The “Hundred Mile” Yard Sales That Turn Rural Highways into Treasure Trails

This story was originally published by The Daily Yonder.

On a Friday morning in June, my family and I observed a common American ritual: cruising around neighborhoods and downtowns, seeking bargains at nearby yard sales. We spent just $28 and purchased the following: a shirt, a book, a ball cap, a print of a ship, a chisel set, a Chinese calligraphy set, a foam kneeler for gardening, a bucket, a lab coat for a Halloween costume, an inflatable neck pillow, a moisturizing face mask, and a homemade oatmeal cookie sandwich and glass of lemonade (not pictured because they were quickly consumed). 

Perhaps more interesting were some of the items we did not purchase: a Grogu Chia Pet, a vintage F150 pick-up truck, a giant sock monkey, or any of the numerous egg cartons full of golf balls in the neighborhood sale surrounding a golf course. Maybe I should have bought some of the other things that caught my eye. I overheard another shopper say to her friend “just because you don’t have room for it doesn’t mean you don’t need it.”  The garage saler's mantra. 

 

 

 

 

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While in many ways, my experience was that of a typical garage sale outing, it was also part of something bigger. My treasure hunt was on a stretch of Kentucky’s 200-mile-long U.S. 25 Yard Sale. Every year, from Florida to Washington state, hundreds of sales like this one run for miles along rural highways. They are grassroots, often bootstrapped gatherings that build community and attract visitors. They are also each unique reflections of American culture.

“The interstate affected the economy of our town,” explained U.S. 25 Yard Sale organizer Randy Coffey of Berea, Kentucky in an interview. “People go right by us if we don’t give them a reason to stop.”

U.S. 25 runs parallel to I-75. The sale, which attracts around 5,000 people, crosses seven counties but skips over urban Fayette County. On the logistics side of things, the U.S. 25 Yard Sale tilts toward a DIY approach. Coffey says there are usually hundreds of sales along the route, but there is no map or list. To find them, he recommended I drive slowly and recruit someone to ride shotgun and look for signs along the road.

Coffey identifies as a “power yard saler” and loves the treasure hunting aspect — getting the perfect thing for a steal of a deal. He first got hooked years ago seeking a turtle sand box. One of his favorite finds is a pair of leather and snakeskin cowboy boots he bought for $1. He volunteers to coordinate the event, saying it is a way for him to give back to his community.

 

 

 

 

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When asked about the impact of the sale weekend on the area, Coffey shared an anecdote. One gentleman attended the first sale 15 years ago, then planned a vacation around the sale the next year. He fell in love with Williamstown [Kentucky] and moved there, purchasing and fixing up two empty buildings that now provide downtown space for four businesses and apartment housing.

Highway sales across the country

On the same weekend as the U.S. 25 sale, the Red River Valley Tourism Association in Texas and Oklahoma sponsored their own version.  The 425-mile Hwy 82/287 Yard Sale is one of two annual events hosted by the tourism association to draw visitors to its primarily rural counties. This one is organized on the community level — shoppers pick up a local map when they arrive in any of the 15 participating towns. Some sales are organized in a central location while others are scattered throughout the community.

Across the country a couple of weeks later, shoppers flocked along the Bitterroot Valley Scenic Drive in Montana for the Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale. While on the shorter side of highway sales I found, this one packs in more than 300 booths of sellers. They cluster in community centers, fairgrounds, and churches, and some require veering off the main road. The largest town on the route is Hamilton, Montana population 5,383.

 

 

 

 

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This is beautiful mountainous country, known for fly fishing and being the backdrop for the television show “Yellowstone.” The Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale is a relatively new sale at eight years running and, according to organizer Rebecca Ryan, people come from all over for the weekend. She originally got involved as owner of Bitterroot Antique Mall and has been organizing the sale as a volunteer for the last four years.

“It’s good for the community, and a lot of people would be very disappointed if we stopped,” she said in an interview. “The huge influx of people is good for all of the regional local businesses, like hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, and stores.”

The website tells visitors to follow the “happy orange signs” that indicate a participating location. For a small fee, sellers are marked on the official map that is downloadable from the website and printed in the local paper. Ryan knows that many other unofficial sales tag on, but she figures that’s just part of the deal. 

 

 

 

 

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In mid-July, Pennsylvania’s Quehanna Industrial Development Corporation held its 28^th annual 100-mile Yard Sale. This well-organized event has a 40-page directory that is accessible online, perfect for pre-mailing, and printed out for the weekend. The designated vendor locations include fire halls, a tavern, and a senior center, and each is furnished with porta-potties for the weekend.

Beyond the bargains

The organizers I spoke with said their training for coordinating a long sale happened on-the-job — budgets are small-to-nonexistent, and their scrappy marketing relies on local partnerships, social media, and word of mouth. 

I was reflecting on the improbable longevity and success of these organized garage sales when I picked up my new book. It had a Post-it note stuck inside the front cover that read “Mom, I read the review on this & I think you’ll like it! Love, Lynne.” I don’t know Lynne, and am not even 100% sure I read her name correctly. But it got me thinking that maybe, even more than the excitement of a great bargain, people garage-sale for connection. Visiting people’s garages and yards, talking with strangers, sifting through family belongings, and finding something that meant something to someone else once upon a time. It invites a sense of intimacy, generosity of spirit, and empathy — things we could probably all use a little more of.

Fun facts

• Oldest “long” yard sale: Hwy 127, running 690 miles for 38 years.
• Longest: the Historic National Road Yard Sale along U.S. 40, running 824 miles from Baltimore to St. Louis.
• Shortest: 14-Mile Yard Sale, Biggs, Gridley and Live Oak, California.
• Best Name: Georgia’s Hwy 341 Peaches to the Beaches Yard Sale.

Also: A kind stranger on the internet made this extremely comprehensive roundup of “long” garage sales in 34 states.