Two Weeks To Go!

Beth and I will be leaving on our big adventure two weeks from today! 

If you recall, we are jumping off our trip from Johnson City, TN, the hometown of MamaPeach.  We will leave Virginia on Wednesday and spend that evening in Johnson City.  Then we will rise very early on Thursday and scoot over to Crossville and start our trek north. 

Lisa from Birmingham, AL sent me some fabulous links to her 2009 blog entries that she wrote about her trip to the WLYS last year.

This is some really good stuff.  She wrote about her trip in three parts.  Start here:

Then go here:

Lisa's blog entries are very interesting and she has lots of great pictures!

Sounds like she had an awesome time.

Finally go here to see all the loot that she scored. 

I'm drooling over some of the stuff in her pictures, let me tell you. 

All photos courtesy of Lisa

Great Tips Keep Pouring In

I think everyone is getting really geeked up for the big SALE, I know I am.  We are seeing a lot more traffic over here at the Project and I received a very nice email from Michele in Gadsden, AL.

Michele has some great advice :->

I have attended the yard sale for the past 5 yrs and in that time have purchased enough to furnish a garden home for my step-daughter and 2 vacation properties! I am fortunate enough to own a home in Mentone, Alabama that sits directly on the route. I start on Wednesday in Gadsden and drive up to Mentone shopping all of the way! I have found the majority of my things in Alabama and Georgia, I have literally spent the whole time in these areas due to the amount of vendors. There are some returning vendors, as well as, new ones…this year the Mentone Springs Hotel (which is the oldest hotel in Alabama) will be selling some of its contents, since it will be closing and awaiting new owners! I would recommend loose clothing, bottled water, and packing material/twine. I usually take sandwiches and snacks and eat in the car to save time, but there are plenty of vendors selling food along the way. One of treats that I had last year while shopping was a fried Oreo cookie (they also had fried moon pies) and homemade peach ice cream…talk about a sugar high! There is so much to see and you can get bogged down trying to see it all, but there is just no way possible, just pick and area to start and talk to other shoppers along the way, I have changed directions several times based on word of mouth!

Thanks Michele!  Love the advice about checking with fellow shoppers to see where the best "junk" is.  Oh yeah.

 

Great Tips from a Seasoned WLYS Shopper

WOW!  So far we have heard from some great folks that have been to the WLYS and gotten some interesting feedback.

Linda was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and she has got some great tips. Linda will be attending the WLYS for the 3rd year in a row this time so that makes her a veteran.

 Be sure to pop over to her blog, A la Carte and say hi!

Photo courtesy of Vintage Lilac

1) Are you taking the same route this year and what are your beginning and ending points?

We are not taking the same route this year. The past two years we have driven from Atlanta to Alabama and up to above Chattanooga, which meant we back tracked some. This year we are driving up to Jamestown, KY and then will drive south stopping around Chattanooga and then drive home the next day.

2) How many days will you be at the sale?

Drive up on Thursday, shop days will be Friday and Saturday, we will skip Sunday this year.

3) Do you book your hotel rooms ahead of time or do you just "wing it"?

We book our rooms ahead of time.

4) Are you looking for anything specific, adding to any collections are just buying what ever strikes your fancy?

I have a list of items I would like to look for, collections to add too, but I am open for whatever great deals I find.

This year I will also shop for one of my Blog followers in a contest I will have before Aug 5th when I leave for WLYS.

5) Who is going with you?

My favorite Junk partner and my Honey, Carter

6) In previous years did you spend all your money or did you have some left over?

I have a budget and don't go over it, or not by much. This year I have an ETSY shop so my buying might be a little different.

7) How hard is the parking and how crazy is the driving on the route?

We didn't have too much trouble parking as we tend to stop at large fields full of sellers. Just makes sense for us as we like so many different things and tend to stop shop and then contact each other via cell phone if we loose track of each other. Driving can be bad and my advice be very careful in congested areas where people are going back and forth across the roads.

8) Would you say the selections and the prices are ok, good or great?

All of the above! Some prices are way too high like they were in the antique malls, some are good and then there are those people who are really looking to sell. I ask for their best price, bargain with them if it's still too high and walk away if it's still too much. First day folks are less willing to come down but by later Sat they are usually ready to bargain. Lots of dealers leave after Sat which is why we are skipping Sunday and honestly two days is enough for me.

9) Are the sellers mostly antique dealers that set up along the route or is it mostly folks cleaning out their stuff?

