There's not much you can get for a dime anymore, but one place sports a throwback that certain segments of the population can still enjoy.
You might say Dottie Walker runs a tight ship.
She owns and runs the Gray Drug Company, but if you look in the corner, you'll see a vintage piece of plastic that can put a smile on anyone's face. It's an old-time horse. Remember the kind that are made out of a sturdy plastic material and only cost a coin to climb into the saddle?
"Sandy's not a big profit-maker, but it's a fun-maker," Walker said.
Wheeler Benton agrees. Sandy can stir up some excitement.
He squeals and growls with excitement when he's perched on top. Of course, the kid usually opts for high-tech.
"I like to play some games that are Madden, I like to play some games that have lots of details with sports," he said.
But he doesn't miss the electronics a bit when he's on Sandy.
" I was imagining I was riding the ranch. It's like you're riding a horse in the West, he said.
Well as much West as we get here in Central Georgia, but the prices sure take you back in time.
Sandy giddy-ups to the tune of ten cents a pop.
It's inexpensive, but not everyone can grip the reigns.
"You have to be fairly young. Older children, we try to not let ride it if we can help it," Walker said.
But, hey, we're all kids at heart, and some adults have tried to wrangle the horse away from Walker.
"There have been numerous people that want to buy him," she said. "I've got one person in Albany and she stops by every so often to see if I'm ready to sell."
She isn't.
And maybe that's because the woman who maintains the business her husband began years ago sees a certain innocence as she glances towards the front window.
"Sometimes you need to lighten up on this side," she said with a genuine smile.
The Gray Drug store is located at 155 Bill Conn Pkwy., just in back of the Ingles.
