Our Review of the World's Longest Yard Sale...
The World's Longest Yard Sale took place this past weekend (August 4-7, 2005) along U.S. Highway 127 from Gadsden, Alabama... through the state of Tennessee... and up to Covington, Kentucky, just shy of Ohio. They get upwards of 100,000 yard sale shoppers each year.
Of course, we had to blog this!
And of course, you can expect to find the real "inside scoop" here when it comes to...
...what it's REALLY like.
...whether it's worth making the drive.
...whether it's all that's it's cracked up to be.
...the high points (and low points).
...what you should know if you go.
...if we'd go again.
Nothin' But The Facts
It always starts on the first Thursday in August and has been called "the mother of all garage sales", the "127 sale", the "endless yard sale", "the 127 Corridor Sale" and plenty of other far-reaching and unbelievable titles, but the World's Longest Yard Sale is what it is best known as.
It's so well-known, it has been featured on HGTV, and in Southern Living, Country Living, USA Today, Newsweek, and virtually every major newspaper under the sun!
The "Longest Yard Sale" began in 1987 as a way to lure travelers away from the ever-popoular Interstate 40 and I-75 and into the rural communities. It was a way to prove that the back roads have something to offer tourists too. Here's more about the yard sale's history.
Since then, the U.S. Highway 127 sale has grown to also include several side roads, including Highway 58 in Chattanooga -- which becomes several different highway numbers before reaching Gadsden.
You can jump right into the World's Longest Yard Sale from wherever you are along the way, or start at either end of the official route.
Shop Til You Drop
Even though I would've liked to (...just to say I did it), there's no way we could've done the whole 450 miles of yard sale this weekend -- and we LIKE to drive!
So we started in Dunlap Tennessee, then in Chattanooga, we jumped on a different route toward our final destination of South Carolina.
NOTE: The 127 in McMinnville, Tennessee is NOT the 127 you want to be on! We made the mistake of confusing the two -- which are both relatively near one another on the map. Fortunately, we noticed it right away and turned around to catch the 127 in Dunlap, Tennessee instead.
In fact, if you go yard sale shopping along the "other" 127, you'll find things like this:
Tips For Attending The "World's Longest Yard Sale"
Pre-Travel Tips:
- Take plenty of CASH! Consider plenty of small bills and a few rolls of quarters and nickels. Most do not accept personal checks or credit cards.
Consider the type of vehicle you'll be driving. You need something with lots of space for "stuff", because most people leave with more than they set out to buy. And you never know, you might find "a great deal" on something big & bulky that you've just GOTTA have. (We noticed that many people actually pulled a small TRAILER to haul all their "finds!)- The following items might come in handy: plastic bags (like Walmart bags to carry your stuff WHILE you're shopping), boxes (to keep smaller items from rolling around in your car), bubble wrap (to wrap fragile items), large plastic garbage bags (for carrying stuff; protecting the interior of your car from mud/water), bungie cords (for securing things into place), and waterless hand soap (after handling all the "stuff").
Take a camera. From all the unique items you're sure to see at this yard sale to the unique people you run into... you'll find plenty to photograph!- Don't forget to print out a map of yard sale route (...and double-check that it's actually in the car on the morning you set out for your trip!)
- Prepare for rain. Whether that means packing an extra umbrella or a rain poncho (yard salers usually prefer these), you don't want to get there and find yourself up a creek without a paddle!
- If you're doing the entire route, or planning a multi-day stay in one location, you need to make hotel reservations EARLY... hotels book MONTHS in advance for this weekend!
- Some don't want to spend big money on hotel rooms for a YARDSALE trip! So you might consider packing a small tent that is easy to set up, pack a few pillows, sleeping bags, and a lantern. Campsites along the way are not difficult to find.
Unique To This Yard Sale
Be prepared to stop a lot. You have to drive fairly slow... for many miles (hours!), and it can also be frustrating to try & find a place to park. Fortunately, there's not a lot of horn honking or road rage. Instead, people are just leisurely strolling in and out of sale after sale along the route.- It's usually quite hot this time of year, so carry water with you every time you get out of the car.
- Fill up on gas when you can. You never know how backed up traffic will be, or how far til the next gas station (...or how long you'll be "trapped" in a parking space until someone moves their car).
- Many shoppers have had a hard time finding a bathroom (word is, some small shops and gas stations don't welcome the extra traffic), so diehard yard-salers pack a roll of toilet paper... just in case.
- A lot of really small town restaurants run out of food, so it's not uncommon to see restaurants closed with notes on the door saying so.
It can be dangerous driving out there along the yard sale route... With vendors on both sides of the two-lane road, traffic can become slow, even come to a standstill, so remember to always use your turn-signals. Avoid sudden stops (like when you spot something you've just GOTTA have!). Don't make U-turns (ah hem... JIM!). And pull as much OFF the road as possible, or else this could happen to you!
General Yard Sale Shopping Tips:
- Vendors sell from sunrise to sunset (...and beyond). They say there's only one way to insure that the "early birds" don't get the worms: Be an "earlier bird".
- NEVER pay the asking price...haggle....they ALL expect it!
