Early bargain-hunters visit Highway 61 Yard Sale

Despite the heat, vendors expect a high turnout for this year's Highway 61 Yard Sale.

It kicked off Thursday afternoon with some vendors selling their wares to the "early bird" crowd. The majority of vendors and shoppers will be out Friday and Saturday.

The yard sale, which ends Saturday, runs from Bloomsdale, Mo., to High Street in Jackson. Tee and Carol Trankler were set up in the lot near the Iron Mountain Railway train depot, near the intersection of High Street and East Jackson Boulevard. Tee Trankler said he and his wife have been setting up their tables in that area for the past five years.

"We've done well here in those five years," he said. "We hope we do good this year."

The Tranklers were selling items for their entire family, including cribs and young children's clothes outgrown by their granddaughters. Tee Trankler also was selling Mustang parts.

"I'm cleaning out my shop," he said. "If somebody's looking for some parts for an old Mustang, we've got them here."

Elane Moonier, volunteer coordinator with the Iron Mountain Railway, also was setting up a table nearby. Although many consider Labor Day weekend to be the end of summer, she's hoping many who come by the table near the trains already have the winter holidays on their mind.

"We had a lot of Christmas stuff donated to the train, so we're hoping people will come buy some of the things we have out here," Moonier said. "We have ornaments, decorations -- everything you could think of."

Moonier and the Tranklers plan to participate in the yard sale through Saturday, along with the 10 other tables setting up Friday.

Just north of Fruitland, near the intersection of Route E and U.S. 61, Sarah Finney also was participating in the yard sale, hoping to make some extra money for her son's trip to Florida with his baseball team. She said the real crowd wouldn't come until Friday, but she was off to a good start.

"We've already seen a lot of people out and about," Finney said.

Finney wasn't sitting at her table alone. She was joined by many others participating in the yard sale, including Stan Myers. He made many of the items he had for sale, including antique wooden doors, tables and even a bird feeder

"We've got a lot of things out here that you just can't find now days," he said.

Myers also said he had already noticed an uptick in traffic Thursday. Craig Compas, traffic engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, said anyone traveling along U.S. 61 during the holiday weekend should be prepared for the extra traffic.

"You see a lot of cars starting and stopping, either waiting to enter or exit another road or because they're stopping and looking at stuff they might want to buy," he said. "Be cautious of more people crossing the road or entering the road more frequently than you might be used to."

According to the AAA travel forecast, 29.2 million automobile travelers will be out this holiday weekend. In the West North Central region of the country, which includes Missouri, automobile trips are expected to increase 6.5 percent over last Labor Day.

Compas said people have always been cautious when traveling through the area, but he still encourages everyone to slow down if they visit any of the stands along U.S. 61. Finney said compared to the larger 100-Mile Yard Sale, she believes the Highway 61 Yard Sale is more relaxed.

"I've heard people say that people move at a much slower pace at this yard sale, and I would say I have to agree."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

South High Street and East Jackson Boulevard, Jackson, Mo.

Fruitland, Mo.

Bloomsdale, Mo.