ROUTE 127 GARAGE SALE … It was a busy morning in the parking lot of New Hope Community Church, Bryan, with bargains galore. Known as the “World’s Largest Garage Sale,” the annual garage sale stretches north and south from Michigan to Alabama, covering 690 miles.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
For years and years, it’s been a longstanding tradition along U.S. Route 127 where front yards and parking lots host garage sales for one big weekend in August.
Known as the ‘World’s Longest Yard Sale,’ the route stretches 690 miles from Jackson, Michigan, to Gadsden, Alabama, nearly 800 miles apart, and passes through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia along the way.
Garage sale enthusiasts definitely get a bargain or two along the route. New Hope Community Church of Bryan was a beehive of activity on Thursday morning, thus kicking off this year’s three-day event.
The church’s parking lot was filled to capacity with vendors and sellers alike, along with a food stand provided by New Hope to provide nourishment for those bargain hunters.
For Bryan residents, Buck and Barbara Owens, this was the first time they had participated in the garage sale.
“This is my first year setting it up, and it will probably be my last,” joked Owens. Proceeds from his sale of items are going towards the New Hope Community Church Uganda Mission Trip.
“Whatever we set up here today and whatever we sell goes to the Uganda mission trip,” said Buck Owens. “It’s a mission the church supports, and everything we make just goes to them. We don’t take anything else from it.”
He mentioned that New Hope has participated in the popular garage sale for about 12 years. “There are
some people that go all the way down to Tennessee and work themselves back this way, buying everything they can,” he added. “They’re the ones that own the shops with the antiques and all that kind of stuff.”
Under their sale tent, there was an assortment of tools and accessories for sale, along with many other older items.
“Those four-way tire wrenches, you don’t see very many of those anymore,” Owens said. “I got stainless steel fittings, screws, nails, just about anything you want.”
The inspiration for which Owens wanted to donate to the Uganda Mission Trip was that he needed to clean out his garage. “That’s what inspired me to bring stuff out,” said Owens. “My wife has been helping out with it. “
“She’s got stuff she is putting up there for Lana Newcomer. Like I said before, it’s going to be my last year after I finally got my junk cleaned out.”
He was very impressed with the other sellers and vendors in the parking lot. “I hadn’t had a chance to survey everything yet, but there is a lot of stuff that you could find in here, and I could probably take a lot of stuff home today,” added Owens.
Regina Mann of Wapakoneta was busy selling products such as English walnuts, black raspberries, and plants. It’s also the fifth year that Mann has been participating in the garage sale.
“We come up here to sell our stuff and visit,” said Mann. “Just meeting and talking to people. I kind of say it’s a small witness, but it’s just associating with people.
Jenna McMaken of Edgerton had a wide array of children’s clothing and other related items for sale in her tent. “It takes a lot of work to get around more than what you realize,” said McMaken. “You just hope that you don’t take it all home.”
McMaken, who attends New Hope Church, knew they were renting out spaces for the garage sale and took advantage of it.
“We wanted to help out the church and see if we can unload some of the goodies out of our house,” she added. “Not only that we’re helping the church, but also some of the money will go towards our kids’ savings accounts.”
Abby Mohre of Blakeslee has participated in the garage sale for the past six years. “Every year is different,” said Mohre.
“We have different vendors here, different people, age groups. I have seen some people that I have recognized from six years ago, so that’s kind of nice too.”
“It’s not really about the money, it’s about getting to know them, and we meet people from all over, from the tip-top of Michigan all the way down to Georgia. We had somebody today who was from St. Louis.”
“They come every year and get a carload of people, or they rent a truck and go around and look for different things they’re looking for.”