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    Frank the Trainman

    4.2 (33 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:45 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Frank the Trainman Photos

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    Kimberly M.

    We had a wonderful experience today with Carmen. I had recently brought out my old G scale LGB train that I have loved since childhood (80s). My husband has been excited about adding on to my collection. My dad mentioned there was a store in North Park area when he was a kid (50's) but doubted it was still there. Well, sure enough it is. We went in for tracks and came out with tracks, a new engine and 4 more train cars. Carmen was patient with all of our novice questions and gave us an incredible deal. I look forward to going back and chatting with Carmen again. I am shocked that other people made negative comments. Absolutely shocked. I challenge those people that made comments about the organization to suggest another way to organize 100's of years of collection and antiques. I loved that there was a mixture of old and used & new. Incredible collection and the knowledge Carmen had was unbelievable.

    Geno P.

    My parents recently shipped us my Lionel train from 1979. This thing ran every Christmas for years before getting boxed up and stored for at least 10 years. The train got here in good shape, but it was missing a piece of track, so I couldn't fully test it. Inside the box was a folded paper with a state-by-state list of hobby shops and train stores that service Lionel trains. The date on the list was 1979. I located San Diego, and there was one shop listed: Frank the Trainman. "Put this in your phone," I told wife, as I joked about how old the manual was. "It says here Frank the frikking Trainman might have the piece we need." She laughed, and said right away Frank the Trainman actually still exists and is OPEN. I flew down here, and was blown away by the stuff in here. Dozens of old box cars and engines along with catalogs, track, and all manner of accoutrement abound in this place. It was truly a pleasure to browse the shelves in this store. It had what seems like 100 years of history just sitting there. Now, Frank has passed on, but the workers here do more than enough to carry on the flame. Good, good people here and very knowledgeable. I bought a maintenance kit and some track, fixed up the set I have, and it runs like a champ. More importantly, my kid loves it, and I feel like a kid again. Thanks, Frank the Trainman!

    My 7-y/o niece with Frank the Trainman! She LOVED this museum.
    Cindy C.

    I brought my 7 year-old niece here who loves museums. Admission was only $2 for her and $5 for me. My niece has been to many of the great museums in Washington DC and New York, yet she still enjoyed this little gem. They have a few antique baby carriages and dolls that she loved looking at. This place has a very different feel than big museums; it felt more cozy and intimate, as if we were in an old home. It was cool meeting Frank the Trainman. He is native to San Diego and so were his parents. I bet he has a lot of neat stories about San Diego. I would love to come back and pick his brain one of these days.

    This historic landmark is a very rare example of animated neon. Here the chugging train.
    San Diego Historic Neon H.

    Frank the Trainman is a life long memory for me. I remember his shop across the street. It was taken down, but the iconic Frank the Trainman neon sign was incorporated into the new building. The Frank the Trainman neon sign is a true icon of University Heights and greater San Diego.

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    A blast from the past! Totally amazing! Small but a lot of neat stuff. I recommend if you like toy trains or classic cars.

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    Photo of Mike M.
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    10 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Worth a trip to San Diego. Some cars that are unique to this collection. The hours are limited.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This is a cool place to look at. I like all the things that they have. They have neat stuff. Go check it out

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Carmen C.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    Carmen C.

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    7 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Frank the Trainman

    Do they buy original trains and accessories, Lionel?

    Yes we do at times buy new and used trains. Best thing to do is make an appointment by calling 619-295-1611

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - Frank the Trainman

    Carmen was patient with all of our novice questions and gave us an incredible deal.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Brute Force Games - Pokemon plushy restock! Come find your favorite Pokemon today.

    Brute Force Games

    4.5(89 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $

    What a gem!! Walked in and immediately was impressed with the vibe of the store. Lots of people…read moregaming on the tables, very clean and organized, and a welcoming environment. They have sections based on what your looking for: War games, painting, dnd, and board games. There are very clear sections of the store. We walked around to look at the board games and DnD section, along with dice. We loved the dice selections and play mat selections. We only ended up leaving with a Trans mimic sticker (queer friendly!!) and had a lovely interaction with staff members before leaving. Overall great store set up, clean, nice staff, good selection, queer friendly, and good vibes.

    It has been increasingly difficult to find any Trading Card Games in stock, especially with the Big…read moreBox stores. Seems sadly that they have fallen prey to scalpers. It was more than time to find a local game store. I started the search and came across Brute Force Games. They had a pretty decent website. So I gave the store a call, and asked stupid questions (is this in stock?). While they didn't have what I was looking for, the staff was super helpful and didn't mind the questions. I decided that I would have to stop by the store in person. The overall aesthetics of the shop were amazing. Much larger than I was anticipating - but the layout was extremely well setup. With the cashiers being in the middle, they had 3 different registers going at the same time. While there was still a rather large line, it went by rather quick. The store also had a great selection of products, I was able to find the Alien RPG expansion - which I haven't seen in most stores. They also had a wide range of TCGs, Board Games, Trinkets and Warhammer stuff. While we were shopping there were running a Magic the Gathering tournament - there was plenty of space for both shoppers and players. The entire stuff was quite helpful, and we were able to find everything we were looking for. Overall a very solid experience - certainly one of the better game stores I've been to. Not only is it clean, but there is plenty of room. You most likely find something you are looking for, and the best part is that they are local.

    Photos
    Brute Force Games - Commander decks

    Commander decks

    Brute Force Games - Various paint lines, Vallejo, Turbo Dork, take & paint for Nolzur's and Reaper.

