BLOOFMIELD, Mo. -- Get ready to slow the car down on Hwy. 25 over the next few days as the 100-Mile Yard Sale returns for a 14th year.
The sale will run from Thursday, May 24 through Monday, May 28. It runs the length of Hwy. 25, approximately 100 miles, from Jackson to Kennett.
The sale has long been a boost to local economies as thousands come from all around the country hoping to find treasures in "another man's trash."
Literally thousands of items ranging from household goods to electronic gizmos will be offered along one route, making searching out the "perfect buy" a breeze.
For the second year in a row, the Stoddard County Fairgrounds will be open to the public for booths and shopping for the first three days of the sale.
"Sometimes, people are pretty limited on space, so we wanted to find somewhere we could group some together safely," said Dexter Chamber of Commerce Director Janet Coleman. "We have inside and outside space. Things can be locked up at night, and it's still good shopping even in the rain."
So far, Coleman said people from as far away as Georgia and Illinois have booked booths.
"We still have plenty of room for anyone looking for a place to set up," Coleman said. "We're hoping it will grow as a stop on the path of the yard sale for vendors and shoppers alike."
The fairgrounds also offer RV hook-ups for those who are selling far away from home.
"If you live outside of the immediate Hwy. 25 area, this is a great opportunity to come take advantage of the sale," she said.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has already gotten busy putting out signs to urge drivers to use caution and getting word out via other avenues.
MoDOT wants you to remember the greatest savings of the event could be a life.
"It's a fun weekend that people look forward to each year," says Traffic Engineer Craig Compas, "but we want people to remember that there's more traffic and more congestion along Route 25 this weekend than any other, and drivers need to keep that in mind."
MoDOT will do its part to bring the safety message to the forefront.
"We really want drivers to be alert, to be aware of their surroundings, to be aware of sudden stops and to look for pedestrian traffic," Compas says. "It's a big event locally, and we want everyone to enjoy themselves and be as safe as possible."
After more than a decade, it can sometimes be hard to remember how this yard sale behemoth first began. Of course, it's not hard to figure out that the whole idea started with an avid interest in finding the best buy for your money.
It all began with a Bloomfield woman named Ellen Lowe. Lowe traveled to many trade shows and flea markets across the country and began to form an idea that would not only bring her love of a bargain closer to home, but would help boost the economy of her hometown.
In 1999, Lowe invited all the dealers to Highway 25 and footed the cost of marketing the event herself, according to published reports. Soon, though, area Chambers of Commerce would realize what a boost the yard sale was to local economies up and down the highway.
Properties along Highway 25 will either be used by the owner to set up a yard sale or rented to someone who has yard sale items. Signs will be posted along the highway for those who have booths set up off the highway. There is a myriad of items available, and Stoddard County businesses are ready for the increased traffic.
For more information on fairground booths, contact Coleman at the Dexter Chamber of Commerce at 624-7458 or (800) 332-8857.
Visit the website for the 100-Mile Yard Sale at http://25yardsale.com/.
For more information on traffic concerns, contact Compas at (573) 472-5310 or call MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).