HWY 127 - Day 4

Disappointing.  At approximately 11:30am, it started to pour and showed no signs of letting up.  We did manage to hit a few yard sales before the rain, but don't have much to show for it.  In fact, many participants had decided that since it was a forecast of rain, (and the last day of the sale), it wasn't worth opening up their yard.  At least half the tables were covered in a thick tarp to protect their junk.  The picture below is me stomping in a puddle some where in the middle of Kentucky trying to get the mud off my shoes.

This is a breakdown of the contents of all items to be found at the yard sales.  As you can see, there was an overwhelming amount of clothing and glassware.  The upside to this was that it was easily avoided, the downside was that it took up nearly 50% of all shelf space and resulted in many drive-bys as we had previously decided this would be under the "junk" category.  The mandatory Christmas decor ration per table was enough to make even the most optimistic person feel a little depressed.  While on the topic of Christmas, I never liked getting books as a present when I was a kid.  I mean there you were on Christmas Day in the middle of the winter break... and someone had the audacity to give you a book?!  Was I supposed to read this on my vacation from school?!  It seemed like cruel and unusual punishment, and as such usually the books (and most often clothes as well) ended up getting buried in my closet never to be seen again.  However, we did end up with many books (none which I chose). The tools and guns were pretty cool... though I wasn't allowed to buy any guns no matter how convincing my explanation for needing one was.  Lastly, came the "good stuff" which made up a mere 1% of all items at a yard sale.  These were items which warranted a request of "how much are you asking for this?".

This trip isn't for the amateur weekend yard saler.  You need to have the stomach to filter through all the junk.  On the plus side, you get to meet some real characters, and as long as you have an open mind and are just out to have some fun it can be a real blast.  We will definitely consider doing this trip again in years to follow.

Here is a picture of what we found before the rain came at 11:30am.    At 12:30pm, we turned the car around and headed home.  Currently we are in a motel near Toledo Ohio... about a 6.5 hour drive from home.

A few license plates, and some Strawberry Shortcake dolls.  A very anti-climactic end to a really fun trip.

In Summary:

Day four distance travelled (before we had to turn around): 70 miles
Total money spent: $35.25
Appalled to see: slave collar from 1852
Annoyed with: woman who wouldn't let me look through her small bin because it was "organized"

HWY 127 - Day 3

We didn't travel very far today as the Kentucky 127 stretch really knows how to do a yard sale!  Instead of acting as individuals, communities would band together and take over a vacant lot to make one HUGE yard sale.  Interestingly enough however it was our least productive day.  We also have some additional observations which must be stated.  There are three types of garage sale vendors in Kentucky.  The first type has a buddy who knows a guy who can get a decent deal on a certain item; lets use nail clippers as an example.  This type of vendor will order 40,000 of them thinking that if he/she manages to sell them all they could make a few thousand dollars.  However, what ends up happening is that most people don't really need an additional nail clipper as they don't often break.  He/she may sell a few, but then there are 39,975 left over.  Not being one to give up, this first type will store these for the next year, pull them out again and sell a couple more, store them a year and so one.  This pattern continues for the next 20 years whereupon they are pulling out a rusty box of nail clippers still trying to make to make that unattainable profit.

The second type actually has some cool stuff.  Unfortunately they store it all in miscellaneous boxes with no organization what-so-ever.  They don't even know what they have (which can be a good thing when it comes to negotiating... but good luck finding a complete item if there are several pieces).

The third type are my favourite.  These guys think every piece of junk they have is worth a fortune, and will back up their claim with a bunch of BS like, "oh that's really rare", or "I could probably get twice that on Ebay".  There is no point in haggling with these types because the won't budge.  If this type actually sold everything they had for the price that they were asking, they would be multi-millionaires.

  Today I did some personal reflection, and I'm quite angry at myself for passing up that Atari.  It was even the one that I wanted (with the fake wood siding).  The trouble was the $125 price tag which I'm sure I could have haggled down a bit.  I wish I could say that was the worst of it... but oh no... it would only get much worse..

What I have in my hands here folks is a genuine 1956 Chevy hood ornament.  The price was $35 dollars and I balked.  While in the shower that night, I realized what a mistake I had made.  When on Earth will I EVER FIND ONE AGAIN?!!  I am a moron, and henceforth I declare myself incompetent and am seeking a power of attorney to handle my monetary affairs.  I'm so stupid stupid stupid!

