Annual four-day event lures bargain hunters to Highway 25

Ellen Lowe admits to starting the 100-Mile Yard Sale nine years ago out of love for bargain shopping and an interest in bringing money into the community.

"But if we're talking about a major car accident, then no, I didn't start it," she said, half-joking.

Although some critics complain about the accumulation of traffic along Highway 25, the annual Memorial Day weekend yard sale attracts people from all over the United States and even overseas, according to Lowe, of Bloomfield, Mo.

The 100-Mile Yard Sale begins Thursday and continues through Monday along Highway 25 from Jackson to Kennett, Mo. Some people will be out selling goods as early as 6 a.m.

Last year, traffic engineer Craig Compas of the Missouri Department of Transportation started putting up signs to caution drivers to be alert when passing through the area or take an alternate route. "You never know when a vehicle or a kid's going to jaunt out into the road," he said, noting that to his knowledge, no accidents have occurred along Highway 25 during the yard sale.

The yard sale started in 1999 when Lowe, who travels to many trade shows and flea markets, started taking contact information from the dealers and realized that she could bring the trade market to Highway 25. The first year she invited all the dealers and footed the cost of marketing herself. Now the area chambers of commerce combine to sponsor the event.

Cheryl Merkler, assistant director of the Jackson chamber, said the organization printed 10,000 brochures for the yard sale this year. She said she receives at least 100 phone calls a few weeks before the yard sales every year from people interested in going to the event, and the mailing list is always expanding.

Some people who don't live along the highway rent out spaces on people's property and set up a booth. Others put up signs to advertise for their own yard sale off the highway.

"Die-hard people who go to this don't want to miss a single yard sale," Merkler said. "That might be the one sale that has what they're looking for."

Janet Coleman, director of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce, said hotels in Dexter are booked during the yard sale and restaurants are busy.

Kay White used to have an antique shop on Highway 25, and she still owns the property and some collectibles. She's been participating in the 100-Mile Yard Sale since the beginning and now rents out space on her 3-acre property to people for $10 a day. During the first couple of years she walked away from the yard sale with $2,000 to $3,000 after the exhaust fumes cleared. Now there's more competition for customers with people coming from out-of-state to sell at the event, she said.

Lowe knows a woman who annually travels from England at this time of year to visit her sister in Illinois and attends the 100-Mile Yard Sale. "You never know what you're going to find if you're a collector," said Lowe. "It's junk to some people, but to us it's neat."

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137