Ohio’s Longest Yard Sale offers bargains galore

For bargain savvy shoppers there was only one place to be on the weekend of August 4-6 - the historic Lincoln Highway.

In its seventh year, the Lincoln Highway Buy-Way Yard Sale is a three-day event that stretches through five states – West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa– and offers bargain savvy shoppers the opportunity to visit thousands of yard sales held along the original path of the Lincoln Highway.

According to Mike Hocker, Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway executive director, the event was launched by his organization in 2005 as a fun way for visitors to explore the historic roadway and the interesting destinations along its path.

To add to the fun, several years ago organizers added a scavenger hunt to the slate of activities surrounding the event. Just before the Buy-Way got underway, shoppers were invited to log on the organization’s website for a list of inexpensive items commonly found at yard sales. By submitting a photograph of all of the items on the list, participants will be eligible to win prizes including overnight stays, tickets to attractions, gift certificates and free dinners.

“This event has grown to national awareness in just five years,” said Hocker, noting that the event has grown steadily from 250 yard sales in Ohio in 2005 to more than 1,200 this year, as more and more yard sale enthusiasts discover the event and communities across the state seize the opportunity to add festival-type activities during the Buy-Way weekend.

While in the early years of the event most of the visitors to the Buy-Way traveled from areas immediately surrounding the Lincoln Highway, the event’s reach grew considerably when it was scheduled to correspond with the 127 Corridor Sale. That event, which has been unofficially dubbed the “World’s Longest Yard Sale,” stretches across a 675-mile route from Michigan to Alabama, drawing visitors to the Buy-Way from as far away as the deep south and Canada.

Hocker said this year hundreds of thousands of bargain hunters cruised the Ohio portion of the Lincoln Highway, doubling the normal traffic along the route.

To help shoppers locate events and yard sales taking place during the Buy-Way, Hocker’s organization distributed tens of thousands of copies of a travelers guide and map to businesses and visitors centers along the route.

The Buy-Way not only provides shoppers with the opportunity to find incredible bargains on everything from antiques to toys, it also pumps tourism dollars into the state economy.

“With a slow economy, this is a win-win for everyone by injecting money into our economy, offering some real savings for shoppers, and providing a fun and inexpensive vacation for travelers,” said Hocker, adding that according to his most conservative estimate the Buy-Way injected more than $10 million into the state’s economy in addition to the actual yard sale transactions.

With a record number of more than 200 sales in Wayne County, the Buy-Way is good for the local economy as well.

According to Marty Starkey, Wayne County Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director, the Buy-Way exposes a whole new group of visitors to all the county has to offer.

“It’s a win/win for everyone,” said Starkey, noting that most area hotels were sold out for the Buy-Way weekend.

For Hocker, whose organization is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting the Lincoln Highway, the Buy-Way was a success on every level.

“We know this event is not only giving a handsome boost to our state’s economy, but it’s also educating people about America’s first paved coast-to-coast road, and that’s our biggest reward,” said Hocker.

For more information on the Lincoln Highway Historic Byway, visit http://www.olhhc.org.