Last month, a New York GameStop location made headlines after now-confirmed reports of some Nintendo Switch 2 buyers receiving their consoles with receipts stapled straight through the packaging with enough force to scratch the handheld inside. "The infamous Switch 2 stapler" has been acknowledged and collected by GameStop, which is now auctioning it off on eBay with proceeds going to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The official GameStop accounts revealed the listing earlier today. At the time of writing, the ''GameStop Staplegate Charity Auction' | Nintendo Switch 2 & The Stapler" listing has already hit $16,900 after 127 bids.
The bundle includes the stapler behind this incident, the "first stapled Nintendo Switch 2," the original staple "carefully extracted and preserved" from that Switch 2, the damaged console packaging, and a certificate of authenticity signed by GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen.
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The Black Stapler, which at this point is just missing a weapon suffix like "Of Precision," is described as being "used by a GameStop associate who, in a moment of launch night excitement and misjudged enthusiasm, stapled a receipt directly to a customer’s new Nintendo Switch 2 box—puncturing both cardboard and screen in one swift motion. 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 Nintendo Switch 2 console, serial number HAW50270415462, was the recipient of the above-mentioned staple," the auction reads. "Refurbished by GameStop Corp., the screen has been repaired, and it is ready for play. It is the first known console to be officially stapled during a product launch by GameStop." Hey, at least the console works. And it's history!
"If this reaches six figures I will include my underwear," Cohen said of the auction on Twitter.
This being the most pressing news today, I reached out to GameStop and this specific New York store for comment. In a statement to GamesRadar+, a GameStop spokesperson said:
"Customers that were involved in 'staplegate' were made whole. The damaged consoles were repaired and sent back into circulation; no employees were harmed."
"While the incident itself was unfortunate, we hope its legacy serves a greater purpose," GameStop says in the auction listing. And honestly? Fair play.
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