Ryan Cohen shocked the investment world by announcing his intent for GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) to buy eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) in a $55 billion deal.
While some are questioning the funding methods of Cohen, who is CEO of the smaller company, the well-known investor is poking fun at the deal by selling items on eBay.
• GameStop stock is holding steady today. What’s next for GME stock?
Ryan Cohen Selling Items
On Wednesday, GameStop CEO Cohen took to eBay to auction off some items from his personal collection, a move that coincides with his video game retailer bidding to acquire the auction company and with GameStop emphasizing sales growth from trading cards and collectibles.
"I'm selling stuff on eBay to pay for eBay," Cohen tweeted.
The current auctions, which all have under seven days remaining, have Cohen selling trading cards, video games, gaming memorabilia and GameStop collectibles.
Among the highlights are:
- GameBoy sealed F1 game
- Super Mario Bros game for NES
- GameStop Mug
- GameStop Hat
- Old iPhone
- Tylee painting
- GameStop Store signs
The Tylee painting, which has a top bid of $5,200, is of the dog that inspired Cohen to create the pet e-commerce company Chewy. Tylee passed away in 2023, but according to the auction listing, her legacy lives forever.
The GameStop store signs have a current top bid of $11,969 and hopefully, the bidder read that they are for local pickup in Texas.
Another top item in the auction is the 2016 Topps Now Election Donald Trump card for his swearing in, graded PSA 10. According to Beckett there are only 847 of this card in existence and likely even fewer that are graded with this top authentication. The card has a top bid of $5,200.
Collectibles expert Ben Burrow tweeted that the highest public sale of this card is $515, meaning the auction will break a record for this particular Trump card.
Every item won in the auction includes a "hand-signed letter to eBay" according to the listings.
Why It's Important
Many of the games and trading cards have bids above current fair value or record values for the items, showing the support that Cohen may be receiving for his efforts to acquire the company.
The auction won't bring in millions of dollars for Cohen, but it is generating plenty of attention, as is his eBay user name of "Ryan_5050."
In a recent viral interview, Cohen answered "half cash, half stock" when asked about how the smaller GameStop would be able to buy eBay.
GameStop has acquired around 5% of eBay stock and has around $9 billion in cash. TD Securities has also pledged to back up to $20 billion in financing. eBay, valued at $48 billion, could reject the deal and see Cohen push the deal directly to shareholders.
Cohen's deal is offering 50% in cash and 50% in GameStop stock, with eBay shares valued at $125 each.
Going viral for selling something on eBay isn't new to GameStop. The company sold a stapled Nintendo Switch 2 console and box on eBay for $250,000 to an anonymous buyer in 2025. The items became famous as an event labeled "staplegate" where a GameStop employee stapled through the Switch 2 in the box.
Proceeds from that auction went to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and not towards a potential acquisition from the gaming company.
Cohen played a central role in the GameStop versus short sellers battle years ago. His return to recent media interviews and the eBay auctions could help bring more attention to the eBay deal and see Cohen as a good guy in the deal-making process.
eBay Stock Price Action
Ebay stock closed Wednesday up 2.73% to $108.15 versus a 52-week trading range of $67.87 to $111.38.
Photo: JHVEPhoto via Shutterstock
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