Wet weather doesn't keep shoppers from 100-Mile Yard Sale

This year’s Memorial Day weekend 100-Mile Yard Sale turned out to be one of the wettest in the event’s 18-year history, but the sales continued despite the rain.

The rain was such that flash-flood warnings were issued both Thursday and Friday, and water covered portions of Highway 25 at times.

“It rained when I got here Thursday, it rained when I got here Friday, and it even rained this morning when I got here,” vendor Jimmy Osborne said Saturday. “So that kept a lot of people home, but actually the crowd’s been pretty good today.”

Vendors who didn’t have shelters or garages did their best to cover their wares in plastic, and shoppers who braved the elements often were rewarded with water-damage-discounts.

But Saturday, the sun was shining and the shoulders on Highway 25 were packed with parked cars as they typically are during the sales.

The thousands of shoppers up and down the highway were drawn by the vast array of oddities on display, from antique cola tin signage to televisions to Tom Jones records.

Some shoppers such as Ellen Grossman had come with an objective.

“I’m really looking for a trunk, like something that looks a little vintage and what have you,” she said, dragging behind her a recently-purchased trolley full of gardening implements. “These are just something I couldn’t pass up. Plus he threw in the cart for free.”

Others, however, had come just for the adventure, with a fistful of dollars and a hunch that opportunity would present itself.

“That’s kind of not the point, though right?” said shopper Kim Shepherd of shopping with a particular goal in mind. “It’s a yard sale. The real fun is just seeing what falls into your lap. You really never know what you’re going to see. If you wanted something in particular, you’d go to the store.”

And the rain didn’t bum out all the vendors; some like the women at New McKendree United Methodist Church said it even helped.

“Our weekend has been fantastic,” Mary Klaproth said. “We think that the bad weather has actually raised our turnout, which is great since we give all our profits to missions.”

She said the 100-Mile Yard Sale is more than just spring cleaning, and they see it as an opportunity to help the less fortunate in the community.

“Our congregation has responded with a lot of items that they donated for us to sell,” she said. “And what we don’t end up selling, we donate to Teen Challenge.”

Women of New McKendree UMC member Julie Combs agreed.

“The crowds have just been overwhelming,” she said. “[Today] has definitely been more successful than in previous years.”

The 100-Mile Yard Sale continues today and Monday.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573)388-3627

Pertinent address:

Highway 25 between Jackson, Mo., and Kennett, Mo.