One infamous story that emerged from the Nintendo Switch 2 launch in early June came from the Staten Island section of New York City, where a GameStop employee stapled a receipt for the console to its box–which damaged the Switch 2’s screen in the process. Now, GameStop is turning this blunder into a boon for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, as the company is auctioning off multiple items from the incident–including the staple itself–for charity.
The eBay listing for the charity auction includes a letter from GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen, confirming that all four items included in the auction are “authentic relics from the now-infamous ‘Staplegate’ incident.” Cohen’s message also says that, “while the incident itself was unfortunate, [GameStop] hope[s] its legacy serves a greater purpose.”
The four items included in the auction are as follows:
- The staple used in the incident, which is described as “a retail legend born from a half-second decision”
- The Nintendo Switch 2 console itself, with a repaired screen
- The full retail packaging of the console, “with the staple mark clearly visible”
- The individual staple that damaged the console, which has been “carefully extracted and preserved” in an “individual display pouch”
The auction–which is raising money for Children’s Miracle Network, per the eBay listing–has surpassed $8,000 in bids as of this writing, with the most recent bid currently sitting at $8,110. The listing also confirms that bids on the lot will be accepted until July 16 at 9:51 AM PT / 12:51 PM ET.
