#22: Nintendo Rep VHS
Back before the age of DVD, media was placed on devices known as VHS tapes. Since Nintendo Representatives lived all over the country and could not travel to NOA HQ in Washington every time something new came out (This era predated wide use of the internet), Nintendo decided the best way to show them the newest products/info from NOA was to send them lettered updates and VHS tapes. Some of these tapes were to explain new company policies and decisions; others were to showcase new games. This particular tape was sent to show them the hot new(at the time) SNES title, Super Mario Kart. It's a 30 second ad entitled "Super Mario Kart 'Traffic Report'" is pretty entertaining and can be seen here:
I don't remember it either...this was the second VHS I got from a rep and I was kind of disappointed in it, but it did teach me a bit more of the kind of info they were given by NoA. If I don't give up on this thread I'll post about the other rep video I have at a later point...it's much more interesting!
Thanks for the support! There have been a few days here and there where I either don't feel like writing anything or can't think of anything off the top of my head to share, but it's posts like these that keep me digging stuff out (It sounds sappy I'm sure, but it's true).
If I can find the pic I'm thinking of, I'll have a vader99 inspired item coming up tonight!
#23: Nintendo Rep Pin--Classic Series
On numerous occasions, Nintendo Reps would give out pins such as this to store employees to promote the newest, hippest Nintendo product out on the market. This particular pin was given out to promote the "Classic Series" games that came out for the NES: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Metroid and Punchout.
#16: Mario Radio
It's the same image as the Topps trading card sticker:
#24: Nintendo Employee Awarded Medal
This medal is probably the most interesting in-house items that I have been able to obtain. I bought this from a former Nintendo Sales Representative who was selling off all their old promotional and miscellaneous Nintendo paraphernalia. It was originally won from an annual awards ceremony that is held for Nintendo employees every year. The medallion itself is roughly two and a half inches in diameter and is heavy (a tad over 3 ounces!). It is adorned with the Nintendo logo in the center and has a wreath of garland bordering the outside. The back has the phrase "Going the Extra Mile" etched on the back and is dated 1993 (The recipient's name is also engraved on the back). This is the only award of this type I have seen before as I am sure that most employees who won these would want to keep them for nostalgia purposes. In any event, I am excited to have this item and it is one of the most prominent pieces in my collection.
#25: Service Center Interior Wall Decal
Finally, a service center item! This decal was made for placement on the inside of a window...it's 24x12. I picked this up on ebay and the seller had a similar decal for sale, though it was an exterior decal. I didn't win that one...I actually didn't even bid on it; I saw NGD was the high bidder and decided to be nice for once in my life.
#26 Nintendo World Bag
Yeah, it doesn't look like much but it's the memories that make it special for me. I've been there 3 times and got my picture taken with Mario and Luigi there!
#26 Nintendo World Bag
Yeah, it doesn't look like much but it's the memories that make it special for me. I've been there 3 times and got my picture taken with Mario and Luigi there!
Haha, i kept my bag too! Holds a lot of memories for me aswell. I went to New York City around Christmas 2006 and as my family and I were walking back to the parking lot to leave, I saw "Nintendo World" and I was like " we have to go!!" so we went in and I nearly crapped my pants when I got to the second floor of the place (I saw the AVS prototype!)
#26 Nintendo World Bag
Yeah, it doesn't look like much but it's the memories that make it special for me. I've been there 3 times and got my picture taken with Mario and Luigi there!
Haha, i kept my bag too! Holds a lot of memories for me aswell. I went to New York City around Christmas 2006 and as my family and I were walking back to the parking lot to leave, I saw "Nintendo World" and I was like " we have to go!!" so we went in and I nearly crapped my pants when I got to the second floor of the place (I saw the AVS prototype!)
#27: Authorized Servicer Certificate
Though I've no idea who Gary Wenzel is, this is one of my most unique Service Center items, and is definitely one of my top 10 favorites. This is the certificate servicers were given by Nintendo to show they were 'qualified' to repair official Nintendo products after taking one of their technical training course. The odd thing, at least for me, is that Gary must have whited out the last digit of the 199x date (which I believe is a 3) but never placed an alternative date over the top. An added bonus is that it's dated a day after my birthday!
#28: NES Test Carts!
I decided to take a subquest into posting Service Center items for a bit (especially since they're my main niche of collecting)...what better way to keep it up than with my NES Test Cart collection. In short, these carts were used to test controllers and other accessories as well as the systems themselves. There are 7 different test carts, though I currently only have 6 of them. Zelda Test Cart[1], Port Test Cart[3], Power Pad Test Cart[3], Joystick Test Cart[3], Control Deck Test Cart[4], NTF2 Test Cart[5]. I know you folks have seen this as my avatar, but I thought you'd like seeing a bigger pictures; especially since you can't tell what's what from the mini pic.
