00:00GameStop has just announced a crazy trade-in event that has employees preparing for the worst.
00:05The company announced their trade-in anything event happening December 6th,
00:09with a deliberately observed list of banned items that reads more like a comedy sketch than policy.
00:14While taxidermy is apparently acceptable, forbidden items include dirty underwear,
00:19stolen merchandise, nuclear bombs, the Mayan calendar, your cousin's mixtape,
00:24Greg, and tragically for some, macaroni art of any kind.
00:28One fan joked, no Sonic 2006? This is actually hilarious.
00:33But behind the memes and corporate winking, employees are bracing for impact.
00:38Each customer can trade in one item that fits into GameStop's 20x20x20-inch box,
00:43which will be worth $5 in store credit.
00:46Fans online have labeled the event, quote,
00:48partly for the lulls, partly for charity, partly for marketing, and they're not wrong.
00:53Our theory? It's a dopamine-chasing promotion meant to drive foot traffic,
00:56spark social engagement, and let people unload curiosities from their closets.
01:01And possibly a funny attempt to offset the retailer's 27.5% sales decline this year.
01:07But employees are not laughing.
01:09On Reddit, one wrote,
01:10I'm not prepared for the bring-anything-to-trade day.
01:13Please, for the love of every GameStop employee, read the guidelines.
01:17And another former retail worker commented,
01:19I thought this was one of the most insane things to have employees handle at the height of the holidays.
01:24Is there some underlying huge payoff that I'm not seeing?
01:27To which a former area manager suggested a charitable motivation.
01:31No matter the reasoning, reports indicate employees expect the day to be an absolute mess.
01:35And retail veterans know that when you tell the public they can bring in, quote, anything,
01:40they will absolutely test the boundary.
01:42Instagram users are already joking.
01:44After reading the exclusions, I've decided on a slab of concrete.
01:47And, do y'all take flux capacitors?
01:50As a reminder, the event reportedly supports local charities,
01:54with suitable items donated to children and families,
01:56though coordination largely falls to store employees.
02:00So many are asking for those donating to be mindful of what is brought.
02:03But for now, online engagement has been enormous,
02:06so whether Trade Anything Day becomes legendary or infamous
02:09will depend on which side of the counter you're on.
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