New GameStop plan to 'trade anything' for credit branded 'worst decision' as 20 items you can't exchange revealed

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GameStop has unveiled unusual plans for customers to trade 'anything' for store credit - although there are 20 items banned for the promo.

The high street chain, specializing in video games, gaming consoles and collectibles, is among the biggest physical retailers in the US, with 2,157 stores operating as of July.

Now, the retailer has released details of its huge Trade Anything Day on Saturday December 6.

While you might believe this means you can trade literally anything for store credit, there are around 20 types of items banned from the deal.

Yet, oddly, your taxidermied pet squirrel? Sure, trade away...

Store credit can be used against new gaming titles and consoles and, of course, the amount you get depends on what you're trading in and whether you're a GameStop Pro Member.

I wonder how much that taxidermied squirrel will be worth...

What items are banned from GameStop's Trade Anything Day?

GameStop is offering 'anything' for store credit - kind of... (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

On their website, GameStop caveats that employees have the discretion to reject 'any item'.

And if you were thinking of trading in any of the following, then don't even bother.

• Hazardous waste or material, chemicals, liquids
• Lithium ion batteries or items containing lithium ion batteries
• Weapons and ammo
• Dead or alive animals (Taxidermy items are valid for trade)
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs or pharmaceuticals (legal or not)
• Computers, excluding certain MacBooks GameStop normally accepts in trade
• Computer peripherals intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 pounds (monitors, keyboards/keypads, mice/pointing devices)
• Fax machines, document scanners, printers, 3D/label printers
• External hard drives
• Digital picture frames
• Small electronics (VCRs, DVD players, DVRs, projectors, receivers, etc.)
• Small-scale servers
• Televisions
• Gift cards and other currency (foreign or domestic)
• Jewelry
• Sexual and explicit items
• Items resembling body parts
• Items that don't fit in a 20x20x20 box

GameStop fans' reaction to Trade Anything Day

Not everyone is enthusiastic about December 6, with some people vowing to avoid the big day.

Taking to the GameStop Reddit community, one person shared details of the event and wrote: "Godspeed on December 6th... I just know people are gonna try to pull some stupid s**t with this. Good luck and try not to let it break you."

"It's official. This is their worst decision," a second else added.

"As a customer, I'm not going to step foot in any GameStop on 12/6. Might be worse than Black Friday," somebody else said.

The innocent GameStop Employee seeing me trade in a box of 500 squirrels.

(It's ok cause they're all taxidermy) https://t.co/hldG0xQEqx pic.twitter.com/n8T1Lyghdb

— NotteReallyHere (@Notteimportant) November 16, 2025

"Same... will be avoiding this like the plague," another person added.

Over on X, formerly Twitter, people simply couldn't get over the whole taxidermy situation.

"Killing bro and taxidermizing him so i can lowk get Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast with gamestop credit," one person joked, posting a Spongebob reaction meme.

"The innocent GameStop Employee seeing me trade in a box of 500 squirrels. (It's ok cause they're all taxidermy)," a second quipped, along with a GIF of Rowley Jefferson from Diary of a Wimpy Kid smiling and waving and then looking shocked.

UNILAD has contacted GameStop for comment.

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