- Resist the urge to show any excitement for an item you're interested in buying. Instead, try to look only mildly interested then talk them into lowering the price. Remember, early in the morning they may not go down on the prices much, but come the afternoon of the last day, they sure will.
- Here are some great tips on how to be a smart yard sale shopper from the Yard Sale Queen herself.
The Type Of Items For Sale
Jim early on: "I think these people traveled from other places to sell their stuff here -- it's not yard sale stuff at all!"
True. It was really more like the "world's longest stretch of flea markets" -- which is kind of a good thing, since you can visit lots of different sellers at one stop.
Some are even starting to call the world's longest yard sale "a vendor's paradise". Over the years there have been more and more dealers (especially antique dealers) setting up shop along the road. And many offer dealer prices, rather than the typical yard sale prices that most are expecting.
From the Jamestown Tennessee website -- Home & Headquarters of the World's Longest Yard Sale: "We strive to make this a sale of antiques and oddities, and DISCOURAGE vendors from selling USED CLOTHING"... but there were plenty of clothes for sale.
We met a guy from Leesburg, Florida who spent $1000 just to get there. After a half-day of yardsaling, all he had to show for it were 10 carpenter's pencils he got for a buck!
If you're a lifetime collector of "stuff", then you're sure to have a ball! There's stuff you didn't know existed, stuff you just have to have, and stuff you didn't know you needed.
Is This Really The "World's Longest Yard Sale"?
I can't help but wonder... now that the Antique Alley (which covers 502 miles of yard sales in May each year) is so popular, how can the 127 sale still be considered the "world's longest yard sale" when it only covers 420 miles?
Not to mention the fact that the Antique Alley sale features people having "real" yard sales out in their front yards, rather than so many dealers who have rented a piece of land and set up shop.
Plus, I think the relatively new Coast to Coast yard sale folks are onto something... and they're certain to become "the world's longest yard sale" in no time. For now, until more vendors jump on the bandwagon, they're content to be classified as "the Nation's Yard Sale" and "the Great U.S. 50 Yard Sale".
And it looks like there's even more competition for the World's Longest Yard Sale with the Highway 411 Yard Sale!
Summary Of Our "World's Longest Yard Sale" Experience
It was fun meeting new people, spotting lots of "weird stuff", and finding some good deals, but the truth is, we probably won't be adding this to our Summertime Fun list of things to see & do each year.
The World's Longest Yard Sale isn't likely to become one of Jim & Lynnette's annual events, so you'll just have to check it out for yourself and find your own great bargains.
For real. If you haven't been there before and seen it for yourself, then by all means... GO. It's worth a visit. We're just saying...
...Been there, done that!
More about the World's Longest Yard Sale here.
UPDATE FOR 2007: The World's Longest Yard Sale is even longer this year... 180 miles longer! It now spans from the Ohio/Michigan border all the way south to Gadsden, Alabama. That's a total of 630 miles.
UPDATE FOR 2008: The World's Longest Yard Sale dates for 2008 are: August 7-10. Have fun, everyone!
I go to the 127 sales every year, and recent years have been a disappointment, until last year. Usually we start in Owenton area of Kentucky and work our way south, never even hitting the border of Tennessee. Last year (08), we decided on a different plan of attack, and boy was I surprised. We stayed overnight in Chattanooga to get a fresh start in the morning. Signal Mountain was our first real stop, and it took us 3 hours just to get through this tiny area of Signal Mountain, and half of our truck capacity. Needless to say that I will be repeating my journey for the 09 sales this year. Can't wait!
We had sworn we would not do the WLYS ever again after last year. BUT...we may give it another go this year and start in TN instead of AL. I had heard the good sales didn't start until you get to TN last year -- of course we found out AFTER the Alabama disappointment. The moral of the story is....skip AL sales. It was absolutely dismal.
Karen...Trust me...it is well worth your trip.
We're in Southern Illinois...but we drove 6 hours
to Chattanooga to begin in the Signal Mountain
area. We are counting the days for this years
World's Longest Yard Sale.
I wrote a review about it...but it was too long to
post here. So you can find my long and detailed
story :-) by copying and pasteing this link into
the browser, I think. HOWEVER...it's on this website
'somewhere' :-) Hope you make the trip! Kay
http://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/06/worlds_longest_yard_sale.php
Well was it worth your trip from Texas? We are in Abilene and trying to decide if it is worth the trip...Please advise
Planning to come in August and could use some advice. Flying into Lexington, KY and out of Chattanoga, TN. Have not made any hotel reservations yet. Any help would be appreciated.
If you're bored with the South, you could always check out the Ohio portions of the sale. I went from Hamilton, Oh up to Van Wert, OH and then we jumped on the Lincoln Highway sale. Sales were a little sparse but it was a lot of real yardsales as opposed to dealers with new stuff. There aren't a lot of hotels but we stayed off the sale pretty far.
Northern, Ky was pretty fun two years ago - lots of fun stuff especially on Friday.
where are the best sales in Ohio?
