Fire destroys 20,000-game collection built over 43 years in Sacramento

August 30, 2026 - 11:26

A Sacramento flea market vendor is picking up the pieces after a Friday blaze wiped out a collection of roughly 20,000 video games that took him more than four decades to assemble. Dave Smith, who ran a booth at the Folsom Boulevard Flea Market, said the loss feels like losing a part of himself.

Smith told local reporters that the inventory inside his shop was worth an estimated $500,000. The fire tore through the building in the afternoon, and by the time crews got it under control, most of what he owned was reduced to ash and melted plastic. He had been buying, trading, and selling games since the early 1980s, starting with Atari cartridges and moving through every console generation since.

The collection included rare titles, sealed copies, and complete sets that are nearly impossible to find today. Smith said he kept everything organized in bins and on shelves, with a catalog system he had built over the years. He had no insurance on the stock, which makes the financial hit even harder to absorb.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported. Smith said he is not sure if he will reopen, but he has received offers of help from collectors and fellow vendors who want to see him back on his feet. For now, he is just trying to process what is gone.