Longest Garage Sale

**patticakes** · 06-04-2009, 03:21 PM

I finally read Sunday's paper and one of the inserts, I think it was Parade, had a quick blurb on the 300 mile garage sale this summer in the Ohio, Kentucky Tennessee(?) area. Have any of you attended this? I remember seeing a special on this on HGTV a while back. I thought it would be a good girls weekend out eventually. Would it be worth the trip?

**frugalwarrior** · 06-04-2009, 03:56 PM

I think that might be my equivilent to a gambling addiction for me. I could go on for days. Forget to eat. Mortgage the house to buy trinkets and cookbooks.Last year a lady was collecting mismatched blue dishes for a huge wedding for her daughter. I wanted to go shop w/ her so bad. I best just watch it on tv. Maybe when the kids leave home..
There is no explanation for the depths of my love for garage sales. MMM. 300 hundred miles ooooh.

**Nana2two** · 06-04-2009, 06:49 PM

I have been wanting to go. But never have. I have been on the route 66 sales which is around 100 mile long here in Illinois.

**sabrelvssammy** · 06-04-2009, 07:51 PM

i have been 4 times....the first time about 9 yrs ago was awesome...each time after that has gotten progressively worse....we went last year and was disappointed....

we live in indiana but drive down to gadsen alabama (where the 'official' start is) we leave here about midnight and drive thru the night...have b-fast in gadsen at a little diner (with all the other 'crazies') lol...and then off we go heading north...

the first time we did it there was 4 of us in a big dually pick-up (and we filled every square inch of that thing inside and out)...we were nick-named the 'sanford & son gang' by the other 'salers'...(you get in a groove where you keep seeing the same people over and over heading north and its fun to compare and 'talk shop' with them)....we had things tied in every direction and overflowing on that vehicle... we were out for 4 solid days and we thought we would stop at them all on the way....wrong... we had to start being really selective if we were ever gonna even get out of alabama...(at one point it took us 8 hrs to get 1 mile down the road...) it was wall to wall bumper to bumper stopped traffic...sometimes we would jump out and shop while the driver sat in the traffic line (of course we had to take turns to do that)....we had made hotel reservations along the route before we left but of course we really had no idea what we were in for and we were never anywhere close to where we thought we should have been by the end of the day....so that never worked out....we got so many awsome good stuff it was amazing....

the 2nd time just one other girl and i went.... we found some good deals but nothing like the first time...we ran into alot of people & vendors that we had met previously...we learned that we just had to sleep in the truck and play everything by ear....

3rd time...different girl...3 yrs ago....this one was really bad...the houses that had had the sales in the past weren't participating...there were long stretches between sales....the prices were up....gas prices were higher and alot of the vendors that we had met weren't there (alot had come from all across the country for years to participate in this) (it's been going on for about 25 yrs or so)...so the vendors we talked to and asked where everyone was told us that the sales didn't make the trip worth coming back in the past few yrs....so the less sales out there we also noticed that there was alot less traffic and buyers also.... we were only out 2 days and when we hit TN we blew the whole thing off and drove to the OpryMills Mall and spent our time there instead....

i tried again last year (coz i just can't seem to get it...lol)..... a friend that was going had to cancel at the last minute so i went by myself... was really disappointed this time.... the prices were terrible, the selection terrible, mostly vendors selling the same stuff over and over...(more like a giant flea market).... i shopped a whole day and then drove back home....i got very little and when you do that it makes for a more expensive trip and the bargains don't seem that great after that....

so.....of course....we are talking about doing it again this year....
i think we might be in for a pleasant surprise this time (i hope).... i think more vendors will stay away (based on gas prices, economy & such...if they didn't come before why come now?).... and based on what we are seeing around here with the hundreds of garage sales going on each weekend and the sheer volume of stuff being sold that alot more people are going to be jumping in and having a sale along the route (the homeowners...that's who you want...that's where the good cheap stuff is)... so we are gonna try it again....

little tips we have found- if you do the sale save your time for hitting the houses instead of the fields set up...they are usually full of vendors and you can find the same stuff at flea markets.... time is very limited to get thru it (its now over 620 miles long reaching thru IL)....and even if you stopped ONLY at the houses you will never make it from end to end in the time that it is going on....the houses are where the 'good' stuff is....

