and potentially win a dinner with CEO Ryan Cohen.
What Happened: GameStop is auctioning off the stapler and staple from an event dubbed "Staplegate," where a sales associate accidentally stapled receipts to the boxes of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that went through the box and into the screen.
According to the listing on eBay Inc EBAY, the incidents happened for the midnight launch of the Switch 2 console from Nintendo ADR NTDOY at the Staten Island, New York, location on June 5, 2025.
The auction listing includes the stapler, the first stapled Nintendo Switch 2, the Switch 2 box and the staple.
"Features authentic field-use wear throughout and retired immediately from service, the stapler now stands as a retail legend born from a half-second decision," the auction listing says.
The stapled Nintendo Switch 2 console has been refurbished by GameStop with the screen repaired.
"It is the first known console to be officially stapled during a product launch by GameStop."
Also included in the auction is a Certificate of Authenticity for the items listed above from the GameStop CEO.
"While the incident itself was unfortunate, we hope its legacy serves a greater purpose," Cohen says on the COA.
Proceeds from the auction are going to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Auction Bidding Heats Up: At the time of writing, the stapler and additional items have a top bid of $243,433.00. Bidding started at $1 and there have been 314 bids since the listing was made public.
The auction ends on Wednesday, July 16, at 12:51 p.m. ET.
Helping boost the auction's visibility and bids have been several social media posts made by Cohen, who is a popular figure among video game fans and investors in GameStop stock.
Cohen famously played a central role in the GameStop short squeeze as a major investor, who later became chairman and then took on the CEO role.
"If this reaches six figures, I will include my underwear," Cohen tweeted with a link to the auction listing.
With bidding over $100,000, this means the winning bidder will get a pair of underwear from the GameStop CEO.
"If this reaches seven figures I will fly the winner to Miami, take them to McDonald's for lunch and personally deliver my preowned underwear," Cohen said in another tweet.
The auction has not quite made it to the $1,000,000 level needed for this second promise from Cohen. Time will tell if Cohen is just on the hook for a pair of his underwear or if he also needs to make lunch date plans with the lucky auction winner.
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Photo: agustin.photo via Shutterstock
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