GameStop’s $16,900 Stapler Auction: New York Switch 2 Console Pierced, Repaired
GameStop’s notorious Switch 2 stapler and stapled console fetch $16,900 at a New York charity auction, starring an authenticated receipt-pierced handheld and the “retired” black stapler. Trending searches like “Is the Switch 2 real?” and “What happens if my console is damaged at GameStop?” collide as the auction includes the original staple, packaging, and CEO Ryan Cohen’s signed certificate. As GameStop admitted, the stapler was “retired immediately from service, the stapler now stands as a retail legend born from a half-second decision.”
Referencing the stapler’s instant infamy, the auction’s bundle features the first officially stapled Switch 2, the extracted staple preserved for posterity, and a repaired screen. Shoppers searching “How rare is a stapled Switch 2?” or “Does GameStop cover launch day accidents?” are met with a surreal tableau: a black stapler with “authentic field-use wear” and a certificate, all for children’s hospitals. “If this reaches six figures I will include my underwear,” CEO Cohen joked.
The GameStop Staplegate auction reached $16,900 after 127 bids, offering the stapler, the first stapled Switch 2 (serial HAW50270415462), and a certificate—proving retail legends sometimes puncture their own history.
