A Donkey Kong flyer saved from a dumpster just sold for $329,400

A piece of Nintendo history that almost ended up in the trash has sold for far more than expected. A flyer for the original Donkey Kong arcade game, pulled from a dumpster in the 1980s, brought in $329,400 at auction.

The item was a 1981 promotional flyer for the first Donkey Kong arcade release. It includes some of the earliest depictions of Donkey Kong, Mario, who was still being identified as Jumpman, and Pauline, listed as The Lady. The artwork was created by Leslie Cabarga.

What changed is the final price. The flyer had been estimated at $100,000 to $150,000, but the winning bid pushed it to $329,400. That makes it a standout result for a paper promo item from Nintendo's early arcade years.

The flyer came from the collection of former Nintendo employee Donna Darbous. The auction listing said she saved it from a dumpster in the 1980s while it was being thrown away with other internal Nintendo materials. She kept it stored over the years, which helped preserve an item from a period when memorabilia like this was not always carefully saved.

For collectors, the sale is another reminder that early Nintendo material, especially from the 1980s, can attract huge money when it survives in strong condition. In this case, something once treated like rubbish ended up becoming a six figure piece of gaming history.