This is a shot of one of the busier sales.  This went on for at least 1 km all the way to the local elementary school where they let us use their washrooms.  It feels weird being in a strange place, and walking on people's property and schools as if it is a normal everyday thing, but you get used to it.

It is so bloody hot down here, and the humidity is killer.  It hasn't really rained here for months so it is really dusty and dry.  The picture above is of a candle set that has melted in the heat.

Some of the larger community yard sales have portolets.  We thought it was kind of funny that they felt the need to make them gender specific.  I guess it is important to only see your own genders poo.  There is probably a law about that down here.

Alas our days haul.  Not nearly as productive as previous days.  Of course the best find was a complete Tonka crane/scoop in decent condition.  The guy wanted $65 for it, but I offered him $40 and he took it.  I paid MUCH more for it than my previous Tonka purchases, but the other cranes that I have seen were in much worse shape, and not nearly as common as the mighty dump.  Also, this version is from 1965 (I think based on the smaller wheel size and silver clam shovel)

The Atari joystick and paddles were just a reminder of what I had a chance to buy.

Ask and you shall receive... those are genuine tupperware popsicle makers.  I'm not sure if these were what you had in mind as when I was a kid I remember we had the ones with orange tops?!

The Nintendo was purchased from a type 2 vendor.  He wanted $40 for it, I offered $10 and we agreed on $15.

That's all for today; tomorrow is the final stretch.  Not sure what we are doing after that.  Perhaps come home?!

In Summary:

Distance covered on Day 3: 71 miles

Money spent: $72.25 (all except $4.25 by ONE person)

Should have bought: Fraggle Rock drum, mounted buck head, ram skull

Appalled to see: 1920's KKK ceremonial dagger (ONLY $165)

Wanted to buy: cute baby chicks

"Sport" to try: Cornholing (get your your mind out of the gutter)

TIP of the day: do not park sideways on a steep incline. You might have to drive over three front yards to "escape" (after embarrassingly burning rubber and bottoming out)

HWY 127 Yard Sale - Day Two

Day two involved us making it just across the border into Kentucky.  I think we travelled a bit further than yesterday, but honestly we are splitting hairs on this.

In order to keep our sanity, we came up with some HWY 127 yard sale rules.  We came up with these while waiting for our dinner.  The rules are as follows:

1:  No crap/nothing junky.  In other words, no new toys, costume jewellery, clothes, crafts, and specifically no toilet paper comforters.

2:  We must both agree before we stop.  Each party has the right to veto, however each party also has the right to override the veto 3x per day.

3:  If one party has declared the yardsale a bust, or has cleaned it out of perceived value, then that party may invoke the "complete" clause.  At this time, the aforementioned party must inform the other party that he/she has 5 (five) minutes to vacate the yardsale or forfeit one of their 3 (three) daily vetos as aforementioned in rule #2.

Hopefully with these rules in effect, both parties will be able to traverse the entire 650 miles with their marriage still intact.  Both parties have both been sworn in by means of an affidavit and will find this contract legally binding in a court of law.

A few things are starting to become apparent the further south we go in the US:
1) Americans have a fear of lightning (multiple lightning rods per house with wire wrapping around the house and then leading to the ground)
2) English words often get shorter to the point that the English is nearly unrecognizable.  For example; tomatoes become "maters".
3) Americans (and sometimes myself since I'm half) really have no idea what the letter Z is when pronounced "zed".  Also, why did Dominoes Pizza need our postal code?  Apparently we were the first to EVER not give the standard zip code.

Yard Sale wise we are getting REALLY tired of all of the old/cheesy Christmas decorations.  Honestly it is like an incurable disease in that you must go through all 7 steps before finally reaching "acceptance".  All this junk makes Christmas seem like a nightmare that you can't wake up from... unless of course there is an extreme shortage of Christmas decoration.  If you ever find yourself needing some, look no further than heartland America.  It is really sick.

AND the Happy Meal toys still in the package!  Apparently people are deluded into thinking someone else might actually want one of these.  Please, after Sunday when the sale is over, put them into a landfill where they can rest in peace for the next 2000 years.  They are a horrible memory of humanity, and the sooner we can get their millennia long decomposition started as soon as possible! 

Some people REALLY don't like Obama.  This picture was taken in Ohio where some people don't like health care.  I can understand how that is wrong as Americans should be FREE to choose not to have healthcare.  It is what the forefathers had in mind when they wrote the bloody constitution!