Since we stop in a lot of large fields we see a mixture of antique dealers and some folks who save up and do this yearly. Smaller areas or in people's yards are where you find the folks cleaning out their stuff. Of course you have the flea market folks and the craft booths so its a real mix! You need to take a quick look, see if they have your kind of 'junk' and either shop or move on. I also check prices and if they are all really higher then I'm ready to spend I move on to another booth.

10) Is it hard to get food along the route? Bathrooms?

We try to eat breakfast either at the hotel or a Waffle House or somewhere fast. We take a cooler with water & drinks & snacks for during the day. We try not to stop during the day for food. There are places with food at the large sites and lots of folks have water for sale. We then get a good dinner and crash!

BATHROOMS... WELL BE PREPARED FOR PORTA POTTIES! Another plus in large areas of sellers is porta potties. (take some tissue with you also, they run out).

***************

Photo courtesy of jbcurio

That is some really helpful info, but Linda didn't stop there.  She had more to add and this is the best advice yet:

Here are a few things I would love to share with you that I have learned. Wear a hat, it is so hot and you will get sunburned. Comfy shoes for sure and light clothing. I take a tote bag to put my purchases in ( I buy a lot of smalls). I keep my money in a fanny pack or small bag that goes across my body, along with my sunglasses, phone and camera. Leaves my hands free except for the tote or backpack style tote. I keep paper in the car as so many dealers just don't have that much to wrap stuff in and I want my treasures to get home in one piece. I also keep some boxes in the car to separate the breakables from my Honey's stuff which tends to be larger and heavier. I take wipes(it is dirty out there), a disposable poncho, money in small bills and a smile. Last year I bought a little book and recorded all my purchases as soon as I had time. Helps me keep track of what I buy and what I spend!

And lastly these great words of wisdom for those of us who will be virgins to the WLYS this year :->

 It is fun but exhausting and you need to have patience and a good attitude! Have Fun!

I am really lovin' all Linda's great tips and advice.  I especially love the idea of taking a small notebook along to record the purchases.   That way when we get home we can tally it all up and figure out how we managed to spend so much money!

Only 26 more days until Beth and I leave for TN and the WLYS!!

On the Road Usefulness

Hello, Friends!~~~

I have traveled to every state in the USA (except for one--Kansas) by car. Logging in thousands of miles as a rider (I'm not a confident or capable long-distance driver so I play the role of navigator) and seasoned road tripper, I have come up with some things that MUST go in the car. Now, that Suzy and I are planning to hit the WLYS in about 6 weeks, I am thinking about what to include on our must take list. Today I'll share one of those items with you: zipper plastic bags.
Most particular JUMBO zipper plastic bags. These can hold 2-1/2 gallons of what you wish. We plan to use them to hold ice from the hotel ice maker to put in our cooler. We will use them to corral small items we find on the WLYS. We hope to use lots and lots of these bags to corral little treasures! The jumbo bags are also useful for holding dirty or wet laundry (although don't leave wet stuff in them too long or you'll get mildew--ick!). If you open a bag of crunchy snacks like a total spaz (like me) and burst the bag, slip your crispy treats in a zipper bag to keep them fresh. ~~~I'm sure you can come up with more uses than these as the need arises for these versatile bags, but I will tell you that several boxes of these will travel with us come early August!

Happy Trails!~~~~XXOO, Beth

I am SO Psyched!!!!!

Hello, Friends!~~~

Suzy has graciously allowed me to post comments into her fab WLYS Project blog as we COUNT DOWN to the BIG EVENT!~~~~I looked at the calendar and we are EXACTLY seven weeks away from our first day of the WLYS!~~~I will periodically check in with posts of my favorite yard saling tips, traveling tips, and anything else I think you may find useful for plqanning your own WLYS excursion!~~~Until then happy yard saling in your neck of the woods!~~~XXOO, Beth

Partner in Crime

Beth

If you know my other blog then you must know my BFF, Beth.

That's because we are two peas in a pod, BFF's, former neighbors, lifetime crafters AND we were both born in 1960.

Yes, that makes' us 50 this year and that is our excuse for taking off, leaving behind the dirty dishes, dirty laundry, teenagers and husbands to go off on this adventure, the WLYS!

What a way to celebrate, wouldn't you agree?!

Now that we are getting really, really close to our trip we are going to crank up this blog and get the party started. 

Stay tuned right here and you will hear more from me and from Beth right here as we get ready, get packed and get psyched for our big trip.

Practicing for the Big Event

There have been lots of great yard sales so far this season and I've been out there practicing, getting ready for the WLYS!

I'm hoping to find lots of vintage christmas bulbs.

