65 miles, four counties, two dwarf goats: Behind southwest Georgia’s first regional yard sale

Excited for the chance to connect with more southwest Georgians and give back to the communities I’d been reporting on, I set off for Fort Gaines that morning and prepared to drive the whole way to Camilla. My best friend and fellow Floridian was along for the ride.

Our journey began in front of Fort Gaines Baptist Church, where vendors filled the lot. Most were huddled in rain jackets. It was a cold, rainy morning — something sellers had been concerned about as that usually meant less business.

Credit: Lucille Lannigan

Credit: Lucille Lannigan

Everything from taxidermied buck heads, antique tools and candied apples were for sale on the church lot. Some folks presented curated collections, while others had emptied out the deepest crevices of their garage.

Darryl Chaney with Brittle Brittle Bakeries, a confectionery business, stood behind a table covered in peanut, pecan, almond and cashew brittle. He asked why The Albany Herald hadn’t reported on his business winning first place in the 2023 UGA Flavor of Georgia contest in the confections category.

I just got here, I said. “Alright, you get a pass,” he said back, before handing my friend and me bags of each type of brittle.

“Ours is the best,” Chaney said.

That was his fourth year attending the yard sale. He said he likes to participate for the extra cash and enjoys seeing how it brings the community together. Brittle Brittle products are sold mostly online or in shops throughout the region. The yard sale gives him face-to-face interactions with customers.

He looked at me like I was stupid when I asked if the yard sale was a major event for Fort Gaines.

It is the event, he said.

Although the rain drove people away, Chaney’s spirits were high as he talked about the bakery’s plan to open up a kitchen. He tossed us another bag of peanut brittle as we left.

There’s about a 25-minute stretch of highway with nothing but farmland between Fort Gaines and Edison. Yard sale signs lined the road, and little clusters of booths popped up here and there in front of homes.

As we drove into Edison’s downtown, we were met with music — Latin from the local La Fiesta Mexican Grill, hip hop from a booth selling vintage T-shirts, and steel drums from the shaved ice food truck.

People filled the streets and sidewalks, especially in front of West Foods, where West had rented out spots. Cars lined the street, parked haphazardly as people darted between them.

I had to bring the car to a slow roll as we got into bumper-to-bumper traffic. It was a glorious sight and a stark contrast from the usual quiet streets of Edison.

Edison Mayor Shirley Worthy stood in front of the Fire Department with family members as well as Edison’s former mayor, Reeves Lane. They were selling chili to raise money for the Volunteer Fire Department, which like many of Edison’s city departments, had been struggling amid the city’s financial crisis. Other vendors throughout the day raised money for the city, Worthy said.

By noon, Edison saw a great turnout. It’s a real good thing for the community, the mayor said.

For Willard Dukes, owner of Edison antiques shop K&W Primitive Newbeez, it’s the best day of the year for sales. He’s operated his store since the late ‘90s, he said.

Antique farming equipment, miscellaneous furniture and rusty tool boxes lined the brick street in front of his store, which is situated in the heart of Edison’s downtown.

The antiques shop is usually open three days a week by appointment, but during the yard sale Dukes and his wife open their doors for anyone to stop in. He said he’s had shoppers from as far as Illinois come through the store to purchase a unique find.

As my friend and I made our way out of Edison, our heads snapped to my right window when we spotted two small goats tied to a post in front of a booth. We obviously had to stop.

Credit: Lucille Lannigan

Credit: Lucille Lannigan

The tiny horned dwarf goats were not happy. They glared as people knelt to snap a photo or tried to pet them. They’re worn out from all the kids who’ve stopped by, Scott Milner, an Edison resident who manned the booth, said.

“Do you usually sell goats at the yard sale?” I said.

Milner chuckled at this and said no. We just need to get rid of them, he said.

“We thought we wanted them,” his wife said from the back, an exasperated look on her face.

There’d been somewhat of a battle for the dwarf goats — a winner finally came out on top, and the Milner’s would be free of them for $150 apiece.

“Unless you wanna bid higher,” he said to another person who was peering over some of the vintage items they had on display.

Milner said he loves attending the yard sale each year.

“It’s a big to-do for our little place,” he said.

The next stop in Newton was brief, as we raced to make it to the end before 4 p.m.

Baker County yard salesmen and -women were centered at the Baker County Library and Shell Gas Station across the road. Lengths of fold-out tables with airsoft guns, children’s toys, fishing bait and pretty much any miscellaneous item you could think of greeted us.

Some of the more peculiar finds included life-size cut-outs of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump and mannequins that towered over other items wearing lacy lingerie.

Many of the trucks lining the street were packed with yard sale finds from previous stops — chairs with fine embroidery and wall decor.

We chatted with some vendors — one man who attends all the regional yard sales in the state but considers the High Cotton to be the best — before heading back to the road and speeding off to Camilla.

We arrived just as the Camilla Yard Sale was wrapping up. The downtown was pretty much cleared out, but some vendors remained in the parking lot of Mitchell County High School.

Natasha Clark, owner of the Set the Table with Tasha catering business, was cleaning up tin trays filled with the remnants of richly flavored wings whose smells filled the air and my friend and I with regret at having just arrived.

It was a successful day for Clark, she said, and she hadn’t arrived until 10:30 a.m. Her tent was consistently busy. Clark’s business is based out of Leesburg and doesn’t have a brick and mortar location. Events like the yard sale spread awareness.

“You know how things get around here ... word of mouth,” she said.

People already asked her if she planned to be at the yard sale next year. She was excited to do it again, she said.

I shared the same thought as my friend and I got in the car, hearts and stomachs full, and made our way home.

Credit: Albany Herald

Credit: Albany Herald

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