Don't go.
Whoa, wait a minute.
Pam's telling me to NOT go to a yard sale? Say it ain't so!
Yes, The World's Longest Yard Sale aka 127 Corridor Sale is coming up August 5th-8th, 2021 and it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
You may just want to skip this one.
5 Reasons To NOT Shop The World's Longest Yard Sale
- Your church holds an annual yard sale, so you're good on yard sales this year, thank you. The World's Longest Yard Sale, with its 14 bazillion yard sales every ten feet can't possibly hold a candle to THAT gem of a sale.
- You would prefer to sit on your couch and watch reruns of Fixer Upper and admire her antique finds in her house and wonder "where does she find all that cool stuff?", than actually find any of your own. Why get all sweaty and sticky out in the real world anyway? Pass the remote.
- You absolutely HATE to find amazing, prices-so-low-your-mama-won't-believe-you, deals on vintage, antique and farmhouse items. You'd much rather brag to your country club friends about how much you spent on it at a fancy schmancy antique store.
- Why buy authentic farmhouse decor straight out of a dusty barn when you can walk into HomeGoods and buy a brand spanking new reproduction that has never so much as seen a cow's butt before (well, except for that cow-shaped vegetable brush two aisles over)? Viva la fake!
- You don't care to bond with your besties on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip across rural America while drinking Slurpies, eating Amish hand pies and playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets to sit on who's lap on the ride home. No way is that Hooiser cabinet going to get tied to the roof, so something has to give.
So please stay home! All the more treasures for me to find!
But seriously, I have some fun info and useful tips about the sale for you.
All About the World's Longest Yard Sale
The 2021 World's Longest Yard Sale will be held Thursday, August 5th through Sunday, August 8th. Keep in mind LOTS of people along the route start selling a few days BEFORE the official start time, so some of the better deals and best items might be found the week leading up to the official sale.
It covers 690 miles, through multiple states - Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and Ohio too! This event is known as the "127 Yard Sale," because it runs straight through Highway 127.
The 127 Yard Sale people have an online site with an interactive map (127 Yard Sale Interactive Map) which will tell you exactly where it is, so you can easily plan your shopping and travels. Highway 127 is a fantastic place to hold this event, as it is considered to be one of America's loveliest scenic drives to take, according to Reader's Digest.
The event first began in 1987, started by Fentress County Executive Mike Walker in Jamestown, TN. His hope was that travelers would come through the small towns via Highway 127 and see how great they were, to enjoy the other attractions such as horseback riding, fishing and arts & crafts festivals. As you can see, Walker's efforts were hugely successful, with nearly 700 miles of yard sale stretching through 6 states in the U.S.A.!
One thing that truly makes the World's Largest Yard Sale unique is that you will see every type of vendor you can think of. People selling items in front of their homes or from their driveways. Items for sale at businesses and community sales. Even items available in beautiful pastures along the way!
As you can imagine, one of the challenges of visiting a sale like this shopping until you drop! There is so much for sale, and you just never know what treasure will be discovered around the corner. The World's Largest Yard Sale is quite savvy, offering shipping centers along the way. So whether you've bought an item that is just too big for your vehicle to handle for the ride home, or if you've found so much great stuff, you need to put together a package and mail it home - this is super easy to do. A USPS flat rate box is quite budget friendly and you can ship anything of any weight in that type of box.
A Few Helpful Tips When You Go To The World's Longest Yard Sale:
#1. Be patient with crowds. You’re attending a very popular event. Expect to see a lot of people and there will be times there are going to be lines, whether vehicle traffic lines or simply standing in someone’s driveway to look at items for sale. Smile and enjoy the experience.
#2. Prepare for the summer heat. It’s August and quite likely, the sun will be quite constant and hot. Before you start the yard sale, bring your biggest cooler and pack bottles of water, juice and other hydrating drinks. Remember that beverages or foods with caffeine actually dehydrate you, so you will feel the heat more. Bring sunscreen with a high SPF, at least 30 and reapply it to you and the kids at least every 2 hours. Wear cotton, light-colored clothing that is comfortable, not too tight, so the sun will not feel as hot.
#3. The 127 Yard Sale is a marathon – not a sprint. If you’ve never been, it’s easy to feel kind of like a kid in a candy store with birthday money. You just want to experience it all, right now! Do pace yourself. Plan out your trip. If your family loves to search for certain types of collectibles like dolls or vinyl records, make a small list of anything you’d be thrilled to pick up so you stay focused.
#4. Most of all, have fun! This is one of the biggest & most unique yard sales you’ll ever go to. Talking to people along the way, seeing what they are selling or who buys what is a lot of the fun. If you are a huge yard sale fan – THIS is your Super Bowl!