I love vintage planters, especially cute ones.

My eye is always looking for old junk to repurpose into fun art for the garden.

The big event is getting so close now!!

WLYS on YouTube!!

 YouTube is a great source for scenes from the WLYS in previous years.  

Watching these gets me so geeked up for the sale.  Oh yeah.

This Gal Lives Right On the WLYS Route...LUCKY!

Say hi to Alexa from Chattanooga, TN.  This lucky gal lives in a city that is right along the WLYS route.  Chattanooga is along the southeastern border of TN. 

I don't know if I mentioned that I grew up in Johnson City which is near the northeastern border of TN. 

Johnson City is where I will be jumping off from to begin my trek along 127.  It's not on the route, I will have to get up super early the first morning and drive about 2 hours to get to Crossville, TN where I am starting.

Alexa has been to the WLYS two years running and is definitely returning this year.

Alexa sent me a great note about her experiences.

Photo Courtesy of Alexa

I happened upon your "World's Longest Yardsale Project" blog....loved it. Anything that promotes the highlight of my year annually can only be my friend. Most of your entries are in regard to people that attend days of the junk extravaganza, but I live in Chattanooga and can only dedicate one day to my adventure.

I begin the day at 5:30am, drive directly to Dunlap, TN and take 127 all the way into Chattanooga. It takes about 14 hours of intense junk-a-mania! No stopping to eat: bring snacks....bring liquids...drive large vehicle. No small children or husbands. I like to fly solo, or I will now allow my 14 year old daughter, of which is becoming my yardsale apprentice. It is a day like no other. I'm now on my third year so many vendors have now become friends. Certain spots along the way are regular haunts and "must-see" destinations.

 

I'm with Alexa on the "no small children or husbands" rule!  I will have partners in crime though and we all know how to appreciate a great yard sale!

Alexa has a great blog and she has written about both of her trips to the WLYS.

You can read about her adventure in 2009 here.

For more adventures and LOTS more great pictures, read about 2008 here,  here, and here.

I love how Alexa refers to the WLYS as the Ga-Zillion Mile Yard Sale.

Photo courtesy of Alexa

Are we all getting excited yet?  August seems forever in the future. 

Nah, it will be here before you know it :->

Kim Says She Would Do It Again!

I recently heard from Kim  about her trip to the WLYS in 2008 and she was kind enough to answer a few questions. 

1) What year(s) have you been to the WLYS?

2008

2) What was your starting point?

Crossville, TN

3) Where did you end and how many miles did you cover?

Ended in Ohio-not sure on the miles, didn’t keep track. Many websites tell you that it continues to the Michigan-Ohio border, and that really wasn’t true. It was mostly over when you got to the Cincinnati area.

4) Were you looking to find specific types of items?

 Looking for Fiestaware, and amethyst and clear depression glass, and old tools, and anything that happened to catch our eye-but mostly it was for the adventure!

5)  Would you go again?

YES! J

6) What was your best “score”?

 That is a really hard question! They all were! The whole experience was probably the “best” score!

7) Would you go again and if so would you cover the same route or expand your route?

 YES!! In a heartbeat! I’d start in Gasden next time and work my way north from there.

8) Where are you from and how did you travel to get to the WLYS?

 Michigan, and we left home on the Sunday prior. We planned a bunch of stops at places we both wanted to visit. We stopped at the Homer Laughlin China Factory for a tour, tried to visit a Diner’s Drive Ins and Dives Restaurant, visited Smokey Mountain Knifeworks, the Smokey Mountains and Ober Gatlinburg and then started the sale in Crossville and worked our way toward home.

Photo courtesy of Kim

Kim also offered some more info and tips.

We took bagels and stuff that was easy to grab for breakfasts and lunches and only ate dinners out, that saved a lot of money and helped keep us on the road more instead of having to stop so much or waste valuable time sitting in a restaurant.

Since we started a day early the crowds really weren’t that big yet, and I would definitely start early again!

We took a roll of quarters each, like a lot of websites tell you to do, and we never used them! They were heavy and a pain to carry. We took a lot of ones and were glad that we did that.

We bought disposable rain ponchos from Walmart in case we needed them.

We took all of the back seats out of our SUV and put our car top carrier inside the car (to save on gas mileage) in case we needed more storage space for the trip home, and in case we couldn’t find a hotel and might have had to sleep in the car.

Kim wrote a great blog post about her trip and you can read all about it here.  She included lots of great pictures too.

Kim covered basically the same route that I will be taking so it was really great to here that she had a great time and experience.  Can't wait!