VALDOSTA — Sammy Dees often referred to his being an only child as part of the reason he loved “Gone with the Wind.”

Seeing the movie as a boy struck a special chord within him, he said in past interviews.

Dees never married. He had no children. He worked as an admissions specialist at Valdosta State University.

But by the time of his 2017 death at the age of 54, he had become known locally as the man who collected “Gone with the Wind” memorabilia.

“This was his passion,” said Norma Cloud of Professional Auctioneers.

Cloud is handling the estate auction with online bidding opening noon Monday, Nov. 26, through 8 p.m., Dec. 4. More information, visit http://www.professionalauctioneer.com. Viewing of items and bidding are online only, she said.

Many items are similar to ones offered in a past Christie’s “Gone with the Wind” auction, Cloud said.

“Gone with the Wind” was a 1936 novel written by Margaret Mitchell. The book was about the tempestuous relationship of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler set against the backdrop of the Civil War and societal changes in Georgia.

Mitchell’s novel became a bestselling phenomenon.

So did the movie it inspired. 

“Gone with the Wind,” the movie, was released in 1939 starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. It premiered in the Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta. It became the highest grossing movie of its era and retained that designation for decades.

Dees’ collection reflects the popularity of the novel and the movie.

— He has more than 50 editions of the novel, including volumes in other languages. Eighteen of the volumes are first editions. Two of the volumes are among the editions released a month earlier than intended and escaped the May 1936 recall. One volume is signed by Mitchell.

— Numerous items contain autographs. Several have the autographs of the principal players in the movie. Some are packaged and framed in groups with photos matching autographs. Cloud said one rare piece is a framed package of photos and autographs of two dozen supporting actors from the movie.

— Dees often didn’t settle for having one but rather several of the same items. He has multiple copies of a GWTW paper doll book from the 1930s; several pre-movie cast-iron bookends shaped in the silhouettes of Rhett and Scarlett from 1937; numerous lobby cards; more than a dozen copies of the 1939 movie premiere program, etc.

— There are “Gone with the Wind” porcelain figures and dolls; numerous posters and photos; life-size cutouts; related books; Atlanta Journal collected newspaper books containing all of the newspaper editions in the weeks leading to and during the movie premiere; numerous other clippings from newspapers of the era.

— A shadowbox contains a premiere program, ticket and other items.

— Another framed item contains a portion of carpet from the Loew’s lobby where the film premiered.

— In addition to “Gone with the Wind,” Dees collected autographs from numerous actors and actresses and other movie memorabilia. He had a library of 4,000-5,000 movies and hundreds of books. He was also interested in Disney and American presidents.

Cloud said Dees began collecting items as a youth and young adult. His collection grew with the internet.

Cloud said an email blast will send details of the auction to known GWTW collectors nationally and internationally.

As for Valdosta collectors, they have been aware of the Dees collection for years, Cloud said. He discussed “Gone with the Wind” with numerous local groups.

After the bidding, the pieces will likely become parts of collections near and far. They will no longer be the Dees’ collection. Instead, they will be gone, not with the wind, but to the highest bidder.