Yard sale is a draw for sellers and buyers

A lot of people drive a lot of miles to scour the 301 Endless Yard Sale in search of hidden gems.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Brenda Fifeld, 40, of Kenbridge, Virginia. “We look forward to it every year. My in-laws live here in North Carolina.”

She enjoys looking around, Fifield said. “We look forward to catching deals,” she said. “I got some work shoes and found some odds and ends.”

It’s rewarding to uncover unique finds, Fifield said. “You get to hear the backstory of some of the things that you come across in the arts and crafts that people build and what they put into them,” she said.

For many, this year’s yard sale was their first. Cheryl Schoeling decided to give it a go.

“I think it’s a cool thing,”  said Schoeling, 50, of Goldsboro.  “It gets people out into the communities. There are so many stops, all in a concentrated place, and a lot of good deals.”

Schoeling invited her friend, Annice Broadwell, along for the ride.

It was a good first time out, said Broadwell, 48, of Clayton. “We have been having fun so far,” she said. “It’s always good to see the community come together and do something for the greater community.”

A lot of people were out and about on June 14, the first day of the two-day sale, Broadwell said. “It’s nice that it’s become popular enough that people are coming from all over the place to see us,” she said of her home county. “Johnston County is very hospitable. I’ve lived here all my life. So, you know, for us to be able to show who we are as a community is always a good thing.”

For some, the never-ending yard sale has become an annual tradition.

This was her and her sister’s fifth year at the yard sale, said Linda Kellner, 67, of Henrico, Virginia. “We absolutely love it,” she said. “This year is awesome. We haven’t even gotten out of one town before we filled the back of my truck.”

Kellner and her sister, Brenda Mitchell, discovered some excellent finds.

“We just found a lot of things that we didn’t know we needed, but they’re coming home with us,” said Mitchell, 67, of Doswell, Virginia. “I have an old table where the back is straight and the front is curved, and I use it as a bedside table. I actually found a match at a yard sale down the road.”

She has also picked up some pieces she plans to transform, Mitchell said. “We found an old baby dressing table that we’re going to paint and turn into a bar,” she said.

The yard sale brings sellers with an assortment of treasures.

This marked her sixth year setting up a spot to sell plants, said Rose Evans, 51, of Selma. “I think it’s amazing,’ she said. “People come from everywhere, and it’s a great time to just get out and enjoy the season.”

She grows her own perennials to sell, Evans said. “I’ve got a little bit of everything,” she said. “I plant what comes back every year. I don’t like to waste time on things that don’t come back. The most popular one is the chicken gizzard plant. That’s one of the rarest because it is an indoor or outdoor plant.”

“I plant for people in the community that don’t really have the means to go uptown and buy plants,” Evans added. “People love plants. I try to give people the opportunity to just get inexpensive plants that I grow and need to get rid of.”

Raylene Jessup was among the many sellers who use the yard sale to raise money for charities. She was there on behalf of her animal rescue, Stray Dogs and Stray Cats

“It’s a great fundraiser for animals,” said Jessup, 65, of Selma. “I run a rescue. It’s inside the Selma Cotton Mill. That’s why it’s so important for us to be here.”

Her years at the yard sale have taught her what people are looking for, Jessup said. “The first year that I came, I bought really nice antiques,” she said. “That was not the way to go. We learned that if we just collect a whole sea of small things that people love to dig and find.”

Everything at her yard sale was donated, from glassware to picture frames, Jessup said. “Everything is $1,” she added. “We try to make it affordable so everybody can walk away with something.”

Shoppers come from all over, Jessup said. “A lot of people get really excited about it,” she said. “I had some people from out of state in my shop yesterday that came just for this weekend.”

The sale is great for the community, Jessup said. “I think it’s a real good shot in the arm for the economy,” she said. “Especially for Johnston County, because I think Johnston County probably benefits the most from the yard sale.”

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