A little odd with a lot of heart. Middle Georgia Oddities finds its home in Warner Robins

WARNER ROBINS — Some people collect stamps or baseball cards.

Some prefer things a little … “different”. Such is the case for Kristie and Christopher Whisler, owners of Middle Georgia Oddities Market in Warner Robins. For them, what began as childhood fascination with the unusual has grown into a business that celebrates creativity, supports local artists and brings together people who proudly march to the beat of their own drum.

Located at 1760 Watson Boulevard, Middle Georgia Oddities Market offers a little bit of everything that falls outside the ordinary. Visitors can browse preserved insects, bones, taxidermy, handmade jewelry, candles, clothing, sculpted figures and vintage media.

And for Kristie, whose business actually began years ago under the name Postmortem Crafts, the shop represents something much bigger than selling unusual artwork.

“I wanted to have a collection of different artists in here,” she said. “I’m all about community, I’m all about animals, the people.”

The business officially opened its storefront Sept. 12, following a journey that began with a move from Orlando, Florida, to Middle Georgia about two and a half years ago.

The move wasn’t exactly planned.

“It’s funny how we ended up here,” she said. “My husband was in a car accident in Perry on his way on vacation up north. And he was in a car accident in Perry.” Hit by a semi, actually, she said, and flipped in the process. He was, however, okay, she went on. “So, I came up to get him and check on him, and we fell in love with the area.

“So that’s how we discovered middle Georgia. A car accident is how we discovered middle Georgia.”

Back in Florida, Kristie said she had been creating artwork and selling it at pop-up markets. After relocating, she began teaching art classes at an art studio in Macon’s Triangle Arts area. As interest grew, she expanded her offerings, she said, to include taxidermy classes, insect pinning and lessons on preserving spiders and scorpions. Interest continued to grow. So much so that she became convinced it was time to take another step. When their friends opened up the Reverb Room, a music/entertainment venue, next door, she knew it was time.

 it offering music/entertainment venues.

“Yeah, they just hit their year mark. So, when we saw that this spot was available next to them, I was like, let’s do it.”

What began as a small art business has since developed into a gathering place for artists and customers looking for something they won’t find on the shelves of a big-box retailer.

“We try to showcase a lot of local art,” she said. “We want art that you can’t just go to Walmart and buy.”

More than bones and bugs

The shop’s name might suggest that everything inside is strange, but the inventory reaches well beyond preserved specimens and skulls.

More than 25 artists have work represented in the store, most of them from Georgia. Others send their creations from Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi and Colorado.

Some artists rent space for a set period, often three months, Kristie said, allowing the shop to rotate its offerings and introduce customers to new creators. Other vendors have become permanent fixtures because their work is especially popular.

Among them is Pinning Purgatory, whose artists create detailed insect displays that Kristie describes as museum-quality pieces.

“Preserving and posing insects takes patience,” she said. “Before an insect can even be positioned and pinned, it must be rehydrated to make it pliable. That process alone can take as long as 48 hours, followed by the careful work of arranging the specimen.”

Taxidermy projects vary in length, too. Kristie said she can complete a mouse in less than an hour, while larger animals require considerably more time.

Animal welfare is a priority. Kristie said specimens are ethically and sustainably sourced rather than obtained by killing animals for artwork. Some are found already dead, while others come from roadkill collections or donations from community members and farmers.

For her, all of this traces back to childhood.

“When I was like 6 years old, I found a mouse skeleton in a shed at my uncle’s house,” she said. “And I’m just like, it was the coolest thing. It changed my life.”

Decades later, that early discovery continues to influence her work.

A surprising market for the unusual

Customers looking for the unexpected can find plenty to explore, but one of the shop’s more surprising sellers has little to do with bones or insects. VHS tapes.

“I’ve sold more VHS out of this store than I have bones and skulls,” she laughed.

The unexpected popularity of physical media has helped make the shop a destination for collectors interested in older formats and items that are becoming harder to find.

Eight-track tapes have also made an appearance, although the supply doesn’t always last long.

Meanwhile, handmade goods offer customers a chance to support creators whose work reflects their individual styles. The shop carries locally designed clothing, handmade jewelry, candles, handbags and sculpted clay figures, including outdoor decorations designed to withstand the weather.

Some pieces, like the insects already mentioned, require hours of work. One locally designed garment, for example, Kristie said it takes its creator approximately eight hours to make.

The variety is intentional she went on. “I want customers to discover objects that feel personal and distinctive, whether they’re shopping for themselves or searching for a gift for someone with an unusual interest.”

She also has a simple explanation for why the store appeals to more people than some might expect.

“There’s one in every family that likes this type of stuff,” she said. “If it’s not you, stop and think about who you love. Somebody you love likes weird art.”

Giving back to the community

Community involvement is another important part of the business.

The shop hosts art markets approximately every other month, bringing together vendors, artists and customers. Each market also supports a local animal rescue through donations of food and money.

A recent fundraiser held at Rigby’s collected thousands of dollars in food and monetary donations for the Humane Society, Kristie said.

The next event, a Creepy Christmas market scheduled for Dec. 12, will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Reverb Room.

The markets have also grown beyond what she initially expected. When the first took place in April, she wondered whether enough people would come out to support an event centered on unusual art. “I was like, ‘Nobody’s going to come to the market. How many weird people?’” she said. The response answered that question. Vendors filled tables outside, and the parking lot was packed. “Believe it or not, surprisingly, there’s a lot of us here,” she said.

Building something that lasts

Opening a storefront has brought new responsibilities, but the couple has taken a practical approach to getting the business established. They purchased the building and outfitted the shop with secondhand fixtures, keeping startup expenses down rather than taking on unnecessary debt to create a polished retail space immediately.

“I did not want to start a business in a lot of debt,” she said.

For now, the goal is to sustain the business, bring in more artists and gradually improve the shop’s displays as it grows. (You can stay updated at middlegeorgiaoddities.com.)

The move from Postmortem Crafts to Middle Georgia Oddities Market reflects that same vision. Rather than building a store around one artist’s work, Kristie wanted a name that could represent an entire creative community.

The result is a shop where preserved insects sit alongside handmade clothing, where VHS tapes share space with skulls, and where customers can discover artists they might otherwise never encounter.

It may not be a traditional retail business, but that is precisely the point.

In a world filled with chain stores and familiar merchandise, Middle Georgia Oddities Market offers something different: a place built around individuality, local creativity and the belief that being unusual is nothing to hide.

As the owner sees it, the region has plenty of people ready to embrace that idea.

They just needed a place to find one another.