The Endless Yard Sale - Big Profits and Lots of Fun

Looking for quick ways to make a few extra dollars? Many people turn to a garage sale or a yard sale to make money and clear out their closets and basements at the same time.

You can definitely make a few dollars, but there's power in numbers, so holding a yard sale at the same time your neighbors do can multiply your efforts and bring in more customers and more sales.

This idea was implemented on a grand scale by folks who live in five states from Ohio to Alabama. They started a huge yard sale spanning over 650 miles and lasting four days. The "Endless Yard Sale," as it's known, is a tradition started back in 1987 as a way to get customers to stop off the interstate and come into the local towns to look for bargains.

The annual August sale grew steadily, but when HGTV started covering the event, it exploded.

Now the sale attracts over 100,000 eager buyers looking for great deals. Shop owners view it as an annual pilgrimage and many people build their summer vacations around it. Web sites offer advice for how to shop -- Arrive early, buy gas where you can, bring food because restaurants in small towns run out, etc. Traffic can become congested and it's often difficult to find a restroom.

There are other huge yard sale type events, some even claiming to be bigger than the Endless Yard Sale. These include...

Great U.S. 50 Yard Sale that runs across Indiana
U.S. 11 Antique Alley which runs from Virginia to Mississippi

Both of these yard sales happen in May.

Why the excitement?

Well, prices are rock bottom, of course.

People also like the "no rules" atmosphere of yard sales. There's a bit of Wild West mentality. For the most part, government restrictions aren't a big deal. As long as you aren't doing anything illegal, anything goes! Haggling abounds. Just about anyone can cash in by setting up a table with their wares.

The idea that you could find a hidden treasure amongst the junk is absolutely intoxicating to die-hard yard-salers.

Why not start a tradition in your community? Start with your block, your town, your interstate. Most sales have an official web site to announce its existence, but just a free Blogger blog will do the trick. Throw in some free publicity from newspapers and magazine and soon shoppers will be mapping their to your town, too. Who knows, HGTV might show up, too!