Have you been to the 127 sales before? If so, what's your favorite area or state to shop in?
Other posts you may enjoy:
How To Clean And Restore Thrift Store Finds
Denise Powers
I am going to the 127 sale for the first time. Any suggestions on do's and don'ts?
Pam
Bring lots of cash, but put it in a fanny pack (oh, so stylish) or one of those cross-body purses. You're going to be getting in and out of your car a lot and if it's in your pocket it's probably going to end up on the grass somewhere. And try to map out an area ahead of time.
Denise
Thank you!
Brenda Kula-Pruitt
I didn't notice anything with the ads, by the way. On point, I have never been to one of those garage sales, but doubt I could walk it very long.
Brenda+
Pam
You need to get your foot back in shape, girl (coming from the the girl whose ankle still swells up like a balloon if I walk too far).
chris aka monkey
you be so funny, stay hydrated, and watch for tripping tree roots xx
Pam
Yes, tree roots, curbs, stray beer cans in the gutter, they're all on my radar. No need to drive all the way home with another twisted ankle.
dee
I haven't noticed any ads lately! Have fun and wear some comfortable shoes 🙂
Pam
Good! Actually the day they put the extra ads on I didn't see them at all and then all of a sudden boom it looked like a circus on the blog. I figure if it scared me, then it's too much 🙂
Eme
My all time favorite places to go to yard sales is Massachusetts. I have relatives that live in a charming, quaint old town in that lovely state that even has a few cobblestone streets. So whenever we visited, yard sales were a must to see and do. I have found designer wallets, purses for 50 cents!!!! Not knock offs either. I think because New England states are so old, that they have an abundance of antique stores so there is not much of a demand. One thing I did pass up and regretted (only because we had no way to transport it back home due to the size) was a beautiful carved fireplace mantel, they only wanted $20!!! So if given the opportunity to take a road trip, I'd recommend visiting New England.
Pam
That sounds Heavenly. We took our honeymoon in New England and Martha's Vineyard, so I'm always fond of that area. Plus it's not THAT far from here.
Florence
I actually DON'T go to it. Here are my reasons: It's blazing hot/gets picked over really quickly b/c I'm near the start/or it's over-priced/I find good deals locally b/c everyone is there!
I've only been once & won't go again (unless my bestie invited me, of course 🙂
But wishing you luck and happy hunting Pam!
Pam
Are you near the start or the end 🙂 I was thinking "oh, I didn't know she was in Michigan" and then realized you meant down south!
You might like it more in Ohio, it's still hot that time of year, but it seems to be more of the regular people throwing stuff out for sale and less of the dealers and antique type people wanting top dollar (although I did run across a few of them). Melissa at Melissa's Antiques has a nice rundown of her trip last year (she's hardcore though, don't get in her way) and I believe she did Michigan downward to the Cincinnati area.
Florence
I've seen Melissa's site, but haven't looked at it in depth. I saw where she reported on it though.
Haha, yes I'm in Alabama, so it is HOT and HUMID and HOT HOT down here. You just lose your motivation to go do that. Or at least I do. August is the hottest time of year. I wish they wouldn't do it then. Some people I know who have started in KY said it was hard to find anything.
Yes I wouldn't mean starting in Cincinnati or Michigan, but that is a lonnng way. I can find more around here at yard sales usually b/c everyone is hitting the longest sale. Just my two cents...
[email protected]
I've shopped the yard sale for 5 years and each time we've shopped a different route. I found the best route is Kentucky down the Chatanooga. You'll find lots of spots with multiple (like 100+) dealers in one area. And the quality of products and prices are great.
Pam
That sounds like a good plan. It'd be nice to be able to get more shopping done and less driving from house to house.
Wanda @ Just Vintage
That's so funny! As much as I love yard and estate sales, they're as much a part of my life as brushing my teeth, I sit that one out. I, like Florence above, went once, either the first or second year it started. I'm near the beginning in Alabama, too. It took 3 hours to go 2 miles. And this was the day before it "officially" started. Everything was overpriced. Just a bunch of dealers set up and taking advantage of an excited to buy crowd with near 100 degree heat. There wasn't a dry thread on my body. I didn't buy much - but then my main buying purpose is for resale and I'm always looking for the hidden gems. I said never again. So, I'm glad so many people do go on that trek. It leaves more goodies for me here. I've had great shopping weekends locally when the Longest Yard Sale is going on. 🙂 Although, I have heard,as Shelly said, between Kentucky and Tennessee is the the best. That's probably the only way I would do it again. That area, hotels and lots of cash to spend.
