Spark Sanity Gaming brings trading card games to Wareham

Jan 15, 2020

Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and Magic: The Gathering have a new hub at which to buy and trade cards and play games.

Spark Sanity Gaming, located at 171 Marion Road, is owned by Darnell Sena, who fell in love with trading card games as a child. He described his first exposure to the games in a shop much like Spark Sanity. Sena stood with his nose pressed to the glass case, in awe of the cards he saw there.

When the store owner found out Sena only had 75 cents in his pocket, he let him choose a card for free.

“The rest is history,” said Sena, who now plays Yu-Gi-Oh competitively and serves as a judge of the game.

Trading card games are based on strategy and played with collectible cards, some of which are quite rare.

Sena said that he hopes his shop will be welcoming to those who have been playing for years, as well as those who want to try playing for the first time.

“I love seeing the same faces, but love it more when a new person comes in and asks what’s going on,” Sena said.

Even spectating, he said, is exciting.

“It’s a thing of beauty when you see it live,” Sena said. “It’s like going to a concert.”

The games are built on strategy and getting inside one’s opponent’s head, “mano a mano,” Sena said.

Spark Sanity Gaming is open from 12 to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 12 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Sena will be hosting weekly tournaments: Yu-Gi-Oh on Wednesday, Magic: The Gathering on Friday and Super Smash Bros. on Saturdays. For the tournament times, go to www.facebook.com/Spark-Sanity-Gaming-109689030546201/.