GameStop's "Trade Anything Day" event this past weekend once again ignited a social media frenzy. The company announced that its stores nationwide received over 80,000 items in just one day. Among the most eye-catching submissions were an actual goose, a taxidermied bobcat, and even a Nintendo Wii version of the Netflix disc, all brought in by customers looking for trade-in value. GameStop also shared multiple photos, confirming that these "unbelievable items" were indeed accepted.
The event was essentially a marketing experiment by GameStop, aimed at promoting its trade-in program. It highlighted that players can earn points and cash not just from games, consoles, or accessories, but also, on designated days, trade "almost anything" for a certain value.
While GameStop typically doesn't accept road signs, animal taxidermy, or portraits of pets in outlandish costumes, the rules were significantly relaxed for the event. As long as an employee approved, customers could receive some store credit.
GameStop listed some of the most emblematic "weird trade-ins" from the day. Beyond the bobcat and goose taxidermy, these included a "miniature Jesus statue," a speed limit sign, Air Jordans sneakers, and vintage VHS tapes of "Friends."
Interestingly, social media across various regions saw numerous players boasting about the "junk" they successfully traded in. Examples included McDonald's Grinchmas stockings, a suspected replica of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and even claims of someone attempting to trade a live dog — which, predictably, was rejected.
The two animal taxidermy pieces garnered the most laughs. Photos showed them clearly having "seen better days," yet they were still accepted by GameStop. This led netizens to jokingly suggest that the company had given up resistance and would take anything.
In fact, this isn't the first time GameStop has made headlines for its trade-in policies. Last week, the company announced it had acquired a rare "Pokémon" card from a customer for over $30,000, claiming this proved its trade-in prices were "fair and reasonable."
While GameStop acknowledged the card was actually valued at least $3,000 or more, the company still emphasized in a statement that any critics claiming GameStop's trade-in prices were poor had been disproven by the facts.
via： IGN