We went to the sale this past year and it was our final year. We had been attending annually since it started (with the exception of one year I had to sit it out due to surgery). It has been steadily going downhill over the years but the 2008 sale was the last straw.
We started in Gadsden and where the first large field on the left used to completely packed with vendors -- last year there were none. We thought we had made a mistake and got the date wrong. We hadn't. We drove on for about a mile and saw a few small garage sales in the neighborhood but there wasn't a lot for sale. We moved on another mile and at the first church on the left there were usually tons of vendors. There were three and they were all selling new flea market stuff - made in China. So we drove another 1/2 mile up the road and there were some vendors set up under the trees. We checked it out but everything looked VERY "picked over" (like a garage sale looks on the last day of the sale). I asked the sellers about it and they said the re-sellers and dealers had shown up while they were setting up and bought up most of what they had (one to three days BEFORE the actual start date). We drove for miles and came across this sad story over and over again. Very little for sale and everything picked over. By the end of the first day we were tired and furious. We had taken the time off work and "played by the rules" and the dealers and re-sellers ruined it for everyone. It is exasperating to go on the day it starts -- first thing in the morning only to find out that the greedy dealers showed up days before. I talked to a lot of people who were even angrier than we were -- people who had driven from Florida, Texas, Iowa -- even a couple from Oregon! Gas last year was high and these people had paid for rental vans and had paid for hotel rooms -- only to leave with very little. We actually ended up just buying fresh vegetables from the roadside stands. I had taken $600 in cash with me and when it was all over I had spent less than $50.
The one thing that stood out -- we were amazed that where it used to be wall-to-wall sellers and bumper-to-bumper traffic...it was dead. And I am not kidding.
Later I talked to other people who had attended the WLYS and they said it didn't "get good" until they got up into Tennessee. We had decided not to even travel to TN because it was so horrific in AL. So, if you take that into account -- I'd skip Alabama.
I have never been to this 127 sale, but would love to go. Is there any discounts for first time visitors and do government employees get discounts in lodging and eateries. I can't wait till I am able to visit. Pgipson
p.s. i live in crandall in murray county,georgia.
thanks for this website.
can i get a map on how to get there from here?
when is it?how long is it?
You could start in Crossville Tennessee and work your way south. There's lots of places to shop.
You can find cheaper hotels of I 40 and I 75. It's lots of fun and not too long of a journey!
Hello! My girlfriend and I are planning to go to the yard sale this year(2009). It's to celebrate OUR 50th birthday. We live in the Mobile, Al area and would like to end our trip in Gadsen, AL. Could someone tell us the est place to start and work our way down? We don't want to go to far. My friend has MS (she can still walk, no wheelchair). We would appreciate any help. Thank you.
Signal Mtn is located just North of Chattanooga Tn and South of Pikevill Tn. I have been told this stretch is great, som say actually one of the best areas. In our lot we usually have at least 40 different setups. If you check out HGTV most of the filming took place on the lot. All types of items for sale and reasonable prices. Please introduce yourself to me. I am in the front tent next to concession. Above all else, be safe and have a BLAST!!!
We went on the trip in 2007 and 2008 and started near Crossville Tenn. It is very important to get your lodging reservation early as the rooms will be booked up. We started south of Crossville the day we arrived and spent the remainder of the day digging around the area. The next day we started north of I40 and worked our way on Highway 127. Be prepared to stop quickly and the majority of the locals are very friendly but you might run into some that may give you a blast on the horn for being stuck in heavy traffic but for the most part it fine. We had a cooler full of cold drinks and snacks but there were a lot of vendors set up to feed us so you won't starve but you may have a problem finding a restroom. Some of the more organized spots might have a pot a potty set up but they will be a little messy. The scenery is delightful so in between stops you can take it in. There are to many great spots to describe them all but we really enjoyed Jamestown Tenn the birth place of Sargent York the hero of WWI. We spent a couple hours at the park where he lived and at his gravesite. They have a huge yard sale setup nearby. We spent many hours digging through stuff and before we knew we were at Danville Ky where we spent the night. The next day we departed Danville and headed north and spent the day repeating our hunt. We headed back to Missouri about 3:00 with our treasures . We took allot of pictures and you can see them on our website. http://www.ksbulldogs.com
Please help! My husband and I excited to try the sale for the 1st time in 2009. We're coming from Michigan. Is the Michigan to Ohio route, which appears to be a new addition, worthwhile? Or are we better off strating in Covington and heading south from there? Any advice would be much appreciated! Suggestions on lodging in Kentucky would be especially helpful. Many thanks!!
Our car is shined to a pristine finish & it's all but ready to hit the road. It's a fairly new Ford Fusion, black inside & out, I call it my 'squad car'..another story for another time:) & I take great pride in our car. The trunk is packed with a few small boxes (all folded neatly inserted one into the other to save space) & newspapers & plastic bags are packed into that. Our check list is on the kitchen table to double check at the last minute to make sure we don't forget a thing.
Plans now, are to leave about noon Wednesday to head towards Signal Mountain. That's where we will begin.
