Some shoppers come out early for 100-Mile Yard Sale

Although the 100-Mile Yard Sale doesn't officially start until today, people were already setting up and searching for bargains Wednesday.

This weekend will be the 14th year for the annual event along Highway 25 coordinated by local chambers of commerce. The route stretches from Jackson to Kennett, Mo., and the sale continues through Monday, Memorial Day.

Terry Stearns, who was setting out Christmas lights, dishes and eight-track tapes under a tent along Highway 25 in Jackson on Wednesday morning, said she expects today to be her biggest sales day.

"By Friday afternoon, we hope most of it's already gone," Stearns said.

According to traffic counts conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation between Delta and Arbor, Saturday is the biggest day for the yard sale, when traffic increases by 50 percent.

Average daily traffic flow for that area is about 3,880 cars.

Traffic picks up by about 25 percent the Thursday and Friday of the sale, according to MODOT traffic engineer Craig Compas. Traffic drops down to about 10 percent above normal Sunday and by Monday it's returned to normal, he said.

Several homes already had sales going along Highway 25 on Wednesday to attract shoppers early.

"My husband was driving by and saw some people already set up, so he came home and picked me up and we just started looking," said Shirley Lands of Delta, who was shopping a sale just outside of Dutchtown.

Linda Putz of Millersville has shopped the 100-Mile Yard Sale for years, but this is the first year she's set up a booth to sell her stuff.

"You can find just about anything you want, and you can find things you just can't find anywhere else," she said. "Someone might have something you haven't seen for years and you can buy it for next to nothing. It might be worth $30 or $40."

Putz rented a booth space from Otto Goehman, who has a gunsmith shop at 90154 Highway 25 between Gordonville and Dutchtown.

Goehman is expecting 23 vendors to set up on his property this year, coming from as far as Collinsville, Ill., and Wentzville, Mo. He's even got food vendors to serve hungry shoppers.

"It's like a little circus here," Goehman said.

Alongside booths of household items and clothes for sale, Goehman's lot also offered an RV, a four wheeler and a dump truck.

Goehman estimates he averages between 10,000 and 15,000 people browsing through booths each year during the 100-Mile Yard Sale.

Last year, he says, attendance was down due to high gas prices, but with gas 40 cents a gallon cheaper this year than last year he's expecting a big crowd.

"It's just a good family outing. People fill their cars and their coolers and come out for some cheap fun," he said.

Goehman got the idea to start renting booths several years ago after people started coming by to ask him if they could set up in front of his shop.

"Now, most of them reserve their spot for the next year before they leave," Goehman said. He makes enough money from this one weekend to pay the insurance and taxes on his property for a full year, so he says it's well worth his efforts.

Stearns said she likes to make a little money and rid her house of clutter, but she also enjoys meeting people who make coming to the 100-Mile Yard Sale an annual tradition.

"They get hotel rooms and make a big deal of it. It's fun," she said. She's met many shoppers from the St. Louis area and Southern Illinois.

For more information, visit http://www.25yardsale.com.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Highway 25, Jackson, MO

Highway 25, Gordonville, MO

Highway 25, Dutchtown, MO