the weather is crazy and in the mornings you are freezing and by the afternoons you are sweating like a little piggy....take x-tra clothes....and plan for rain....x-tra shoes...couple of pairs...and raincoat.... food may be plentiful if you like 'circus-fair' if you don't...pack coolers with good stuff...there are a few restaurants along the route but time is very short and don't waste it 'sitting down for a meal' unless you just gotta have a rest...lol..... plan on the fact that you may be spending an evening or more in your car (missed hotel reservations or no vacancies)...don't worry-most of your vendors are sleeping in tents, campers, their own cars or just out on the ground...just pull into a 'vendor area' and sleep away...you'll be safe there.... and most of all...take lots and lots of money.... and have something big enough to bring it all home in.....

if you can get the chance to do it...it's worth it at least once....

**mhope** · 06-04-2009, 09:12 PM

This girl has enjoy going for last two year. I went far as Danville Ky last year. This year going all way to Cincinnati Ohio. I myself have found some bargains. Also the area is just beautiful and I love to drive the back roads.

**sabrelvssammy** · 06-05-2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by mhope

This girl has enjoy going for last two year. I went far as Danville Ky last year. This year going all way to Cincinnati Ohio. I myself have found some bargains. Also the area is just beautiful and I love to drive the back roads.

i agree hope.... 127 corridor running thru the mountains down south has some beautiful scenery....its worth it for the road trip alone if you haven't done it before....

i sure hope they have the gas prices a little more under control by the time it rolls around this year.....

good luck on the bargains if you go this time....i think it just might be a 'banner' year based on the way things are going....i didn't mean to sound so 'negative' about the sale...it really is alot of fun...we just got so spoiled that first time and then each time after i guess we turned into 'snobs' or something...lol..... but of course....i'll still be back.....

**mhope** · 06-05-2009, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by sabrelvssammy

i agree hope.... 127 corridor running thru the mountains down south has some beautiful scenery....its worth it for the road trip alone if you haven't done it before....

i sure hope they have the gas prices a little more under control by the time it rolls around this year.....

good luck on the bargains if you go this time....i think it just might be a 'banner' year based on the way things are going....i didn't mean to sound so 'negative' about the sale...it really is alot of fun...we just got so spoiled that first time and then each time after i guess we turned into 'snobs' or something...lol..... but of course....i'll still be back.....

I think last year the gas price were so high that some people hold back on spending. I know I did.

**frugalfriend** · 06-05-2009, 11:45 AM

Oh my gosh, that sounds like a blast!!! Wish I could go!

**frugalwarrior** · 06-05-2009, 12:03 PM

WAAAGH,my husband is in Georgia until tonight. So he calls me this morning to tell me about this garage sale thing. He says: Oh by the way your missing it. What I say. They have this garage sale thing and it goes on for a hundred miles." What the. Hes going and he doesn't even know what it is. I have wanted to go for years. And he call to tease me about it?? He shall pay. Not Fair.
I don't know why I'm surprised. He's been to England 6x. Seen Big Ben,Stone Henge,Gilwell-The original Boy Scout site (the woman opened the museum for him),Royal Air Force Museum. Most of it for free because they made it free after 9-11 because tourism was so low. I get to stay home w/ the kids and pets. In his defense though I wouldn't want the stress of his job.

**mhope** · 06-05-2009, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior

WAAAGH,my husband is in Georgia until tonight. So he calls me this morning to tell me about this garage sale thing. He says: Oh by the way your missing it. What I say. They have this garage sale thing and it goes on for a hundred miles." What the. Hes going and he doesn't even know what it is. I have wanted to go for years. And he call to tease me about it?? He shall pay. Not Fair.
I don't know why I'm surprised. He's been to England 6x. Seen Big Ben,Stone Henge,Gilwell-The original Boy Scout site (the woman opened the museum for him),Royal Air Force Museum. Most of it for free because they made it free after 9-11 because tourism was so low. I get to stay home w/ the kids and pets. In his defense though I wouldn't want the stress of his job.

That be the the U.S. Hwy 41. It only goes 100 miles. From Kennsaw Ga to tip of Chattanooga Tenn. I have to work this weekend or I would be going.

