Since GameStop announced its first-ever Trade Anything Day on November 17, the internet has been abuzz with interest, logging over 90,000 searches for the term by December 1 according to Glimpse. The idea is basically this: bring any item not on the exclusion list to a GameStop location and get a $5 store credit. The limit is one item per customer, per store.
From decluttering junk drawers to re-gifting opportunities, this quirky promotion is sparking excitement and curiosity across the country. A new survey of 1,004 Americans reveals who's planning to participate, what they'll bring, and how they'll spend their credit.
1 in 5 Americans plan to participate in GameStop's Trade Anything Day, while 36% are still undecided.
43% of participating Americans expect to receive more than $5 in store credit.
43% of participating Americans plan to spend the store credit on themselves, while 33% plan to spend it on a gift for someone else.
Study Findings:
1 in 5 Americans said they plan to take part in Trade Anything Day, and another 36% said they're still undecided.
Gen Z is the most interested generation, with 25% planning to participate, and men (24%) are more likely to participate than women (17%).
The top items people plan to trade include a used video game (25%), something found while decluttering (9%), and a console or accessory (8%). A small but bold group (2%) said they plan to trade a gift from an ex, and 1% admitted they'd trade expired snacks.
Some participants are turning their trade-ins into content: 12% said they plan to record the exchange for social media.
43% of participants expect to get $10 or more in store credit.
43% of participants said they'll spend the store credit on themselves, while 33% will use it to buy a gift.
A surprising 14% said they plan to trade in something that doesn't belong to them. That includes items from their child (5%), partner (2%), sibling (1%), parent (1%), ex-partner (1%), friend (1%), and roommate (1%).
For this study, we surveyed 1,004 Americans about their participation in GameStop's Trade Anything Day. 50% of respondents identified as men, 49% identified as women, and 1% identified as nonbinary or gender-nonconforming. Generationally, 6% were baby boomers, 23% were Gen X, 50% were millennials, and 21% were Gen Z. Survey data was collected on November 26th, 2025.
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