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    Papa Joey's Collectibles - Shop owner

    Papa Joey's Collectibles

    4.0(23 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    I'm a mini Pokémon card collector, so I'm always checking out card shops to see what kind of…read moreinventory they carry. This spot is pretty spacious, especially for people who want to hang out and play Magic or other card games. They've got a snack bar, tons of Pokémon cards, plus One Piece and Magic displays for sale. They carry a good mix of singles, graded cards, boosters, ETBs, etc. Maeve helped me most of the time whenever I had questions about pricing--she's super knowledgeable and easy to talk to. We even bonded over our tattoos, which was a nice touch. Prices on boosters and ETBs are a bit on the higher side. I'm not a huge fan of paying over MSRP, but if you can't find certain items out in the wild, this is still a solid place to grab them. I ended up picking up a graded Vaporeon (one of my favorites). It was super affordable since it's an 8.5, but it makes a really cute display piece for my place. Overall, it's a cool shop worth checking out if you're into Pokémon or trading card games

    A collectible store now located on Plaza Bonita Mall! Huge grand opening event tomorrow Friday…read moreDecember 12th, 2025! They are still setting up but come get your anime, football, basketball, baseball signed and unsigned collection on. They will also have trading available! Located inside the Plaza Bonita mall between Round 1 and JC Pennys. They have an employee located at almost every counter who are friendly and eager to assist you and answer all your questions. From as little at $4 to as much as $800, this place offers competitive pricing for any collectors. Items come with a certificate of authenticity. Will definitely be back to check it out once everything is set up.

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    Papa Joey's Collectibles
    Papa Joey's Collectibles
    Papa Joey's Collectibles

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    Tito Ricks Garage - INDOOR/OUTDOOR PLAY AREA

    Tito Ricks Garage

    5.0(10 reviews)
    3.4 miGrant Hill

    Tito Rick's Garage is a true one-stop shop for just about anyone. The space is clean, open, and…read morewelcoming perfect for hobbyists, with a great selection of trading cards, Hot Wheels, and more, or even if you're just in need of a good cup of coffee. Time seems to slow down the moment you walk through the doors, giving you a chance to enjoy the small moments this place has to offer. Come trade in your cards and get real value for them, then use your credit toward Tito's secret latte highly recommended. You'll leave having had a great day. The service is excellent, the space is spotless, and if you're looking to chat, you'll likely find the owner around. He's a certified yapper in the best way honestly, a lost art.

    Found this gem while visiting san diego…read more About 20 minutes from downtown, boyfriend and I were in the hunt for some Pokémon and I found tito ricks garage. As soon as we entered we were hooked. I must say they are the blame for me getting hooked on collecting Pokémon cards since I got my first good card from them. We were greeted by the staff, there was a very playful corgi roaming around the store which was so adorable. We honestly didn't know what to get, they had a good amount of options and they were reasonably priced. There's a lot to see in the store so you have to give yourself some time. All I can say is, this store is legit, they have amazing Pokémon selection and we got a free Pokémon binder with purchase. They don't usually give binders for free we just got lucky that day. We definitely enjoyed our time here, I highly recommend visiting if you're in town.

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    Tito Ricks Garage - EXOTIC SNACKS AND MORE

    EXOTIC SNACKS AND MORE

    Tito Ricks Garage - PLAY AREA

    PLAY AREA

    Tito Ricks Garage

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    Geppetto's - Fashion Valley

    Geppetto's - Fashion Valley

    3.8(29 reviews)
    1.5 miLinda Vista
    $$

    Came in last Saturday to look for some birthday presents for my son. I looked at reviews of the…read moreplace before I went, and it didn't seem to promising. However I was surprised. I got to the counter and I had the sweetest interaction with a young man. He spent some time showing me the best toys to buy my son. His co worker and him talked to me about a "skismi". My son loves it and had a great birthday! Sometimes reviews don't always tell the truth!

    We came in today for my sons friends birthday to buy him a gift. We ended up asking about needohs…read morebecause we saw it behind the counter. I asked how much they were and the woman and younger woman behind the counter both had disgusted looks on their faces. When I asked any questions about needohs, she had the same annoyed look on her face like she wanted to leave and didn't want to deal with it. I asked how much they were, and what colors they had. When I told my son to tell them Which ones they wanted, since they had them behind their counter, and when I told my son's friend to pick which one he wanted, she look confused. I told her it was his birthday, and she didn't say anything. It was an awkward dismissive silence. Then an older woman who was counting woman yelled "there's only 4 per family." The whole time I was confused what the cashier seemed so disgusted about, but it made my son's friends birthday experience really weird. My son had bunny ears on from their store and & she said in a very annoyed voice "are you going to buy those too?" We said no, and took them off right away. She looked like she was in a rush because I was confused how much was in the bag, she didn't confirm what we asked for, and didn't understand their limits and lack of explanation but she said thank you and looked relieved we left. I was relieved to not have to deal with unpleasant customer service that treat you like a burden. There's other stands at the mall that sell needohs as well for the same price in different and bigger. You don't have to deal with a cashier who looks like she hates you and the kids you're with :) please don't work here if you don't know how to communicate or have patience with kids or families!!

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    Geppetto's - Fashion Valley
    Geppetto's - Fashion Valley
    Geppetto's - Fashion Valley

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    Frank the Trainman - hobbyshops - Updated May 2026

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