HOLIDAY SHOPS: The Card Cellar
What started as a college curiosity has become a thriving business with sport-card collectibles at its core.
By Sophie Hubbard
CORRESPONDENT
In 1991, Bart Goldberg walked into his college roommate’s room and found him sorting through a stack of baseball cards. That small moment, a curious glance and a “Hey, what are you doing?” sparked a passion that would eventually snowball into a 5,000-square-foot shop in downtown Fredericksburg. Today, The Card Cellar is more than a business; it’s a staple where a full gift shop complements the large collection of sports collectibles and cards.
Open 363 days a year, The Card Cellar has steadily grown since Goldberg opened in 2011. What began as a sports-only card shop now carries plush toys, home items, gifts, and more.
“My focus used to be just on sports cards, which is still a big part of my business, but I saw other needs,” he said. “You could come in with a list of ten people, and probably find something for everybody on your list without it being super high-end.”
For collectors, the shop still reflects the nostalgic feeling that drew Goldberg in over 30 years ago. “We have that old-school need,” he said. “I don’t sell anything online. You can go in and put your hands on the cards and look through them.” In a digital age, that physical experience is part of what keeps longtime customers returning.
“So many friendships have developed through the business. You can call them customers, but I call them friends.” Goldberg didn’t grow up in Fredericksburg, but over the decades, the store has woven him into the community, allowing him to call this city “home.” “Kids who were 7 or 10 when they first came in with their parents are now adults bringing their own kids. That’s been pretty cool to see,” he said.
The downtown business atmosphere is another aspect why Goldberg feels connected to the city. “I love how collaborative the stores are down here and how we all look out for each other,” he said. “We don’t see each other as competition. If someone comes in and asks for something I don’t carry, I send them across the street, and they’ll do the same thing.” This mutual support gives downtown Fredericksburg the strength its local businesses need to succeed.
Beyond the store, Goldberg also serves as president of Fredericksburg Main Street. “The thing I love about the holidays is the enthusiasm, the love for downtown, and the happiness,” said Goldberg. During the tree lighting on November 15, Main Street sold 150 stuffed otters that were donated back to the pediatric unit at Mary Washington Healthcare. “Being involved with things like that just makes you want to do more for the community.”
Reflecting on when he first considered starting a business, Goldberg said, “Sometimes I want to say this is what I imagined, but I didn’t imagine it would turn into this. I thought I was going to do baseball cards, football, basketball cards, and that was it.” Now, The Card Cellar invites visitors to browse sports cards, pick up a gift, or enjoy the welcoming space that has grown with the community over the years.
Bart Goldberg says, “If you live here, you get to love it. You love this community.” As always, he is grateful for the place he and the store holds in Fredericksburg. “I live downtown, I eat downtown, I shop downtown, and I own a business downtown. I love downtown.”
To experience The Card Cellar for yourself, make your way to 915 Caroline Street.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past year, our reporting was:
First to break the story of Stafford Board of Supervisors dismissing a citizen library board member for “misconduct,” without informing the citizen or explaining what the person allegedly did wrong.
First to explain falling water levels in the Rappahannock Canal.
First to detail controversial traffic numbers submitted by Stafford staff on the Buc-ee’s project
Our media group also offers the most-extensive election coverage in the region and regular columnists like:
And our newsroom is led by the most-experienced and most-awarded journalists in the region — Adele Uphaus (Managing Editor and multiple VPA award-winner) and Martin Davis (Editor-in-Chief, 2022 Opinion Writer of the Year in Virginia and more than 25 years reporting from around the country and the world).
For just $8 a month, you can help support top-flight journalism that puts people over policies.
Your contributions 100% support our journalists.
Help us as we continue to grow!
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”