7/30/2008 6:02:00 AM
Van Wert at crossroads of highway garage sales
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| This young buyer was looking for bargains last year during the U.S. 127 Corridor Sale. This year local shoppers will have even more opportunities as the U.S. 127 Corridor Sale and the Lincoln Highway Buy-Way converge on Van Wert on the same weekend. |
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BY AARON GILLESPIE
Times Bulletin Staff
Two of the longest yard sales in the country are on a collision course for Van Wert - literally. August 7 - 10 will feature a weekend full of fun, friendship and most of all, sales. One of the very rare times that it has happened, the Lincoln Highway Buy-Way yard sale and the U.S. 127 Corridor Sale will be taking place on the same weekend this year and Van Wert is the only place in the country where these two sales intersect.
The U.S. 127 Corridor Sale will be taking place for the third year in Van Wert. Larry Lee, Van Wert Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) Director explained how the sale came about in Van Wert County.
"Two years ago the people to the south of Van Wert County, in Darke County and south towards Cincinnati became interested in extending the 127 sale north out of Kentucky. They made a contact with Mercer County and Van Wert County through the Convention Visitors Bureau and asked if we would like to be involved," said Lee.
As a whole, the 127 sale is celebrating its 21st year as the "World's Longest Yardsale" at 630 miles. The sale stretches from the Ohio/Michigan border all the way down to Gadsden, Alabama. The sale begins every year on the first Thursday in August. The original intent of the sale was to prove the back roads have something to offer, and the interstate system was not simply a mode for travel.
The Lincoln Highway Buy-Way sale has not been around as long, but is known by yard sale enthusiasts just the same. The event began four years ago on the hope that it would take off and turn into something big. The first year alone saw over 250 yard sales across the Ohio portion of the Lincoln Highway, the first coast-to-coast paved road in the country. The sale has grown every year and is anticipated to be even larger this year.
"We think we are going to have over 700 yard sales in Ohio, parts of Indiana, and even Illinois this year... but the best news is that yard salers, of which we have virtually no control, seem to be organizing into larger and cooler venues for the hot August fun," said Mike Hocker, executive director of the byway.
The 127 sale also cited a great turn-out the past two years and is anticipating an even larger turn-out this year according to Lee.
"The first year out we had a pretty good response. The 127 sale has a history and if you're a yard sale person you're really into that... The turnout has been very, very good. In fact last year I was surprised at the turn-out because 127 was basically closed down through Van Wert because of construction and despite that there were people that came through on the route," he said.
Another indicator that both sales are sure to be well attended this year lies in the amount of brochures requested and sent out by the Convention & Visitors Bureau. The sales were advertised in the Ohio Magizine with insert cards that could be mailed in to request more information. Lee noted that close to 100 brochures were mailed out about the 127 sale alone. These have been sent to places as far away as California, New Jersey and even England. He also noted that a lot of brochures have been mailed out about the Highway Buy-Way sale as well.
The big selling point for Van Wert of course is the fact that you can get two sales for the price of one this year.As Lee mentioned, there is no where else in the country that this can be done and it is sure to bring in a large contingent of garage salers hoping to experience the best of both worlds.
The U.S. 127 sale runs from August 7-10 while the Lincoln Highway Buy-way sale will take place the 7-9.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau is setting up an information station at the corner of Main and Washington on the Thursday and Firday of the sales. They will be handing out lists of places that are doing yard sales inluding the times they will run. They are asking anyone planning on having a sale to call the CVB office at 419-238-9378 to give this information so that it can be compiled.
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