The late Rite Rug owner Michael Goldberg collected everything from a Babe Ruth card to Civil War artifacts, vintage movie posters and Jewish history. Now more than 240 pieces are going up for auction.
The late Columbus businessman and longtime Rite Rug owner spent years building a collection that spans fine art, rare books, military artifacts, sports memorabilia, vintage movie posters, Judaica and early Americana. Now, more than 240 pieces from that collection are going up for auction through Columbus-based Fleischer’s Auctions.
The live auction begins September 9, but pre-bidding is already underway, giving curious Columbus collectors a chance to browse through what is essentially a very strange, very fascinating time capsule of Goldberg’s interests.
And there is a lot to browse.
Among the collection’s standout pieces is a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth baseball card, graded PSA 6 and estimated at more than $15,000. There is also a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson with a handwritten “get well soon” message.
History buffs have plenty to look at, too. The auction includes an 1861-dated Civil War officer’s sword and Colt Navy revolver that were presented to Col. George Buckingham of the 53rd New York, along with numerous Civil War badges and other military artifacts. The collection even includes a World War I “I Want You for U.S. Army” recruiting poster by James Montgomery Flagg.
Then there are the movie posters.
One of the more eye-catching lots is a 1933 French lithograph poster for King Kong, which has previously sold for as much as $30,000. The collection also includes vintage posters connected to everything from Disney films to wartime propaganda.
The catalog gets even more eclectic from there, with maps, rare books, fine art, sports collectibles and objects documenting Jewish history and culture.
So, who was Michael Goldberg?
Goldberg was born and raised in Columbus and spent much of his career running Rite Rug, the family flooring business founded by his father and uncle in 1934.
After his father’s death in 1989, Goldberg led the company for more than 35 years, helping grow it from a local Columbus business into a national operation. He and his wife, Anita, were also longtime philanthropists, supporting causes at Ohio State and elsewhere.
But the auction catalog paints a picture of Goldberg that goes beyond his business career.
According to Fleischer’s Auctions president Adam Fleischer, Goldberg wasn’t collecting with the idea of building an investment portfolio. He was interested in objects because they were beautiful, unusual, historically significant, or simply had a good story behind them.
That explains why the collection can jump so easily from a Hollywood monster to a Civil War officer, from a baseball legend to Jewish history.
Goldberg died in December 2025, and Fleischer’s is now presenting selections from his collection as one large auction.
The Michael Goldberg Collection includes 244 lots, so there is considerably more to see than the handful of headline-making pieces.
The auction begins Wednesday, September 9 at 9 a.m., with bidding taking place online. You can browse the full catalog here, where you’ll find everything from inexpensive historical curiosities to pieces carrying five-figure estimates.
