A former Nintendo ad manager is selling off 1980s and 1990s relics, and some bids have hit $80,000
Donna Darbous, a former Nintendo advertising manager, is auctioning 1980s and 1990s memorabilia, with some artwork drawing $80,000 bids.
A stash of vintage Nintendo history is suddenly back in public view, and collectors are paying close attention. Donna Darbous, who worked as an advertising manager at Nintendo in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has started auctioning items from her personal collection.
What changed is simple: pieces that had been kept in the hands of a former employee are now being offered to the public. That opens the door for Nintendo fans and memorabilia hunters to buy material tied to the company’s 1980s and 1990s era, including items that are not the sort of thing most collectors regularly see.
The collection spans more than one kind of keepsake. Listings include Mario-themed artwork, clothing made only for employees, years-of-service awards and a large batch of promotional material. Darbous has also said some of the artwork was rescued from a dumpster in a storage room, a detail that makes the sale feel even more like a glimpse into what nearly disappeared.
The response has been strong. According to the auction listings, some of the artwork has drawn bids of $80,000. That suggests the sale is not just attracting casual nostalgia buyers, but serious Nintendo collectors willing to spend heavily for a shot at company history.
For anyone who grew up with Nintendo in that period, the appeal is obvious. These are not just familiar characters or old ads, but objects connected to how the brand presented itself during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The auction is active now, and for buyers with deep pockets, it offers a chance to own pieces that are described as difficult to find anywhere else.