I hope your experience is a lot better than mine was! I'm sure it will be and you will most certainly have a blast. Looking forward to seeing what you find! 🙂
*Hey, be careful walking across the highway. I remember a lady getting hit by a car one year. Just sayin'. You're welcome. 😉 But seriously, be careful out there!
Pam
Well, now I'm going to picture myself getting flattened every time I get out of my car!
Maybe we should all get together next year and do a big blogger's road trip for it. For a few years some car company would sponsor a few bloggers to shop the sale and then they decorated a Habitat house with their findings. I think Donna at Funkie Junk did that??? Anyhow, they normally picked bloggers with HUGE followings and not necessarily bloggers who knew anything about thrifting (except maybe Donna), so just think what fun stuff we could find on someone else's dime!
mary scott
Remember the hour long shows on this sale that HGTV had every year for awhile? They had competitive shoppers' games & pro appraisers. I always enjoyed seeing the sales. I volunteer at a Texas thrift store in a non air conditioned warehouse open only on Saturdays. It's divine when the weather is nice. It's hell this time of year, & August is the worst in the south. I guess the heat in Aug for the longest yard sale ensures only hard core treasure seekers on the trail. GOOD LUCK!
Pam
You really do wonder why they don't have it in September or May don't you!
Gay Correll
I live in Nebraska, and we have JunkJaunt in September, which is basically our version of what you are talking about--except it's just in Nebraska. One year my husband and I ventured out on the last day and I spent one dollar. ONE dollar. Last year we went again and spent a little more--maybe 20. This year, I face a dilemma, and perhaps you can help me make a decision. No pressure. JunkJaunt runs on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I have been boxing up stuff all summer long that quite frankly still makes me all tingly when I look at it. There are treasures in these boxes, I'm telling you! BUT--I teach school, and I would have to make sub plans and it wouldn't kill me, but still...Then, I think to get the really good flow of customers I should advertise in the guidebook they put out marking the locations of the opportunities for goodness, and when I last looked, the town where I live is not on the "official" route, though it's not too far south. I was thinking of just advertising a regular garage sale but enticing them with the prospect great stuff (but, "No, sorry sir, but I don't happen to have any old pocket knives.") and even greater prices. I believe that it's other people's turn to love this stuff--I didn't spend much for it over the years.
I hope you have wonderful success tramping the trails for treasures. May no one else appreciate the things you are looking for, and therefore you get them at bargain prices.
Pam
Go for it! If you don't mind missing that Friday from school I'd go ahead and have a sale. I guess it depends how many people really use the "official guide" though. I'd tend to say go with a regular garage sale ad on Craigslist and maybe try gsalr.com and hope it will attract a lot of the people on the official route. BTW, I'm getting stuff together for a big yard sale in the fall and I have tons of stuff that I still love, but don't have any place to put them in my house and I'm like you - it's other people's turn to love this stuff!
Eddie Mitchell
Funny list. There are actually people who think (and shop) like some of your points. Sad. I'm going to do a teeny bit of the 127 this year. Lawrenceburg, KY, which is about a half hour from here hosts a couple of major shopping spots with hundreds of sellers. When it comes to actually traveling the highway for sales, I like to stick with the smaller local ones, like the Highway 60 in October.
Pam
Someone else mentioned the shopping spots, so I'm going to try to map some of those out for the trip. I get a little nervous with all the getting in and out of the car on the highway, so if I can hit up 100 sellers at once, that might be the way to go!
melinda
Well, you had me going for a teeny bit.
Too funny!!
Have fun and be safe.
Big church sale coming this weekend, going to that Friday.
Probably the last one for the season since school will be staring soon
YUCK!!
M : )
Pam
Is it back to school ALREADY!!! I'm planning a fall yard sale this year (always have had them in the spring), so we'll see if I get a TON of shoppers or absolutely no one.
taryterre
Loved this. I am going. Heading out. Don't know how far I'll get, but I'm gonna give it a go.
Pam
Even if you only do a mile or so, you'll hit a lot of sales! Report back with what you bought!
Rita C at Panoply
Lol, Pam, this is great. Viva la fake, bahahaha. I won't be going this year, leaving a little more for you & Melissa. 🙂 Have fun and be sure to do show and tell when you get back!
Rita C at Panoply
Pam
And Melissa and I are bound to be going to some of the same sales since she's starting out a little North of where I'm starting. I think she's going one day before me though, so she might have bought everything by the time I come along, which would actually make my husband very happy 🙂
Vicki Latcham
Kentucky!! Talk to the locals!! We were told about an estate sale of an avid collector, and ended up going twice, as her son put out new things daily! Most of our treasures were purchased there!!
Pam
GREAT tip! The locals know where the good stuff is!