Baseball Cards in Encinitas: A Rich History of the Hobby in Coastal North County
The small coastal city of Encinitas, located just north of San Diego in North County, California, has a rich history with the hobby and business of baseball cards dating back to the early 1970s. While the city was still relatively small at that time with a population under 20,000 residents, Encinitas developed into a hotbed for the baseball card trade on the West Coast. Several pioneering shops opened in the area that helped popularize the hobby and move valuable vintage cards, fueling the first modern baseball card boom. To this day, Encinitas remains a vibrant hub for collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts in Southern California.
One of the earliest shops to deal in cards was Encinitas Sport Cards, which opened its doors in 1972 in a small storefront on Coast Highway 101. Owned and operated by Encinitas native Bill Calabrese, the shop helped introduce the pastime to a whole new generation of local kids just as the first mass-produced wax packs from Topps, Fleer, and Donruss were gaining widespread popularity. In the pre-Internet era, shops like Encinitas Sport Cards served as important community hubs where collectors could buy new packs, assemble sets, and trade duplicates. The shop also hosted some of the first informal card shows and meetups in the area.
As the bubble economy of the late 80s took off, fueled in part by a speculative frenzy around collectibles and memorabilia, the baseball card business in Encinitas entered a golden age. New dedicated card shops opened all along Coast Highway 101 to cater to the booming demand, including Card Collector’s Heaven (1985), Pacific Coast Sports (1987), and Coastal Cards (1989). These shops helped drive local interest while also serving collectors from all over Southern California who flocked to Encinitas to buy, sell, and trade with vendors. Regional card shows at the Encinitas Community Center often drew crowds of over 1,000 people.
During this time, Encinitas dealers like Ralph Carmona of Pacific Coast Sports and the Olivieri Brothers of Coastal Cards established themselves as shrewd buyers and sellers of high-end vintage cardboard. Moving valuable pre-war T206s, early 1950s Topps, and 1960s rookie cards, these pioneers helped shape the emerging high-end market. Auctions hosted by the shops, as well as local consignment sales, consistently realized five and six figure prices for rare collectibles. The activity fueled local pride in the hobby and established Encinitas’ strong regional reputation among collectors.
The early 1990s crash in baseball card values was keenly felt in Encinitas, as it was nationwide. Many local shops went out of business practically overnight as the speculative bubble deflated. A small but dedicated core of shops managed to survive the downturn by shifting business models to focus more on the local collector community. Card Collector’s Heaven, now renamed Collector’s Heaven, thrived under new owner Mike Donnelly by cultivating loyalty through meetups, autograph signings with local players, and friendly service. Meanwhile, Pacific Coast Sports downsized but continued operating under Ralph Carmona with a focus on high-end vintage consignments.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Collector’s Heaven and Pacific Coast Sports helped keep the flame of the hobby burning brightly in Encinitas. Local kids still flocked to the shops for new releases while collectors from around California looked to the shops for help filling vintage needs. Regional shows returned to the Encinitas Community Center and drew hundreds. The shops also fostered connections with the local baseball community, forging relationships with the Padres, MiraCosta College, and San Diego State that resulted in many autograph and memorabilia signings over the years.
Today, Pacific Coast Sports and Collector’s Heaven remain stalwart institutions in Encinitas, still run by the same original owners after decades in the business. While the shops have seen competition from national chains and online retailers, their focus on personalized service and deep roots in the local scene have ensured their longevity. Encinitas continues to be a baseball card hub for all of coastal North County. Regional shows still attract large crowds several times a year. Meanwhile, newer shops like Apex Sports Cards have emerged to cater to modern collectors in the digital age while honoring the area’s rich legacy in the hobby.
Through its pioneering shops, dealers, and collectors, Encinitas played an important role in the development and golden age of the baseball card trade, especially in Southern California, starting in the 1970s. Even through boom and bust cycles, the area’s shops and enthusiasts have ensured the hobby remains a vibrant part of local culture and commerce. Today, Encinitas proudly carries the distinction as one of the historic capitals of the baseball card industry on the West Coast. Its influence is still felt throughout the collecting community in California and beyond.
