What Happens When Anything Becomes Tradeable

On December 6, GameStop threw out the usual rules and invited people to bring in whatever they wanted for $5 in store credit — no games required. The result was a chaotic mix of the expected and the absurd: over 80,000 items traded nationwide, including things like a Wii Netflix disc, a taxidermized bobcat, a stuffed goose, speed-limit signs, and more bizarre curios that ended up on counters and social feeds. While the stunt got people talking online and brought foot traffic into stores, it also raised questions about value, marketing, and how far people will go when you literally tell them anything is fair game.

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