Next week marks one of my favorite events of the year—the first Wednesday in August brings the start of the World’s Longest Yard Sale, also known as the 127 Sale. This epic treasure hunt spans 690 miles of Route 127, running from Michigan all the way down to Alabama, crossing through six states and attracting hundreds of thousands of sellers and shoppers.
I've been hitting this sale off and on for over 20 years, and every time I go, it's a different kind of adventure. My first trip was back in 2002, when it was just me and my mom in my old van—armed with a tent, air mattresses, and a passion for finding deals. For a few years, we upgraded to a camper and camped out near Frankfort, KY, which made it easy to branch out in a different direction each day, returning to our campsite at night. We’d fill our days with sales and our evenings with mom-and-pop restaurants and lots of laughter.
Some years we scored big. Other years, not so much—but it never stopped us from enjoying the ride.
Between 2010 and 2013, life got in the way and we missed a few years, but in 2014, I found myself back at it, even if just for a single day. At the time, I was living in Louisville, KY, so it was an easy hop over to Route 127 for a quick hit of yard sale magic.
Since 2019, I’ve been back in Ohio, and now the 127 Sale is just a short 45-minute drive from home. The last few years, we’ve spent a full day around Camden and Eaton, OH, and this year, I think we’ll stretch it to two days—heading north one day and south the next.
As much as I’d love to head back down to Kentucky or Tennessee, that kind of road trip just isn’t in the cards this year. We don’t have a camper right now, and let’s be honest... I’m past the age where tent camping sounds like a good time! 😂 Hotels are already booked, and with everything else going on, we didn’t plan ahead far enough.
BUT—I still have my van, and turning it into a sleeper is definitely on my list. Maybe next year, we’ll hit the road a bit farther and make it a bigger adventure.
For now, I’m excited to explore the Ohio leg of the sale. I’m ready to:
-
Find treasures
-
Laugh at wild prices
-
Debate what something even is
-
Question who on earth would buy that
-
And most importantly, just soak in the joy of a couple days filled with junkin', pickin', and people-watching.
And of course, I’ll be grabbing a few things to resell, a few to keep, and probably a few that make perfect Christmas or white elephant gifts. The 127 Sale never disappoints when it comes to quirky finds.
So if you’re out and about next week, maybe I’ll see you on the backroad. Happy picking!