Back last month, during the global launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, a GameStop outlet in the US city of New York made headlines when its staff accidentally ruined the displays of multiple consoles by stapling the receipt directly on to their retail boxes. Now, a little more than a month after the incident, GameStop is actually auctioning off the black stapler used in the “offence” on eBay and boy, it has blown up.
At the time of this publication, the Switch 2 display-killer stapler currently sits at a bidding price of US$217,600 (~RM926,925), with approximately five and an half days left on the clock. In addition, GameStop is also bundling the stapler with a Switch 2 that was assaulted by it, obviously repaired and ready to play. The package also includes the damaged box, in which you can see the staple marks clearly visible in the general area where the console would be underneath.
Also included is a certificate of authenticity, signed by GameStop’s CEO, certifying the console as the “first known console to be officially stapled during a product launch by GameStop”.
And just in case it wasn’t made clear, the auction also isn’t just a means for the US games outlet to fill their coffers. Whatever the final bid for the stapler and console combo is, GameStop makes it clear that all the money will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. To that end, it can’t be said that what the company is doing isn’t a prime example of making the best out of an sticky situation, as well as turning what could’ve been a nasty scenario into a positive spin.
(Source: Hot Hardware, eBay)
