Look for Yard Sales During Your Next Trip

Victor Block on May 25, 2025

"Oh, look," my wife, Fyllis, exclaimed with surprise and delight. "I've been looking for antique candlesticks like these for ages."

"And I've been searching for an old-fashioned briefcase like this one," I replied, lifting my find from a pile of items spread out on a long table.

We were far from home, enjoying a vacation in upstate New York, when we came upon a yard sale while driving to a restaurant for lunch. While we're not frequent fans of these outdoor displays, we decided to check this one out as part of our immersion in the destination we were visiting.

In addition to our acquisitions, we enjoyed chatting with other folks who were perusing -- and sometimes purchasing -- the merchandise and observing what kinds of objects were native to the setting. In addition to what we bought, we spotted bottles of loganberry soda, jars of tomato butter, Onieda flatware and other homemade and home-grown products and produce.

Fyllis and I were customers at one of the estimated 9 million yard and garage sales that take place each year in the United States. Whether close to where you live or at a destination you're visiting, these events offer opportunities to pick up something you might have been seeking or an object that catches your fancy and to interact with other shoppers and those with something to sell.

Yard and garage sales also provide a bit of nostalgia, given their roots in past decades. They began to spring up during the 1950s and 1960s, when people began to realize that they could pick up a bit of extra cash by selling goods they had accumulated but no longer needed or wanted.

Since then, these activities have evolved to become in some ways as recreational as they are financial. Buyers meet and greet their hosts, chat with other participants and perhaps mingle with new neighbors. Some people enjoy perusing what others have collected over time, keeping an eye out for a rare item and haggling good-naturedly over the price.

These mini marketplaces that come in a variety of types and sizes await discovery by shoppers wherever they are. At the top of the list is what's aptly titled "The World's Longest Yard Sale." That describes what takes place along U.S. Route 127 as it winds 690 miles from Addison, Michigan, to Gadsden, Tennessee, spanning six states along the way. Stretches of this rural highway introduce travelers to a variety of cultures and local dialects.

Some roadside marketplaces settle for a century-size length. Virginia's 100-mile Yard Sale, which actually covers 10 additional miles, follows a meandering route through a number of towns. The focus is on antiques and vintage treasures.

The two-day Kansas-Oklahoma 100 Mile Highway Sale leads to a dozen tiny towns. In addition to individual vendors and small gatherings of dealers along the way, there are large group sites where several dozen people offer their wares.

In addition to clothes, kitchen gadgets, toys and the other usual items, the 301 Endless Yard Sale in North Carolina includes some unexpected items, such as high-end antiques, old farm equipment and even the occasional boat over its 100-plus mile route. More than 500 vendors set up along the way.

Michigan's Longest Garage Sale doubles the length of that path, as it winds over 200 miles along the U.S. Heritage Trail from New Buffalo to Detroit. Adding to the usual offerings are fresh garden produce, homemade jellies and jams, and live entertainment.

Another historic route hosts the U.S. 40 Yard Sale. It occupies an 800-plus-mile section of Interstate Route 40 from Maryland to Missouri. That road was one of the first national highways created in 1926, when it linked New Jersey with California. Today it is traversed by thousands of visitors seeking bargains and hard-to-find collectibles.

If your travel schedule doesn't coincide with any of the seasonal yard sale offerings, there's always Indiana's Antique Alley, a year-round destination for those seeking vintage treasures. Two interlocking loop trails lead to hundreds of dealers in Richmond and the scenic surrounding area in the eastern part of the state. They display everything from hand-crafted wood items and stained-glass pieces to furniture and vintage clothing.

If you visit a yard sale, you could find that long-sought item for which you've been searching for months or even years. Or you could just enjoy inspecting the displays, interacting with other shoppers and reliving a chapter from the country's recent past.

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WHEN YOU GO

garagesalefinder.com

gsalr.com

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Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.