We're a retired couple in our early 60's & we've been blessed to be able to travel a lot. But I don't ever
remember experiencing as much eager anticipation on any of our other trips, as I am dealing with on this one. I feel like I'm 5 years old & it's 4 days till Santa Clause comes. :-)
We're devout 'junkers'...we try to take one day a week, just to go on a day trip to one of the surrounding towns...to see what treasurers we can find. Although, we don't look for...or drag home just any old piece of
junk.
My husband has what I call a little 'motorcycle museum'. It's a little one car garage he built several years
ago to house our Honda Valkyrie that we travel on...& I just started adding memorabilia from his dads old
motorcycle dealership that he had back in the 1950's...& before we knew it, we had a 'motorcycle museum'. :-)
One day, we were on vacation & my husband spotted a coffee mug he liked, we bought it, but we didn't know what to 'do' with it...so he just set it on the desk in the motorcycle museum when we returned home. Not long after that, friends came to visit that had been on vacation & 'they' brought him a coffee mug,
so the next thing we knew, he had a small collection of 2 advertising coffee mugs :-) & a brand new hobby was off &
running. He now has almost 700 unique coffee mugs hanging from the ceiling of his little motorcycle museum. And even though he has collectibles in his little museum worth no telling WHAT...when folks first step in to look around... the first thing they do is gasp at the hundreds of coffee mugs. He has some of the most unique you will find anywhere. So that...along with old buttons, books, doilies & other vintage linens that "I" collect, are what we will be searching for.
We're not sure if we'll come home with many mugs, as we are also 'cheap scapes' :-) & there's no way he's going to pay more than $1 for a coffee mug. Most that we have were 25 cents or less.
But we're all but packed & raring to go & even if we don't buy much, we know we're going to have a blast. We'll have 2 or so days away from the phone, computer, 'work' :-) & it will be just the two of us on some of the most scenic back roads of America, just taking our time & doing one of the things we like to do best.
One thing I've missed finding in all my researching about this 'worlds longest yard sale', is specific information about many of the best places to find good vendors. Most 'blogs' or whatever, will comment on one or two, but sometimes even then, won't give enough information for us to be able to easily know where it 'is'
along the yard sale trail. So we plan to hit as much as we can in our two days or so from Signal Mountain north.
And then I plan to write a detailed account of our trip. Including best places to find numerous vendors in one
location...the best places to find the 'best' vendors...a little info on prices here & there. A little about the areas most congested with yard sales. We're also going to be hitting many of the little roads 'off the beaten path' that have yard sale signs along Hwy 127.
So if your plans end up in LaLa Land & you find yourself on the couch 'wishing you were there'...just hang on, because after you read my next post, you'll almost feel like you've been there. :-)
I will also have more & better pictures than I've seen, so far. I'm pretty green about computers, but I'm sure
I can get our daughter to help me post the pics. Or if necessary, I'll send them to my friend Julia (www.yardsalers.net) & post the info on her website. If you check out Julia's website...be sure and subscribe to her wonderful newsletter just packed with priceless information. And when you do...tell her 'Katy' sent you. :-) More later!
This is my first time going and I'm coming from Toledo, Ohio. I need to have a map of where the stops are, could someone help me? I have the map for Darke County, Greenville, Ohio. I need one because I will be starting in Defiance, Ohio. Please Please can someone advise me on what I should do. Thank You!!
The sales are just scattered out along the side of the hwy 127. I'd assume since your starting in Defiance, OH. you would just stay on hwy 127 and go south. There aren't really certain places to stop at where the yard sales are, the sales are just scattered along 127. Most the time you just park on the side of the highway for each sale and sometimes they are in church parking lots or other business's lots along 127.
Just make sure you stay on hwy 127 and don't longer off on hwy 27 because their pretty close to each other.
I'm coming from St. louis Missouri so I start in Covington, Kentucky and just keep going south on hwy 127 checking out the sales until it's time to find a place to stay the night.
Some towns may have sales that you could stop at and stay looking for a couple hours and sometimes you may go 20 miles and find no sales along the road.
I know some people have only gone about 50 miles along the route and thats as far as they get. But I usually start in Covington, Ky and stay the night in Jamestown, Ky and then the next day I usually get to Pikeville, Tn and stay the night there. I always just yard sale Friday and saturday and leave to go home on Sunday morning. I drive all thru the night on Thursday to get to Covington on Friday morning.
this will be our first year setting up but not the first to shop at them.. and have no clue on to and where to set up at..we are comming from somerset ky and would like to set up in albany ky or anywhere on 127 somewheres in ky though, thats not to far away lol does anyone have any ideas where a good place to go if there is any places to set up at... i prolly should of did this along time ago but didnt decide till just a few days ago to do this lol. i know crazy huh? but if anyone knows of any places cheap or free of charge to set up please let us know.. always loved shopping at the 127 yard sales so much fun and so so many places to go.. but thanks =]
Russell Springs is a really good place to set up. There are several fields with lots of venders. When I go south on the sale, I ALWAYS stop there!
Brenda...Where is Signal Mountain? We're in
Southern Illinois and we're not sure which end
we're going to start at. I want to make sure
we get in the Cumberland General Store area.
