Centre City Sports Collectibles — Local services in San Diego

I recently visited Centre City Sports Collectibles, hoping to find some quality sports memorabilia, but unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing from start to finish. To be completely honest, the shop itself is an absolute mess. Upon entering, I was immediately struck by the overwhelming clutter and disorganization. Instead of a clean, inviting space where collectibles are thoughtfully displayed, the store felt like a chaotic hoarding location. Items were piled haphazardly, making it difficult to even browse through the inventory without knocking something over or feeling like I was stepping into a storage room rather than a retail space.

This level of disorder not only detracts from the shopping experience but also raises serious questions about how well the merchandise is maintained. Many collectibles appeared dusty, faded, or otherwise neglected. For a shop that specializes in sports memorabilia, where condition and presentation are key to value, this was incredibly off-putting. It seemed clear that the focus was not on preserving or showcasing the items in a way that respects their worth or appeals to collectors.

What was even more concerning was the behavior and attitude of the owner. From my interaction, I got the strong impression that the primary goal was to sell overpriced items regardless of their actual quality or condition. The owner seemed pushy and dismissive when I asked questions about the provenance or authenticity of certain pieces. Rather than providing clear information or transparency, I was met with vague answers and a sense that the customer’s trust was not a priority. It felt as though they were trying to take advantage of customers who might not be well-versed in sports collectibles, pushing overpriced merchandise that often looked worn or damaged.

The pricing itself was another major issue. Many items were marked at prices that did not match their condition or market value. Instead of fair pricing based on the collectible’s rarity and quality, it felt like a blanket markup strategy to maximize profit at the customer’s expense. This is especially frustrating given the already cluttered environment, which should have warranted lower prices rather than inflated ones.

Overall, Centre City Sports Collectibles left me feeling very dissatisfied and cautious. A collectible shop should be a place where enthusiasts can find well-maintained, authentic items and receive knowledgeable, trustworthy service. Unfortunately, this shop fails on all these fronts. The disorganized, hoarder-like environment makes browsing unpleasant and raises concerns about item care, while the owner’s untrustworthy approach and inflated pricing make it hard to recommend this store to anyone serious about collecting.

If you are a sports memorabilia collector or just someone looking for genuine, well-priced items, I would strongly advise looking elsewhere. There are many other shops and dealers in the area who offer better organization, transparency, and respect for their customers and merchandise. Centre City Sports Collectibles, in its current state, is not...

This place has a ton of potential, but the cramped experience made us feel uncomfortable. In a business like sports collecting, sometimes less is more. The owner would probably get a lot more business cleaning things up and having better display cases.

The owner seemed like a nice guy. Friendly. It feels like 80% of the store is storage. He needs serious organization to clear some room for guests. There was 5 of us and we were tripping over each other.

He needs to get a storage unit or stack things better to give people an idea of what they are looking at. I still really don’t know everything he has. To see cards, you have to ask him to bring them out. He for sure should have a Padre case. The stadium is down the street.

I really wanted to enjoy this, as did my kids. We love hanging at baseball card shops. I want this guy to succeed. He’s old school. He’d be better shutting down for a few days and redesigning the experience. He’d make a...

Great shop! Best shop I have been to with regards of negotiating deals, finding older vintage items/cards/memorabilia. Whatever your looking for the owner probably has it! I bought 5 yugioh cards that were 1st edition mint condition and that recently sold all together for around $1000 and he gave me a deal for them for only $300! I also bought my very first 1ST EDITION CHARIZARD WHICH WAS IN MINT CONDITION! The great thing about his shop is he will barter/trade cards that you have and give you a high price for them in store credits! No shop does that expect this one I’ve seen so far. Would definitely recommend it! There is so much memorabilia and cards that you’ll have a hay day in there and feel like a kid in a candy shop!

The owner is a great man! and loves to see his customers happy even if it means him losing out on the better half of a deal which is what I’ve had happen to me...