worlds longest yard sale: the 127 sale

Mar 25, 2015 | News

As we head into Spring and warmer temps, I am getting anxious for yard sale season. I love a good yard sale – something about the thrill of the hunt and never knowing what you are going to find, I suppose. I don’t go every week like I used to before we opened the store, but I try to go to a few every month. We do, however, make our annual pilgrimage south for the 127 sale – aka The World’s Longest Yard Sale. I thought I’d share some of our adventures and where to go, where not to go, and so forth.

The 127 Sale is the first full weekend in August every year along HWY 127 through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. We have shopped primarily in Kentucky and Tennessee and haven’t yet made it to Alabama. As you may know, I am a native Kentuckian and am therefore partial to all things related to the Bluegrass State. Also, most of my family still lives there so we have free room and board when we go! Here we are in my aunt’s driveway getting ready to head out….

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There are two basic setups along 127: Fields and fields of vendors and individual sales at people’s homes. We have more luck with the fields of vendors but have gotten a few of my favorite pieces at a home. Most of the fields look like this…

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All of these pictures are from southern Kentucky and Tennessee where we’ve found most of the best shopping. The sale started in Tennessee when it first began, and that’s where the bulk of the action is still. Most of the buying can be done on HWY 127 but you may see some signs like this for sites a few miles off the main drag…who doesn’t want classy trash?

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If you go, be prepared to do some hauling. Many of these places are in the middle of a field which means you might have to lug a dresser on uneven ground for a fairly long distance. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of work!!

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So plan a trip to the 127 sale this August, and enjoy yourself! And look for the yellow trailer…we’d love it if you said Hello!