Adventures on the 127 yard sale: Tips and road signs

Editor’s Note: This post is a part of our series on Delilah’s annual trip to the 127 yard sale. We’ll be back next week with DIY projects, recipes, inspiration and business tips. -Nicole S.

As an annual tradition, I love to post some of the signs I saw along 127. They are a part of the whole experience and to me, much like finding a treasure at a sale. I have had a number of people over the years expressing the desire to try out the 127 yard sale—and I hope you do at least once as it’s definitely an interesting vacation. After seven years of doing the yard sale, I felt like we had everything pretty together… packing the right amount of things and being prepared for almost any situation.

If you are interested in heading out to the 127 yard sale, I have a few important tips below, some of which I have mentioned over the years. A large, more extensive tips list will be available later this year as the Yard Sale Checklist and Guide available on our online shop. It will be a collection of all my tips with a checklist to help you pack for the trip and a sheet to help you keep track of purchases/spending/requests.

Some Tips for the 127 Yard Sale

1. At the 127 yard sale you have to dig for treasures, they won’t find you.: I think that I mention this every year, but that is because I think it’s THAT important. If you are used to shopping at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in California, THIS IS NOT THAT PLACE. You need to hunt for good finds and once you find them, they may not be in the exact condition you hoped for. Be prepared to dig… literally dig though piles of stuff, look in every nook and cranny, ask for additional inventory and be creative with your original list of items you thought you wanted. This isn’t supposed to be glamorous or a fashion show, you are driving for miles hopping out of your car and then hopping back in trying to fit as many stops before the sun sets.
2. Be aware of the climate: This is another thing that I try to stress. Very few markets are indoors and several parts of the route are in hot, humid and at times stifling weather. The only relief will be your car or hotel if they have air conditioning. Dress appropriately and bring the things you need to make yourself comfortable (this will be covered in the checklist), but if you are the type of person that does not do well in 90 degree weather with 50% + humidity while walking around hauling stuff…well, just think about that before you decide to spend money going.
3. Reservations for lodging: You should decide pretty early in the year that you want to make the trip then determine your route on 127 and reserve your hotel. Rooms are usually unavailable by the start of the summer and if you wait until the month before, you will probably have to resort to staying one and a half hours off 127 or in a major city like Frankfort or Chattanooga (and maybe Frankfort might not have anything so it might be Louisville). Plan, plan, plan this trip or it will not be fun!
4. Figure out why you want to go: Unlike most vacations, this is a trip where the main objective is to shop, so know that you will spend some money and can be spending even more than you bargained for. Our Yard Sale Checklist and Guide will have a spreadsheet where you can determine how much money you will be spending and how much you will have to budget for shopping. I’ll also have some tips for saving money as well as some bargaining tips. Also, if you are traveling from far away, you will be spending even more funds on travel and time away. We are from Southern California and our trip takes two weeks.

Well, that’s about it for our 2015 trip on 127—make sure that you check out our Yard Sale Checklist and Guide in a few months! If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here.

Next, we’ll be in New Mexico for a quick rest and I’ll share some of my favorites from the “Land of Enchantment”.

Happy Junking!

XXOO -D

Below are some of my favorite signs from our trip on the 127 yard sale this year.