Dollars for baby's smiles??

Unless I've just completely missed out on a growing trend, there's something strange going on in South Hill, Va. I took Jackson shopping at the local Wal-mart there the other day and no sooner had we walked in, then this older gentleman sees Jackson and waves at him. Jackson waves back and smiles and the man comes up to us and gives Jackson a dollar. He said, "Well, you're just so cute, you get a dollar! If you smile again, I'll give you another dollar." Jackson, being the entrepreneur that he is, smiles at him and receives another dollar. He's happily waving his dollars around oblivious to what they are. I manage to get them out of his hands by distracting him and shop for another 30 minutes or so. I'm then in the back of the store trying to decide whether to buy wine or beer or both when a completely different old man starts talking to Jackson and when Jackson smiles and waves the old man pulls a dollar out of his billfold and says "Well since you're so happy, you get a dollar!" WHAT!?! Is this common other places? Do other people's babies get dollars for being cute? I've only ever heard of being cute getting people dollars in strip clubs. If this is the norm in South Hill, then I need to make more frequent shopping trips!