**mhope** · 06-05-2009, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by nanagail

We got on the sale at Frankfurt. It was nothing that I saw on HGTV. I was disappointed for quite a few miles down the road. But, the farther into Ky. we got the better it was. We had the best time, best deals when we got near Russell? Ky. It may have been russellville. We had to miss a lot because there was just too much. You could not stop at every sale. I thought though that we did better when it was out in the fields. That was just my opinion though. We were mainly looking for old jars, tins to hold things in my dreams of getting organized in my stockpiling. We only got to Jamestown, Tenn. So, this year we're going to drive down the interstate to Chattanooga, and then go across to hit the route and head back up north. We also stopped at a great national park, I think it was Cumberland gap, park or something like that. We were getting pretty tired of the sale, so if we saw something else we wanted to do we did it. That was part of the fun. We could go at our own speed. We did run into a lot of the same people that was fun too. I think the best meal we got was near that national park. We were starving, and we stopped at a house that had a big metal barn, they had junk. Nothing that we wanted, but they were selling hamburgers. Oh my, it was so good. I had done a lot of research before the trip. Everywhere I looked it said take lots of water, toilet paper in case you have to use a porta potty with no tp. extra shoes, plastic bags. We were very prepared. I had read where we would come into traffic jams. Well, only one place did we have to wait for a couple of minutes in traffic. We had plenty of water, and there was the one time we couldn't find food for a long time, but other than that it was perfect. I am a firm believer in prayer and the power of it. Well, I kept reading make reservations. I didn't want to do that because of the reason that we never knew where we would be by the end of the day. If we had made reservations further down the road, we would have had to miss so much to make sure we were near where we were planning on staying. Or if we had made it to the town where our reservations were at and we had already seen everything around there, we couldn't go on because we didn't want to back pedal. So, we just went blind. I had prayed every day when I knew we were going to go on this trip. Dear God, please let us find some safe place to stay when the time comes. Something like that. Well, the first day at about 4 we thought we better be trying to find accommodations for the night. We figured everyone else would be getting ready to quit for the day too. We stopped at one hotel, no room. Okay, we looked on our map and the next town would have been 30 miles off the route. We stopped at the red light where we would turn to go to this town, when I'm praying again, and Darrell looks over and to the left was a hotel. we went in and got the last room. The only real thing that bothered us was when people in front of you (in the cars) would all of a sudden slam on their brakes, or people would turn in front of you because they wanted to go to a sale. That was scary, but people were for the most part friendly. I couldn't believe how many people had their kids with them. The kids were hot, miserable, and I felt so sorry for them. They were obviously bored to tears. I would have sent them to grandma's or a babysitter. You could see that the parents weren't enjoying themselves either. The tips I would give anyone who has never gone before.
1.Take lots of water, pop, and snacks. We kept our backseat full of goodies to snack on. This year, I'm going to stop at a deli and get lunchmeats and we're going to stop at some park and have a few picnics.
2.enjoy the trip. whether your with your mate, friends, or whatever. if there's something else you see that interests you, do it.
3.don't go too far off the beaten path. alot of the cross roads would have signs up saying 227 yard sale and we would drive for miles and it wouldn't be that great. took too much time away from the actual sale.
4.If you pass a bathroom, use it. It may be miles before you find another. Now, this one I had been reading all about the horror stories about using porta potties that were filthy, and out of tp. I never once had to use one. we lucked out every place we stopped would let us use the facilities.
5.keep a wet washcloth in a zipper plastic bag. Your hands will get filthy. we also used the baby butt wipes. You'll be picking up all kinds of things and this way you can kind of wipe the grime off. also buy some of the hand sanitizer for when you don't have water.
6. make a plan. Know what your looking for, so hubby can help look
have fun and enjoy the trip. hope this helps. Sorry so long Gail

nanagail I enjoy your post

**patticakes** · 06-09-2009, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by Nana2two

I have been wanting to go. But never have. I have been on the route 66 sales which is around 100 mile long here in Illinois.

Now I need to ask where & when is the Illinois is the Route 66 sale? Family is all back there & that might be a good way to spend time with them without spending time with them...

Thanks!

**oneloopykat** · 06-09-2009, 04:38 PM

I live in one of the towns in TN that the 127 sale runs thru (recently moved back after being gone a few years and this is one of the things I looked forward to most when we decided to move back). My girlfriends wake up super early and head one way one day go home for the night and then head out in the opposite direction the next day we have so much fun and find some great deals...not only that you get to meet some of the nicest people and see some of the neatest things! If you have a chance to go I would say go for it! Might see you out there