GameStop, though largely known in recent years for the shocking yet heavily memed peak and subsequent decline of its stock price back in 2021, is beloved by gamers around the world for its persistence throughout it all. Whether for nostalgic reasons or because you simply believe digital media is inferior to physical media, GameStop will forever be a mainstay in gamers’ hearts around the world. That being said, the company’s less-than-ideal trade-in policy has always been viewed as a waste, with it largely being just another way for consumers to get rid of unwanted gaming paraphernalia… like the Wii balance board. This trade-in policy has historically entitled GameStop’s customers to a payout of in-store credit in exchange for their unwanted video game hardware or software. Due to the financially declining nature of the company in recent years, largely due to a major rise in the popularity and perceived convenience of digital, internet downloaded media, GameStop began a trade-in anything deal, which would yet again land the customer with in-store credit for use only within the confines of a GameStop, this time in exchange for anything. Trade-ins of all kinds were notorious for being lackluster, with the value of GameStop’s in-store credit being brought into question entirely. For years, members of the gaming community made light of the topic, stating just how worthless it was to trade anything in, as even the trade-in of brand-new games and systems would land the customer with a meager twenty to thirty-something dollars in in-store credit. Today, following a trend of social media announcements that GameStop’s marketing team seems to have begun after its formal declaration that the console wars had come to an end in late October, GameStop is now calling out its “trolls” in regards to this trade-in policy.

On December 1, a Texas GameStop received the unexpected trade-in offer of an ultra-rare, “fully authenticated PSA 10 holo Gengar” Pokémon card, valued at $33,883.00. This Texas GameStop ultimately accepted the trade-in offer, paying out just over $30,000 in cold, hard cash, as conversions from in-store credit to cash are allowed, though the process often ends up lowering the final payout slightly. Though the news of this truly unheard-of moment in GameStop history may be mind-boggling to some gamers, it is not at all far-fetched, as Pokémon card deals quite often reach these multi-thousand-dollar amounts, with the even higher valued cards reaching into the million dollar plus range. Despite this, gamers online are largely confused and put off by GameStop’s seemingly out-of-touch implied argument against the so-called “trolls”. This is because up until this point, it is entirely true that GameStop’s trade-in policy was hardly lucrative for the customer, compared to if they where to simply sell their things for money to a standalone buyer from the get-go, as opposed to going through the company’s roundabout in-store credit to cash conversion method.

 

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This announcement, alongside that of the console wars’ conclusion, while holding historical value for GameStop as a company, appears to be a new blemish on the company’s reputation, as gamers around the world continue to see just how out of touch the corporation is from its community.