Dave Smith estimates about $500,000 in inventory was inside his longtime Folsom Boulevard Flea Market shop when fire tore through the building Friday
A longtime Sacramento video game vendor says a fire at the Folsom Boulevard Flea Market destroyed a collection he spent more than four decades building.
Dave Smith, owner of Dave’s Retro Games, said he began selling video games in 1983 after falling in love with Atari. What started small eventually became a full-time business and grew into a collection spanning generations of gaming.
Smith said his store specialized in rare and unusual games and collectibles, with everything from Atari and <a href="https://comicvibe.com/nintendo-download-updates-w33-the-spark/” title=”Nintendo Download Updates (W33) The Spark”>Nintendo to newer PlayStation titles.
The fire tore through part of the flea market Friday. Smith said a manager called to tell him the building housing his shop was on fire. He arrived minutes later to find flames pouring from the roof.
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“It’s a lot to see,” Smith said.
The damage extended beyond what was destroyed by the flames. Smith said he spent part of the night trying to dry games that suffered water damage.
Smith returned to the flea market Saturday and walked through what remained, pointing out where familiar pieces of his store once stood, including a large Batman figure and a 14-foot-tall Mario that customers often used as a meeting spot.
Smith said he frequently searched yard sales and the flea market itself for games, while customers also brought games to trade or sell. He estimated roughly 20,000 games were inside before the fire and valued the inventory at about $500,000.
Despite the loss, Smith said he hopes to continue in the gaming business in some form.
“I would like to get restarted,” Smith said. “This is my hobby and my love.”
Sacramento fire officials said the cause of the fire remains unknown.
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