What happened to Amber Davis from Swap Shop?
Introduction
When Netflix launched its new series, Swap Shop, in 2021, nobody expected it to be the runaway success that it was.
Part scavenger hunt, part business tutorial, part action—and all entertaining—Swap Shop follows several businesses and a Tennessee radio show as people uncover diamonds in the rough across the local area.
And they’re doing it for a profit.
While the show was a hit, so were many of the cast members—like Richard and Garin of Nirvana Comics, Victoria and Larry, and Scott and Dale.
Another fan favorite was the strong but sweet Amber Davis, who passed away before the show premiered.
Here’s what we know about the reality star who never got a chance to enjoy her own fame—and the show that made her famous.
What is Swap Shop?
Swap Shop follows ultra-competitive—and extremely passionate—shop owners and career buyers as they scramble to make a profit and seize an opportunity in Rogersville, Tennessee.
These East Tennessee entrepreneurs are carefully curating their collections—like Richard and Garin’s comic book collection at Nirvana Records.
The buyers tune in to the radio show that inspired the series: Swap Shop on WRGS.
Swap Shop (the radio show) lets listeners in on fascinating finds in the local marketplace—along with who to talk to and how to secure them.
It’s been on air since 1954 and shows no sign of slowing down.
The catch is: you’ve got to be quick in this game.
Essentially, Swap Shop is a reality television scavenger hunt where antique hunters go up against graphic novel collectors to secure hidden gems for their own businesses.
Larry Thacker and Tori Cooley are savvy antique collectors, while Sammie and Mark Isaac love the hustle of the game and snaring unique pieces for their own collectors.
Garin Dickerson and Richard Davis source quirky comic memorabilia for their Tennessee store.
And that is where Amber Davis comes in.
How did Amber Davis end up on Swap Shop?
When Netflix began casting for Swap Shop, it looked at the businesses and buyers using WRGS’s Swap Shop radio show.
Richard Davis and Garin Dickerson, co-owners of Nirvana Comics in Knoxville, Tennessee, were big fans of the platform.
Garin also stood out as a charismatic, caring, and lovable character that Netflix was convinced would be a hit with viewers.
And they were right.
His business partner, Richard, brought business savvy to the table…and he also brought in his wife, Amber.
Amber, who described herself as the one who “reins in Richard’s spending,” was the third partner in the business.
Nirvana Comics on Kingston Pike—who many fans describe as “cultic” and “quirky”—relies on the Swap Shop radio show to get their hands on weird and wonderful collectibles that rarely end up on Craigslist or eBay.
Richard and Amber are Tennessee natives, while Garin moved into the area to look for work after leaving Roanoke, Virginia.
Richard and Amber bonded over comics—her favorite superhero is Blade—and the same happened for Richard and Garin.
They shared a fascination for comics, fantasy, and superhero memorabilia.
They also believe in people before profit, an ethos that has earned them a loyal fanbase online, in store, and through the Swap Shop series.
So, what happened to Amber Davis from Swap Shop?
So, what happened to Amber Davis from Swap Shop? Amber was a beloved member of her community—a devoted wife and friend, a savvy business owner with a strong network, and a sweetheart who had battled kidney issues in the past. In fact, it was in December 2020, after filming had finished for the first season of Swap Shop, that Amber headed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for a kidney transplant surgery.
Nirvana Comics posted a photo of the brunette beauty in her hospital gown on December 5, to let fans know she was going into surgery and wouldn’t be around the shop for a few weeks.
The poster also asked that supporters keep her in their thoughts and prayers since she finally had a kidney on the way.
Sadly, the surgery led to complications for Amber, and she passed away some time later.
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Amber Davis and her legacy
Nirvana Comics’ social media channels stayed quiet about their beloved Amber’s passing, but Garin took to Instagram with a small update on October 15, 2021, to honor her 39th birthday.
Amber’s husband may have chosen to stay silent on the matter publicly, but he took to Instagram in July of 2022 to say a few words about Amber and pay tribute to her savvy as a business owner, leader, founder, and friend.
In the post, he shared that she “created many of the things we take for granted here,” and to acknowledge that “Though she is gone from this Earth we feel her presence everyday.”
The business, which is known by fans to do things a little differently, chooses to honor its fallen founder through “benevolence, investing countless hours to make things fun.”
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