City Lights is your one-stop shop for all things Christmas holiday and collectibles.
The store is open 361 days a year in 40,000 square feet of space located off Interstate-5 freeway at Sea World Drive at 1212 Knoxville St., just a stone’s throw from the Tecolote Canyon Trolley stop.
The year-round business carries nearly everything – artificial trees, lights, ornaments including military and musical ones, full-size Santas, international nutcrackers, snow globes, stuffed animals, clothing, figurines, Nativity scenes, signage, five different village collections and jewelry and earrings – imaginable to decorate your tree, home or to stuff a Christmas stocking with.
The store does not sell live Christmas trees. Nor does it sell wrapping paper or cards because there is no room. “With a rich history spanning over three decades, City Lights, since 1989, has been a steadfast presence in collectibles and holiday décor,” states the company’s website at citylightscollectibles.com. “Our expertise shines through in our enchanting range of Christmas Collectibles.”
Pointed out company founder Brian Young: “Our legacy is not just one of commerce but of family values and a shared commitment to exceptional customer service. Our journey is one of experience, dedication, and a shared love for the world of collectibles. Being a family business is something we are incredibly proud of, and we hope to exceed your expectations.”
Young started the San Diego business after retiring in the UK and moving, along with his wife Laura and 12-year-old son Spencer, here from London. But his retirement didn’t last long. Ultimately, he chose to fill his free time by creating a small retail store in a seasonal business that became City Lights.
“We get people from all over Southern California,” said Young, who remains intricately involved in the family business. “We get them all of the time. We have no competition in San Diego County at all.”
Touring City Lights with Christmas music playing in the background, Young noted this business is “very seasonal the last three months of the year” with collectibles predominating the other nine months. “When it comes to contemporary collectibles, we’re right up there with the leaders in the nation,” he noted while introducing a whole room dedicated to Halloween. Young said Halloween holiday decorating is second only to Christmas and “still growing dramatically. It grows every single year. We’re very upmarket. We don’t compete with the temporary (pop-up) stores. Everything we do is top quality and small productions. We’re probably the only people in Southern California with these items (Halloween figurines).”
Young noted his collectible merchandise, while not inexpensive, “is going to last for years and years” while pointing out that it “is very different, not stuff you see in the department stores.”
The store tour reveals lots of Disney, Harry Potter, and Peanuts cartoon-strip items, with a host of knick-knacks. There are also religious items including Nativity sets from Italy. If someone wants an ornament personalized with their name, Young said City Lights will perform that function for them while they wait.
Christmas collectibles stores are rare, said Young, because “you’ve got to be well financed because you’re going to have quiet periods, and if you’re not well-financed you are not going to stay in business. We have 36 full-time employees and this time of year we have up to 50.”
Of his merchandise, Young said: “We sell everything anybody needs for Christmas, all the way down to little packs of hooks for 49 cents. On the collectibles, we ship worldwide.”
CITY LIGHTS
Where: 1212 Knoxville St.
Info: citylightscollectibles.com.