But where are you? Thanks, Katy
I am one of the professional sellers in the yard sale, have been for 20 years. I price my items reasonable for a collector or another shop owner. There are 45 vendors from all over the country in our space on Signal Mtn. Each year we gather and enjoy our yearly reunion and we all enjoy seeing all the travelers, very tired shoppers. We all compare , at the end of the day which person sold to the most faraway customer. We have never had complaints, mostly compliments actually, that our prices are great, selection is vast and most of all a good parking area. We love it, count the days until the next year and start buying up treasures to display next August. If you haven't tried it, do!! See ya'll on Signal Mtn, just ask for Van and Brenda.
hey I am new at this could you tell me how to be a vendor there and where to stay. I sell glass pendants not old but new thanks grace
I have been attending this annual event since it started. It has gone through a lot of changes since then.
In the beginning it was a true yard sale. House after house with their garages overflowing with "fun junk", people pulled up into open fields selling misc goodies out of boxes and the back of trucks, church yards filled with parishoner's goodies for sale to raise money for the choir, etc.
The first year I went I bought something at almost every stop. 25 cents for a bakelite bracelet, $2 for a set of Southern Living cookbooks, $3 for a gallon ziplock bag full of vintage beads, etc. It was loads of fun. But as the years have gone by more and more antique dealers have taken over. People rent their yards and farmers rent space in their fields to the antique dealers and "professional resellers". An example of the change : where you used to find $2 price tags on unsigned pottery pieces you'll now find $50 price tags.
Over the years I have spent less and less because I have found the prices have increased dramatically. One year I spent a grand total of $32 where the year before I had spent $350. The year I spent only $32 was the most disappointing ever (2006). We arrived on the first day at 6:00 a.m. Everywhere we went everything looked "picked over" already -- as if it was the last day of the sale and not the first. So, I asked one of the sellers, "What gives?" She told me that the antiques dealers had converged on everyone as they were setting up the day before and had already bought up all the good stuff. This made everyone angry of course -- especially since we took off work and friends had traveled hundreds of miles just to attend the yard sale.
Then last year it was a little better -- maybe they told the dealers "no early sales?". While 75% of the vendors were priced too high, we still managed to find some goodies. We drove home with 4 of us in an SUV and so much stuff crammed into it we barely had a place to sit. The most notable finds for me last year: $8 for a cut glass cake stand, $3 for a baggie of vintage ladies watches, $3 for a Longaberger basket, $1.50 for two Southern Living cookbooks (I now have the complete set), $6 for a Morley majolica plate, $10 for a vintage sewing box full of old notions, $1 for a platter that matches my every day dishes, $2 for a Venetian glass beaded necklace, $30 for three vintage Czech perfume bottles, $1 each for some great old vintage books, $75 for a huge bag full crystal beads, $1 for a sterling silver necklace, $5 for a 10K white gold ring with 1/3 Carat diamond, $1 for a Brighton bracelet, $2 for a baggie of old charms, and $2 for a vintage wooden jewelry box.
My aunt bought an entire box of "king's crown" goblets, sherbets and water glasses for $9, a box of old mercury glass Christmas ornaments for $5, and a bag of broken necklaces for $2.
It's always a "toss-up" as to whether or not you will find anything. You may "hit the jackpot" one year and the next year you'll leave so disappointed that you swear you'll never return. So, be prepared for either one.
Do I still think it is worth attending? Sure do. I'll be trying my luck again this year. I just hope that since gas is $4 a gallon this go-round it will be worth it and not one of those "bad years" where I spend more on gas than on goodies.
We waited until march last year to get reservations and it was tough finding anything on 127. This year I did it in September and a lot had already been booked. Good luck.
This will be me and my wifes 1st time for shopping. We are coming from Weatherford, Texas. We are planning on starting at Gadsden Alabama and then hearding north. We will be hitting almost everything we see!!!! I can almost bet there will be no rock that hadnt been looked under... Hee Hee We have watched the HGTV show and have watched all kinds of media about this event and are very excited to be making the trek!!!!
5 of us (girl trip)are leaving from Troy, Mo. on the evening of August 7th to arrive bright and early August 8th for the yardsale. We are starting in Covington, ky and working our way down south for 2 days and will get as far as we can get, probably will end around Pikeville, Tennessee. This will be my 3rd time going and we always bring one or 2 small tents for everyone to sleep in. We've always stayed at state parks along the 127 route. We can't beat the average $20.00 a night for a campsite compared to around $150.00 or more a night for a hotel room and their usually all booked in advance anyway. We just make sure we don't pack too much stuff. For camping we only take the tents and some pillows and blankets. We don't take tons of food or cooking supplies. That way in the morning we just roll up the tents and blankets real fast, take a quick shower and we're on our way. We pack some hotdogs, smores, chips for snacking on around the fire. We eat at local food joints. One morning on one of our last trips my husband and I both ate breakfast for $5.00, that was for 2 biscuit and gravy meals and 2 drinks, this was at some mom & pop place along the route ---but it was cheap and good! Here's some pointers --- Bring a role of toilet paper for emergencies, bathrooms can be few and far between. Bring cash and quite a few small bills, atm's and banks can be hard to find at times. Keep an eye on your gas tank since gas stations can be hard to find along the route in certain areas. Keep a cooler filled with ice and beverages. The last 3 times I went on the trip the tempuratures were in the 90's. A person can overheat real quick down there. Too keep my mom cool I had to dip a hand towel in the ice chest for her to wear around her neck while she walked around and checked out stuff. Drive slow and watch out for pedestrians, in certain areas people are walking all over in the middle of the roads and in between cars - it can get really crazy at times. But the fun outweighs the craziness. See ya'll there!