Not as impressive as yesterdays haul, but I did pick up a Tonka payloader for $15.  I saw several others in the same condition for $80, which brings me to another point I feel I must make.  To all yardsale vendors:  by definition of a yardsale, people are looking to get things CHEAP!!!... not for you to take everything off Ebay and charge the same amount.  It isn't my job to put your kids through school.  Items must be priced so that the merchandise can move.  There is a reason you have a yardsale, because no one is buying your crap at the inflated book value.  Just because some jerk pulled one over on some clown in swampland Florida doesn't mean it is actually worth that amount!  There are 4000 other yard sales we have to hit... we want your crap cheap or we are moving on.

But perhaps the best find of the trip so far was this  Sega Genesis game that we purchased for the Segadude.  I hope he doesn't already have this, and if he does... well words can't describe my disappointment :(  I hope that you love Barney as much as he apparently loves you.  Have fun playing hide and seek.




In Summary:

Total Day Two distance covered: 141 miles
Total money spent: $45.85
Items we wished we could have bought: baby goats, whole watermelons, 1960s full size firetruck, Chinese RPG, bear trap (not to actually use)
Items we regret not buying: Grandizer, 1950s Buick hood ornament
Overpriced: Fisher Price Little People and related paraphernalia
Purchased, but authenticity in doubt: bottle of Holy Water for $1

Wish us luck on Day 3 as we make our way south.

HWY 127 Yard Sale - Day One

As we have emptied the Robinsby Acres coffers into our house, we were under the notion that there would be no exotic trips this summer; and then we heard about the 650 mile yard sale that takes place on HWY 127 in the United States.  That's right... 650 miles (Michigan to Alabama) through America's heartland; where everybody's junk shifts from one owner to the next, and in our case imported into Canada!

We thought we would be up to the task and might make it from end to end figuring that there would be a yard sale every 5 miles or so.  Oh how wrong we were!  In reality, there is more like 7 - 10 garage sales per mile, and at this rate we will be lucky to leave Ohio let alone make it to Alabama... especially since SOMEONE (my wife) must carefully rummage through each individual trinket in hopes of finding that one gem.  Meanwhile I'm either tapping my imaginary watch at her or complaining that i haven't eaten breakfast yet. Well that is a bit of an exaggeration, but as I'm the one writing this you will only hear my side of the story.

We took a lot of pictures, so this blog as well as the ones to come which document our trip will be more like a slide show with comments at the bottom of each picture.

Enjoy!

After I backed the car out of the drive way, we noticed that part of the undercarriage was loose (I had recently grounded it on a parking block)... so we made it about 20 feet before having to pull over for a pit stop.

We stopped at American Jewellery & Loan in Detroit which is the location of TV's Hardcore Pawn Stars.  I was hoping to get into a really obnoxious arguement with one of the owners like it seems to always happen on TV.  Unfortunately no owners were around, and you have to audition to sell your junk... so much for reality TV!

We just thought this was rather funny.  Beavis and Butthead come to mind.  Heh heh heh!

This is butter with a side of baked potato.  To quote My Cousin Vinny... "have you heard of the ongoing cholesterol problem in the country?!".  Holy smokes do they ever lay on the butter thick!

We saw this near the start of our day.  We thought it was kind of weird to be selling a tanning bed in the middle of summer... or to even sell one at all for that matter.

This was rather cool.  It was a six and a half foot tall Sonic, and it belongs with the Segadude's collection.  In fact now that I know this is out there, I'm not even sure you can call what he has a collection.  It was $750, but i'm sure you could get them down to an even $600.  Even if I could afford this, it wouldn't have fit in our car.  The Segadude owns an SUV (or rather his old lady does), and Sonic is waiting for you in Bryan Ohio!

Vintage Tupperware!!!!!!!!! For everyone who can't leave the 70s behind (and secretly wishes that they still held Tupperware parties - you know who you are).

















In Summary:

Total distance travelled on Day One - 76 miles
Total money spent - $48.75 (T - $21.75, J - $27.00) - see our haul below
Biggest observed price gap - Lite Brite ($1 versus $15)
Untapped market - baked goods for those who did not eat breakfast
Items we wanted to buy but could not for various reasons: puppies, rabbits, Corvettes, motorcycles, FULL ATARI SET with 25 games
"Advantage" over Canadian yard sales: guns... oh so many guns