Though the situation has changed, the stock surge of Gamestop shocked many. Last week, I contacted one of the people who invested in Gamestop, a college student, Alex Qin. I asked him a few questions about his experience.

1. When did you start investing in Gamestop?

I looked at Gamestop around November 2020, but really only put money into the company in late December.

2. Why did you invest in Gamestop?

The fundamentals of the company were really good. We were in a superconsole cycle (PS5) and the company was incredibly undervalued.

3. Are you a consistent viewer of the r/WallStreetBets subreddit?

Hahaha, that place is truly something. I peruse it on occasion, but for the most part I try not to browse it.

4. Did you invest through Robinhood? If so, what was your experience with that? 

Yea, so a portion of my investments were through Robinhood. There were definitely moments where I found the company’s morals to be questionable, but I think for the most part their user interface is really solid.

5. Did you know anything about trading before you got involved with Gamestop?

Yes, though other than gamestop, all my other portfolio investments were more of a slow growth kind.

6. How much time did you put into watching the stock?

During its initial surge to 400, I watched it almost every day. But now, i’m content with whatever happens.

7. Were you successful?

Success is hard to measure, but in this sort of situation, I think I’d consider myself pretty successful.

8. Are you still invested in Gamestop?

I currently still own 50 shares of the company.

9. What do you think of the current lawsuits to do with this soar in stock?

Well, the lawsuits are another string of an incredibly complicated web. It’s hard to tell whether or not the lawsuits helped or harmed the general public sentiment.

10. Was this simply a bet that you hoped to gain money with, or was it a moral decision too?(i.e. The small guy can win too)

I originally invested before everything else, since I firmly believed it was a company worth more than what it’s current price was. So I guess I was in it for the money.

11. What advice do you have for young traders?

Start tiny! And don’t be afraid to fail, spectacularly. You’re so young that success for you means securing the means to your own future, not bragging about the 10 dollars you made from a small investment to your friends. Make as many mistakes as possible, and you’ll find an investment strategy that truly fits how you operate.