Hmmmm... not sure. Maybe some of the other long distance yard-salers will pipe in here with where they're from and how far they'll be traveling to enjoy the World's Longest Yard Sale.
I do know that a journalist with the BBC World Service in London contacted us for info, as they were interested in the world's
longest yard sale last year.
I'm travelling over from the UK especially for the yard sale. Is this a record?
I, too, have been checking all of the web sites. What we are going to do is fly into Nashville and then drive to Dayton, TN and make that our home base. I researched several hotels on the route, several were not available, the rest were $170+a night. My friend is really excited about going, however, I think the heat will do us in. In that case we will see the sites. We will cover as much as possible from Dayton. Depending on traffic we may bypass the 127 rt, drive into Ky and then work our way down. Who knows, this is to be an adventure with lots of fun.
I too am from CA and I am moving to MI just in time to pack up and go. What I plan on doing is let AAA help me find the motels and read all that Google has to offer on the sale. I assume that you saw the show on HGTV. I have gotten some good hints from the sites that I Googled. My husband and stepson are excited about going.We will start in the opposite direction if that is possible. keep in touch and I will share what ever I find.
Paula Green.
My girlfriend and I are planning on doing this yard sale in August. We are flying into Nashville on the 5th of August, renting a car and then attempting the yard sale. Can anyone tell me of a couple of good motels that is mid way. Our plan is to get a room for 1 or 2 nights, drive as far as we can and then move up rt 127.Iwas thinking of getting a motel in crossville.
since we are from California and unfamiliar with the area, any hints or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
If you haven;t found hotels yet, Crossville is pretty expensive. Check some of the small towns off of I-40 east of Crossville... I can't remember the towns, but I know there's a Days Inn and a Knights Inn that I've stayed at. I like the Days better.
We are coming down Aug 6 to stay at Big South near Jamestown. We were wondering will we be able to do most of TN from the 6 - 10
Looking forward to going this year 2008, wanted to know the best places to stay for the $$ and location. Please help having a hard time finding places along the routs.
Thanks Kelly
My husband and I attended a portion of the 127 yard sale August 2008 knowning that we would have to take the sale a portion of the time over a few summers. The internet was a big help in planning and we decided to start in Tennessee hoping to make it as far north as Jamestown, where it all started, and as far south as Chatttanoga. We decided to stay at the Best Western in Dayton, Tenn, which was centrally located. It was a reasonable priced lodgng with a continental breakfast and a great catfish dinner on Friday evening and the staff was pleasant. We arrived on Wednesday and this year will definitely start earlier. We drove down from Southern Maryland and found some good shops in the
Roanoke, Va area where we stayed the first night. When we began the sale early Thursday and drove to 127 it took us 8 hours to get to Crossville and we never did see Jamestown. I have a shop so I was looking for specific items and we were pleased with the small things we found but really didn'tfindtoo much furniture. Everyone is so niceand the area is absolutely beautiful. Most sale areas have a driveway where you can pull off the main road and park behind the tents which is a good idea. It is hot but cool enough in the morning for a light jacket so dress comfortably, have water and as much cash as possible. Friday we drove south toward Chattanoga and had a great time in the town of Dunlap. Alot of sellers apparently come back to that area each year and the merchandise was of better and more interesting quality. We drove on into the mountains and came across a wonderful sale at a firehouse where they were serving lunch and having a quilt show in addition to yard sales. We never made it to Chattanoga which was our goal for this summer but I just came across all the information on the Ohio yardsales - so many yard sales - so little time.
hi everyone,my husband plan on going to this long yardsale.we live in spartanburg south carolina.we will only have 2 days.where would be the best place close to us to get to highway 127.i hope someone can tell me.
thanks in advance
susan
I'm pulling a 30' house trailer with generator with a Dodge 3500 diesel dually. How hard is it to find a place to stop for the night? I don't need a trailer park because everything is self-contained.
Most areas have Walmarts and in my area Signal Mtn, we have one on the Chattanooga sidea and the Dunlap Tn side of the mtn. They allow overnight parking for travelers. Perhaps you can ask along the way "How far to the next Walmart?". Have a great time!!
Something to consider for lodging are the wonderful state campgrounds/parks located within a few miles of 127. Our first year we stayed in Big Bone Lick, KY and this year was in the Lake Cumberland area. Both places were beautiful and very reasonably priced. It's easy to get an early start on shopping when the birds wake you in the morning!
