[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by busydesk

Thank you all. We did spend a while on the route and had lots of fun. Could not believe the variety of things folks had to sell- one guy had a water buffalo skull with the horns!
I don't know that I'd make a long trip just to participate, but we had to be nearby anyway so it was fun to just hop in for a bit and see what its all about.
For future reference for anyone wondering about it- be prepared for blistering hot weather as well as rain that can be a shower or a frog strangler ( in 6 hours we had both); opportunities for restroom breaks are surprisingly available since many of the "large camps" (multiple vendor sites) have supplied port-o-lets, but have TP of your own ; mind your gas gauge! (we saw a few folks who ran out on the long stretches that aren't occupied by vendors); having a tote bag helps at multi-vendor sites to prevent having to go back to the car; driving is tricky with so many people parking, un-parking, darting across the street and carrying heavy "stuff" to their vehicles, so be watchful and be patient to keep everyone safe.
I heard a bunch of griping about "all the junk", but you know, its a YARD SALE, so don't expect it all to be "good" stuff!!
There are plenty of professional flea market vendors who particpate, but there are more "regular joe's" cleaning out the attic, or downsizing...having a yard sale.
It's plenty fun if you like doing this sort of thing, but those with high expectations of finding gold at every stop will definitely be disappointed. It's less like what you may have seen on TV and more like what you'd see in your own neighborhood on a summer weekend.

Thanks for checking in! It does sound like something I would like. Now after I live up there for awhile I'll see if I'm still enthralled or go on vacation that weekend of the year lol.

[busydesk]

Well Granny,
Apparently the locals dread it due to the traffic, but welcome it because of the revenue it generates for the community in general thru lodging and dining sales increases, so its a mixed bag for the folks that live there; a double edged sword, some might say.
We did find that the hotels right along the route felt free to raise their rates significantly for the weekend...a Hampton Inn for $200+???

[kygman]

Friend of mine was upset the other day. Had hers all set up outside Lexington, Ky, looking forward to another weekend making some good money, and it poured down rain! lol Better weather yesterday though.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by busydesk

Well Granny,
Apparently the locals dread it due to the traffic, but welcome it because of the revenue it generates for the community in general thru lodging and dining sales increases, so its a mixed bag for the folks that live there; a double edged sword, some might say.
We did find that the hotels right along the route felt free to raise their rates significantly for the weekend...a Hampton Inn for $200+???

Yeah, our Realtor is one that avoids the area as she's not a fan. Yes we could have gotten a room but wasn't willing to pay those prices. We just changed the closing date and are now coming up to close on the 10...$72 at Desoto Lodge is much better than $200 at HI.

Rate hikes are nothing new for special events down here.

[bluebeard]

Campsites don't seem to change their prices.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by bluebeard

Campsites don't seem to change their prices.

I'll check this out for future reference. As this was going to be a quick trip, I didn't want to go to all that camping work.
I know the lodge didn't have any rooms or cabins/chalets available at all.

There's always next year. Maybe by then we'll have electric and water on our land so I can just camp there!

[CraigCreek]

On the other hand, gas was a LOT cheaper between the Frankfort - Junction City (KY) stretch than it was in Lexington during the 127 Sale - up to thirty cents a gallon less! I was happy to fill up just outside of Frankfort (though I had a half-full tank, ample for my drive).

Best find: a swirl Niloak vase for one dollar. I just about grabbed it out of the seller's hands as she was placing it on the groundcloth!

What other treasures turned up this year? Share your finds!

[bridgerider]

CraigCreek, that info you posted was great!! You should enter CD's most informative poster contest. Thx for taking the time to fill us in!

[CraigCreek]

Thank you! It was so hot and humid this year that I think I got a mild case of heat stroke at one point, despite hydrating constantly, so I stopped at a nearby Dollar Store and bought a cheap but much cooler T-shirt and changed immediately. I didn't even think about buying a old twenty-five cent T-shirt at the sale (though I really don't like wearing other people's old clothes that have been piled on the ground - yuck). That day just about wore me out. Fortunately, I live close enough that I was able to drive over to various stretches of 127 (over about a 40 mile total stretch) on four different days. But there was no way I could see everything, even in that limited (but productive) portion of 127.

There's always next year - let's all just hope the 2013 weather will be less extreme.

[busydesk]

It was REALLY hot the first day...despite constant hydrating I too got a little light headed. Then day 2 it rained and soaked everything...very hard to convince folks to remove tarps when the weather is threatening and intermittently pouring. Luckily, on the lowest section of the route- Gadsden to Jamestown- there are a surprising number of places that include a large building or two, so all was not lost.
Coolest thing we saw was surely the water buffalo skull with horns; most "wished for and didn't see many" thing was hand made quilts.
Best purchase was a majolica plaque for $3.