Collector auctions signed Nintendo DS for Japan relief effort

In an effort to contribute to the Japan relief effort, game enthusiast and collector Meaghan Marie, a Game Informer magazine writer, has put up one of her most prized possessions on eBay: a special collector’s edition Nintendo DS with signatures from some of Nintendo's greatest visionaries. Marie has pledged 100 percent of the revenue from the item to the American Red Cross so that the collector’s item, which has sat in a glass case for the last four years, can play its part in pulling Japan and its citizens up from the devastation caused by last week’s earthquake and tsunami.

The auction can be found here, and is currently closing in on $2,500. Marie explains in an update to her original post on gameinformer.com, that she never expected the price to raise so high. It's clear through her writing that she is ecstatic to have seen such a huge demand for both the device and the desire to contribute to the Japan relief effort in a unique way.

The Nintendo DS is a bright red original model covered with scribbled names like that of Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and others, and Koji Kondo, the famous composer of the Mario and Zelda soundtracks, as well as other famous Nintendo-affiliated notables. “I was asked to present awards during the annual Game Audio Network Guild ceremony, and as such was introduced to all the individuals listed below. I happened to have my Nintendo DS handy and asked each to sign it,” Marie explains in her GI post.

So if you’re in the mood to make an extra generous donation to the Japan relief effort, check out Marie’s auction. But even if it's a little out of your price range or if the item isn’t something that exactly matches your collecting habits, it’s an astounding story of someone sacrificing a beloved material possession for a greater cause.