These intriguing photographs are part of a personal collection that Nick Strickland was willing to share. The quality of these photos is extremely good and they can be blown up for more detail.

They remind us of a simpler past before the age of Wal-Marts and Superstores. The local hardware store pretty much had everything a person could want along with the convenience of shopping at home and knowing who the owners were.

Mr. Strickland in his enlarged store after he moved from his original store in the alley on South Macon Street. He appears to have a full fledged grocery store with just a smidgen of hardware. The crate boxes on the counter contained "penny wheel crackers". Small cans stacked on the floor beside counter appear to be Campbell Soup cans. Notice large gallon size canned vegetables for 15 & 18 cents. Young lad in photo is selling Macon Telegraph newspapers. The stove pipe in the middle of the room was for the wood and coal heater.

A third location across the street in the Marchman buildings. Obvious hardware items shown here are shovels, hoes, rakes, ax handles (*non-Pickrick), chain cut to length, trash cans, pails, buckets and paint and varnish. Not so obvious is the old Coke box in left corner. Cokes were cooled with blocks of ice and rock salt to make them extra cold and were sold for a nickel.

The model train set in the middle of the picture meant that Christmas was not too far off. Other details, notice the Write Right brand composition paper that nearly everyone used in school along with Blue Horse. Also notice the candy canes, Almond Joy, Mounds, Pay Off and PayDay candy bars in the foreground. The candy bars sold for a nickel. On the ledge are tricycles with Police wind shields and Radio Flyer red wagons. Today these wagons sell for about $79.95.

The Toy Department: Red Ryder B-B guns and boxes of B-B ammunition stand out on the front shelf. On the second shelf: fire trucks, log trucks, dump trucks, airplanes. Third row: Radio station, Ski Patrol and *Dick Tracy wrist radios. Extreme right: Rocking Horses and Rocking Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. This photo was taken in the 50's.

Mr. Nick Strickland, Sr. with an old scale used to weigh items. It only went up to $1.00. To his left is an "Old Timer" knife display.

Notice the TV trays which were popular in the 50's.The Lady Sunbeam hair dryer display stands out along with rows of mixers and mixing bowls. Also visible: doll houses, baby carriages, charcoal grills and Peters shot gun shells.