Okay bargain hunters it is time to start planning. Are you the type of person that hops in the car on the weekend and heads out to find the best yard sale or garage sale you can find? Are flea markets, thrift stores and junk shops your shopping heavens? Well we have found paradise for you. Whether you haven’t heard about it or even if you are a yearly visitor, we are going to tell you a bit about “The World’s Longest Yard Sale.”
Highway US 127 public domain by wikimedia commons
The world’s longest yard sale also known as “The 127 Yard Sale” covers 690 miles stretching from Madison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama. The yard sale started in 1987 in Fentress County, Tennessee. In the beginning the sale followed US 127 from Covington, Kentucky to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Each year the event has grown until it has reached its current length of 690 miles.
The event has become such a big event that you will find it being covered by HGTV. If you are thinking about joining in the madness, this year’s event takes place from August 6th through August 9th. The event even has its own Facebook page.
Yard Sale by Dusty Groove via wikimedia
Along the trail you are going to find many of the venders setting up to open with the dawn. Many of these same vendors will still be open around 7 p.m. But don’t expect all of the vendors to be that dedicated. You might want to choose your portion of the event and drive from point A to point B hitting as many open vendors as you want then turning around and driving back from point B to point A and catching any vendors who might not have been open or perhaps seeing a don’t miss item that you might have missed on the first go round.
With an event this long and big you will want to plan overnight stays if you are there for the long haul. You can find a route map online and start looking for overnight stops along the way. The more you plan in advance the more fun you will have. Some of the motel rooms along the route have been booked in advance and many are booked a year ahead of time. You may find yourself staying many miles away from the actual event if you wait too long.
Motor Court by Brian Stansbury via wikimedia commons
Now I am no authority on this event or any other yard sale shopping events, but I am thinking that the first couple of days the prices will be higher, but the “finds” will be more prevalent. I think if you are around for the last day you are going to find more bargains. Of course, most of the must have items will have already been picked up.
I hope that some of you will be brave enough to tackle this fabulous yard sale. If you do, please let us know your thoughts and experiences. The reason I am asking you to do this is, there ain’t no way in the world you will find me at “The World’s Longest Yard Sale.”
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