The management at Play It Again Sports in Pacific Beach has changed.
Everything else is the same. Which means everything you need — or could want — in used or new sports, surf gear and bikes is available.
The sports shop at 1401 Garnet Ave. actually has some 20,000 items in stock.
Owned by Fred Princen and Brigitte Nicolas since February, Play It Again Sports buys, sells and trades new and used sports, fitness gear and bicycles.
“The store remains the same, the same employees, manager — the way we’ve always been,” said Princen, noting his wife, along with longtime general manager Jay Yount, runs the shop overseeing daily operations.
“We carry a lot of new and used surfboards, bikes and skateboards: a huge selection at reasonable prices,” said Princen, noting Play It Again Sports is a national franchise buying group thus offering the purchasing power of more than 300 stores.
If you don’t believe it, check out the store sometime. A guest walking through the front door is exposed to a forest of goods, everything from skateboards and surfboards to bikes, beach accessories and everything — and anything — that goes along with it.
Play It Again specializes in action sports like surf, snowboard, skateboard, boogie board, SUP (stand up paddle), inline skates and dive. Also featured are rare bicycles, disc golf, lacrosse, soccer, golf and baseball.
Open in Pacific Beach since 1992, Play It Again has won the franchise’s top two honors: Store of the Year and Heritage awards.
Princen noted Play it Again is competitive with the big-box stores.
“No place else has the very unique stuff that we trade in,” he said adding the store right now is packed with merchandise as the busy summer season approaches. “We have different stuff, more variety, than a big-box store,” he added.
Play It Again carries just about everything sports-related in-house except for heavy gym equipment.
Princen said he and his wife are well acquainted with sports retail, and they were looking for a space with just the right “fit,” which they found at Play It Again in PB.
“The owner retired, so when it came up on the market it was a no-brainer,” said Princen adding, “The bottom line is, everybody knows the stores in PB and La Jolla. This is the store that all the locals go to first.
Play It Again and its business model continues to be a winning combination. Princen pointed out his sports retail shop offers thrifty locals, or tourists here for just a short time, an unparalleled opportunity to save money.
He pointed out, for example, that a tourist here for a month can come in and buy a used bike, then “recycle” it when they’re ready to leave by re-selling it via the store’s buy-back program.
“We always say recycle, reuse, replay,” said Princen.
Right now, Play It Again is gearing up for summer stocking plenty of beach gear: sunscreen, chairs, games.
Play It Again is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Princen encouraged potential customers to check out the store’s website at www.playitagainsportssd.com.