SINGAPORE — Books, files, gadgets and assorted bits of electronics lie scattered across Mr Erei Chua's room above a row of shophouses in French Road. 

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There's barely any room to stand without stepping on something. But this is where the 19-year-old hones his engineering skills - by tinkering with spare parts bought from the Sungei Road Thieves' Market, which will close for good on July 10. 

"I mess with a lot of electronics and hardware," said the former engineering student from Nanyang Polytechnic. "And Sungei Road is one of the few places where you can get them at junk prices."

Started in the 1930s, the market came to acquire a reputation as the place to trade stolen, smuggled or illegal goods. The "Thieves' Market" name soon stuck.

Its imminent closure after eight decades has sparked concerns about the impact on veteran Sungei Road stall holders, who eke out a living at Singapore's oldest and largest flea market. 

Loyal customers like Mr Chua will also be affected, losing a reliable source of collectibles, knick-knacks, and spare parts to feed their hobby.

The teenager, who is waiting for his National Service call-up, credits his growing hardware engineering skills to the steady supply of cheap electronic parts at the market. Prices can range from as low as a few dollars to about S$100. 

Mr Chua does not keep a record of his purchases at Sungei Road, but estimates that he has spent about S$1,000 there since he first started visiting the market as a secondary school student. 

"I don't see junk lying around, I see things that just need a bit of a refresh," he said. "Put new components in them and they are still perfectly functional."

The self-professed audiophile, for instance, has been buying and refurbishing old digital music players from the market. His collection includes nearly every generation of iPod player, and they all work. 

Mr Chua has developed a rapport with several vendors at the market, particularly one whom he and his friends call “tech uncle” for his choice selection of electronics for sale. "Tech uncle" even allows him to buy items on personal credit if he is short on cash. 

“It’s one of those places where I feel it’s what Singapore really is, a melting pot of different people getting along with each other,” said Mr Chua.