I just received an email from Ellie (see July 17th comment above) after she returned from the 2007 World's Longest Yard Sale. She gives lots of great advice for future shoppers:
"We had fun and got lots of neat stuff, but didn't get very far - just from Covington to Danville KY. Almost lost the route at the Ohio River though!
Everyone was really nice! and we had no trouble finding water, bathrooms or porta-potties (although they were ROASTING - esp. the seats!)
We found some neat treasures at good prices, but some things were priced somewhat high. But then we just moved on! We wished everyone well.
I don't know how some people withstood the heat on the sunny hills, without trees.
We had to stay at quite an expensive place (Capital Plaza in Frankfort) Thursday night but it was nice to have a shower and A/C. Next time I would find a place earlier, then continue shopping.
Thanks for your informative, fun web site!!!
-Eleanor
You may want to try some bed and breakfasts in the Danville area. Do a search for boyle county chamber of commerce and there are some on there. We also have several motels, but they may be booked. I have my own yard sale about 4 miles s. of Danville behind Don's Marathon station.
this year will be my 3rd time attending the yard sale. We have so much fun. It's really HOT!!!!! take lots of water!!!! We booked our last hotel in April and that hotel only had two rooms open. If anyone was going to attend you should call ahead for rooms. We have learned to use the Bathroom when ever you see one. There isn't many places to stop with restrooms and gas. Take it slow and enjoy the people.
This will be our first time at the sale. We will be starting out in Covington. Are there cheap hotels along the way we can just stop at and try our luck? I don't know how far we will get in a day! How far do people usually get in a day? We don't need anything fancy. Are there cheap hotels a little off from Rt. 127?
I have been to the 127 yard sale for the past few years, but I have always been through Jamestown, TN and into Crossville. My mom and I are interested mostly in old farm/antique-like items such as old milk containers, trunks, furniture, etc. Any advice on the best area to find these things? We are willing to travel.
can you give me a good starting place and ending place, me and my mom and sister are coming from NC. Also some places to stay along the way. Thanks!
My daughter, granddaughter & I went to the 2005 endless yard sale and we are going back this August 2007. We live in Southern California, so it is a long trip for us, but we had so much fun the first time, experiencing southern hospitality, sightseeing the beautiful countryside, and eating good ol' southern food. We make our reservations about 6 months in advance for lodging, & about 3 months ahead of time for airline tickets and rental van. It does get extremely hot, so take a hat, and sunscreen! We start in north Ky & go south, seeing the entire 450 mile jaunt in the 4 days. An experience of a lifetime!
this year will be my 3rd year to do the 127. the first year i went by my self, last year i took my sister with me. no husbands no kids no pet.just one week of fun and no schedules. if you cant stand intense heat dont go. theres lots of walking and lots of waiting. but i wouldnt miss it for the world. i will be making the trip alone this year. it the only thing i give myself all year long. im addicted. ill never miss.
Is there going to be a 2007, Route 40 longest yard sale, or have I missed it?
Mary -
You can find a very comprehensive list of hotels & lodging here.
As for the airports & maps, I would contact the folks who put on the sale... here is their website.
--> You can also request a brochure! Which has a space for additional questions & comments.
Does anyone else who's been to the world's longest yard sale have any advice???
Where can I get info on the longest yard sale? Such as the nearest airport, we are planning to come in from CA. We need road maps and start to finish of the sale.
Tahnk you
I'm planning on going this year. Is it to late to find a place to stay? Any suggestions? Thanks!
my mother and i are planning to make this adventure. we live in los banos, ca. iam planning on driving out and pulling my 21 ft trailor so we have food, toilet and shelter. do you think i wiill have a hard time with parking overnight? daily, is it safe to be out there by ourselves, bring along one small dog, do you think a pickup and trailor is enough space for all the collectables im sure to find?????? thank you for your in put, so exsited!!!!
I can't wait to go to this years longest yardsale.
Its suppost to be my birthday present.
I saw the show on HGTV and I can't wait till I go. I canceled my plans for my birthday to go to the longest yardsale.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHEN THE YARD SALE FOR FLA IS COMING, COULD NOT FIND INFO ON IT.
THANKS PAT
My wife & I were in Bledsoe Co., Tn, visiting my kin, when I decided to stop at some of the vendors while we were driving near Pikeville. I purchased a ladies watch for $15, even though it didn't work (seller said that the battery was dead). When we returned to San Antonio, my wife went to her jeweler to get a new battery & she was told that the watch is worth $150, & I didn't even haggle for it.
I'm the chairperson of the Historic National Road Yard Sale which will take place from May 30-June 3, 2007 along US 40 from Baltimore MD to St. Louis MO.
For additional information, please refer to my website: www.oldstorefrontantiques.com.
In advance, thanks so much!!
PS If you'd like a Press Packet, please send me your e-mail.
pmc
My husband and I are planing to go this year. We would appreciate any information on where to start and where to stay. Also, we need a good map of the route.
My mom and I went to last summers WLYS as a girls weekend away and had a lot of laughs.
We even travelled from Canada to enjoy it.
