Bid on Rare Pixar Collectibles, Original Artwork in ’311′ Charity Auction to Benefit Japan

On March 11, 2011, ’311′ — the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami — left much of Japan devastated, claiming more than 20,000 lives and adversely affecting the lives of countless others who survived.

In an effort to aid those affected in his home country, Pixar Art Director Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi organized an effort called Artists Help Japan, which has raised more than $235,000 to directly support those whose lives were affected by the disaster.

A year later, on the anniversary of ’311,’ Tsutsumi has resurrected the fundraising, offering up Disney/Pixar memorabilia donated by himself and others as well as original art for auction on eBay. The auction will consist of 60 lots total, with 15 items going up for auction each week, starting yesterday, with most of the items having a bidding period of one week.

The auction offers a great way to allow Disney and Pixar fans to get their hands on some employee-exclusive items as well as original artwork with surprisingly modest opening bids. All of the proceeds will go directly to Mercy Corps Japan, which in turn claims that an impressive 88% of its income goes to its programs. Plus as the items part of a charity auction, a portion of their costs may be considered tax deductible (see eBay’s rules and information for more information).

Items currently available include: the pictured Disney/Pixar employee Brave hat autographed by director Mark Andrews; several ‘Art of..’ books signed by Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich and others; and original artwork and prints from Dice Tsutsumi, Chris Sasaki, Derek Thompson, Eric Orchard and more.

In the upcoming weeks, fans will also be able to bid on other collectibles such an UP leather bag crew gift, a signed John Lasseter sketch of Buzz Lightyear, the coveted Toy Story 3 crew tiki mug and more art, such as this watercolor teased by La Luna writer/director Enrico Casarosa.

To see items currently up for auction and for more information, visit Artists Help Japan on eBay. For more information on the project and fundraising effort, as well as a sneak peek of upcoming items, see this entry on the Artists Help Japan blog.