I’m not as good as Irene at having yard sales. I’m better at shopping at them. It’s one of my favourite past times. I love the atmosphere, the digging, the dickering. My heart races when I find a treasure. I get goosebumps when the price is so low, I can pay for it with the change in the bottom of my purse. It’s my addiction; my passion; my high! So I was ecstatic when I realized the Kentucky I-68 (400 Mile) Yard Sale was taking place the very weekend our friends, Jean and Bill, were coming for a visit. I knew how we’d be spending the day!
For all-day yard sales, I always put boxes and newspaper in the trunk and take my “bag” which is always pre-packed with necessary items:
- Bottled water
- Peanut Butter (and spoon), crackers, and apples
- Roll of toilet paper
- Umbrella
- Light jacket
- Hat with brim or parasol
- Hand fan
- Hand Sanitizer
- Maps
The day was beautiful – blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and long stretches of road dotted with yard sales everywhere we looked.
When you shop at yard sales, you can find clothing, furniture, tools, toys… just about anything you need or desire. We weren’t disappointed. There were treasures everywhere!
For $1 I purchased 2 great, beaded change purses: one for Jean and one for myself. They came in handy holding our coins for our remaining purchases. Jean especially loved the little ball on the zipper of hers.
This great doorknob will be a gift to our friend, Regina. We’re hoping it’s exactly what she’s been looking for!
You can even find homemade canned goods, bakery items, fresh fruit and vegetables, and plants for your garden.
We got to eat flavourful tomatoes, fresh off the vine, with our sandwiches. We found a shade tree and enjoyed lunch in the car. There are plenty of places to eat, though, if you don’t feel like brown-bagging it. Churches have basement lunches, gas stations have great bologna or ham sandwiches, and there’s plenty of booths set up in small towns with street food.
After lunch, we continued down the road and made plenty of stops. The back of the car was packed tight. Take a peek at some of our favourite finds.
My favourite find of the day was a pair of plastic Scotty dogs on magnets. They “kiss” when they’re close together. I had a pair back in the 60s and nostalgia made me want these. A little negotiating (and begging) and we were able to agree on a price: $3.50 and they were mine!
The best deal of the day was 2 iron skillets for $2.50 each. A little elbow grease and they’ll be like new again!
If you’ve never shopped at a yard sale, you may want to give it a try. You’ll be amazed at what you find, or what finds you!
Oh my!!! Oh My!!!! I love the door handles!!!!i love everything you guys bought! It was a good day I see!!!! Next year I want to go with you!
Ladies, ya’ll surely hit the yard sale jackpot! What wonderful treasures you uncovered! Great finds and I’m sure great memories!
Robin
it was fun, robin, and you should come next time! we’ll make a weekend of it!
Maybe you could organize a caravan for the miles long yard sale, I’d sign up
I’d sign up,too
ha put you on the list for next year!
i’ll let everyone know ahead of time next year. we can meet in a gas station (which have great cheese or ham or bologna sandwiches) and trek from there!
oh that would be such fun! i know at least 6 ladies that would participate. we can put 2 per vehicle and have more room for our great buys!
I’ve alays wanted to do that yardsale. It would be a great girls trip but i’d need a traile. ☺
we winged it and it worked out great. there’s actually different “personalities” to the sales. there’s impromptu sales just put up on the side of the road (many of them!) that are friendly and you chat and get to know the sellers a little. get the story behind the item you’re interested in. then there are multiple vendor tents in a square or rows of a parking lot (jean called them “parties”). the atmosphere is more flea market. then there are the towns with sales in church basements and up and down main street – a little more feverish and more like christmas shopping. i love them all!!! and i love doing them all so we can hit a little of each. 🙂