Been there - done that- and will definately do it again. LOL
My firend and I want to go the world's largest yard sale in 2007. We need information about where to start, lodging, etc. Any thing you can send us about planning a trip, we need.
thank you,
Kathy REctor
My mom and I are planning to attend in Aug of 2007. Can anyone could tell me - are many of the sale areas wheelchair accessible? My Mom's got arthritis and although she doesn't need a wheelchair to get around, we're thinking we might be able to check out and visit more if she has a wheel chair. :)
Hi everyone -
I just caught the tail-end of a special on HGTV about this yard sale. It's called "Endless Yard Sale 2006".
I don't see any times that it's re-airing. (It's already been shown 4 times.) But you may want to check out HGTV's program schedule on occasion to catch repeat airings later in the year.
--> Here's what others thought of the special... and the sale itself.
MIGHT YOU KNOW OF a source for OLD CAST IRON SHUTTER HINGES that I COULD CONTACT TO REPLACE A shutter HINGE BROKEN YESTERDAY BY A PAINTER. iT IS A #2 ROUNDED MALE PART, NOT THE MORTISE HINGE THAT HAS A POINTED MALE PART. It is of sturdy quality. Cincinnati, OH
Three friends and I attended the yardsale in 2006, we traveled from Georgia to Gadsden, Alabama then up to Chattanooga up to Dunlap, Pikesville and several other towns. We found the heat to be unbearable, it was dangerously hot.
We were disappointed in the majority of the items as they were flea market finds at antique store prices.
I would like to say however, We never encountered the first unkind person. We experienced a flat tire the first morning at the motel and were assisted by very kind people.
Don't p[lan to attend in August - to hot!
My sister and I decided that we needed to make it this year to the 2006 Longest Yard Sale. It was very exciting for us to see miles and miles of Garage Sales, eventhough I would call them Antique Sales (since prices were not garage sale prices). We even had the audicity to skip some? We started in Gadsden, Alabama and made it through to Crossville, Tennesse. What we loved best was the warm hospitality of the southern people, (eventhough we are from Florida)people are very rude in some Florida cities. Everyone was very nice and courteous, even the driving was an experience, everyone was very patient and polite.
My husband and I are making the 127 for our third year. We have fun interacting with the people, both the buyers and the sellers. We don't need a thing, we don't want the junk, but we have been fortunate enough to find some things of true value and antiques at that! I don't think we'll find any rare pieces of fortune, but the fun we have for the four days is worth more than any monetary thing we could find. So all of you who might be contemplating whether to try this event or not, give it a try and be a part of an event that makes us America! Hopefully you will live within a few miles of the 127 because lodging is not to be had now, rooms and B&B's get booked months in advance by those of us who are planners! Enjoy!!!!
My hubby and I are eagerly planning to leave for our third trip to the sale!! We made it to Alabama last year, but did not find it as exciting as KY and TN. We are starting in Frankfort, KY this year and going north for a while before heading south to Danville. The area we like the best is southern KY and all of TN.
Hello, This will be my 4th trip to 127 Sale. We have always started in South Tenn. , but have wondered what the sale was like in Alabama. Any suggestions/opinions welcome. Thanks!!!
Aimee -
I'd say you should still go... just once.
While the bulk of the vendors participating in the World's Longest Yard Sale DON'T have clothes for sale, you'll quickly notice that all of the "locals" try to jump on the yard sale bandwagon by having their own family yard sales at the same time.
THAT's where you'll find a lot of good deals on clothes -- in the smaller, private yard sales that are set up all along the route.
I'd say, try it once. And have FUN!!!!
Great information. I am very dissapointed that they don't encourage clothing. That is my passion! Would it be a wast of my time to go to this? I am always on a jean hunt!
My husband and I live about an hour away from the Highway 127 Yard Sale but have only been once, probably five years ago...
We came to the same conclusion as Jim and Lynette -- it's a fun trip off the beaten path and well worth the experience, but it's not something we feel compelled to do just because it's August.
We travelled in tandem with my parents and had a ball... Not knowing what to expect food-wise, we packed sanwiches and picnic food. Finding a covered picnic shelter proved to be fairly easy as we neared the Signal Mountain/Chattanooga area, and the one where we stopped for our goodies had available bathroom facilities.
Special note if you attend on a rainy day - the geography of Highway 127 is hilly and mountainous in places, and thick fog can be an issue.
from the sounds food and lodgeing are hard to find. what if you don't know where you will be when to get reservations for a room?? i don't think sleeping on the ground in a bag is for us....any suggestions??? thanks
when is the world longest yard sale coming to florida
The World's Largest Yard Sale is going to be August 3-6, 2006 and August 2-5, 2007.
Keep your eye on this site for up-to-the minute details.
I just happened upon this site and was wondering if you could tell me when the next world largest yard sale is going to be. I would appreciate any answers that you may have.
Thank you,
Jessica
www.hwy411yardsale.com
Hi Susan-
I'm afraid I could not locate a date, or even contact info for the Highway 411 sale.
The information I linked to above was from last year's sale, and my e-mail to that author bounced.
If I find more information, I'll post it here...
When is the Hwy 411 Yard sale and how could I get it maped out? Thank you very much for your help.