Morning Sentinel
This year's version will be the 25th anniversary of the '12-mile yard sale'
BY ALAN CROWELL
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 05/16/2008

SKOWHEGAN -- Betty Soucy describes the annual 12-mile yard sale that transforms her quiet residential street into a two-lane bazaar in one word: "Chaos."

"Both sides," adds her husband Arthur Soucy.

One year, the couple said there were so many cars parked along their road -- Malbons Mill Road -- that traffic couldn't get through.

The past couple years, however, it has been fine, said Betty. She said she and her husband don't mind the yard sale -- scheduled for this weekend -- and plan to put out a few items this year. Their five-year-old great-grandson Blake even hopes to sell some of his old toys.

Each year since 1983, a two-day yard sale has taken shape early on Saturday morning the week before Memorial Day.

The sale now stretches from U.S. Route 2 in Skowhegan up Malbons Mill Road to the West Ridge Road to Routes 150 and 43 and into Athens. It even branches down many side streets.

Organizers advertise the event from one end of the state to the other and thousands respond, buying everything from farm equipment to books and cars and about everything else people can put on their lawns.

It is busy, it is crowded and it is slow traveling, but it is only one weekend a year, say residents along the route.

"It doesn't bother us," said Betty Soucy. "It is like there was a fair up here or something."

Ken Mathieu, who lives near the Soucys on Dr. Mann Road, said the yard sale is a lot of fun.

"You don't have to spend a lot of money and you meet a lot of nice people," said Mathieu, who bought a lawnmower one year for $10 -- it worked well, he said -- and still has a couple of computers that he bought for next to nothing.

"You find a lot of stuff you might be looking for and never expect to find at a yard sale," said Mathieu. "I think everybody looks forward to it every year."

Janet Bernard, of Cornville, is one of the organizers.

Bernard said the annual event started out as a six-mile yard sale on the West Ridge Road in Cornville.

"A couple of neighbors got together and said 'Lets do a community yard sale,'" said Bernard.

As the years went by, more and more people joined in. She estimated that 50 to 60 houses take part.

Even that understates the size of the event, however, because a single home may include the efforts of several families.

Bernard, who runs Nelson's Candy on West Ridge Road in Cornville with her husband David, said they sell a lot of candy on that weekend.

"People come from all over the place just to get a bargain," she said.

One year, she said, her father-in-law counted 1,500 people Saturday before noon.

"It benefits the people who are trying to thin things out and do some spring cleaning and it benefits the people who are going to come and get a great deal," she said.

But it also takes some organizing.

Bernard said she and her friend Anita Wentworth collect $3 each from participating families to fund advertisements in newspapers covering the state north to south.

They also print and distribute leaflets and field questions.

It is a lot of work and it is not easy finding volunteers to help out, she said.

Anita Wentworth, who also lives on West Ridge Road in Cornville, agrees the two could use a few more volunteers.

Wentworth has been involved with the event for 19 years.

"Everybody just looks forward to this, not just here but everywhere," she said.

People come from all parts of the state and from Massachusetts, Vermont and even Canada.

People from far away stay over on Friday night just to be ready in the morning when the best bargains are available.

"Everything is right there that they could want. They could buy an animal. We have flowers, perennials. They sell farm equipment, cars and boats," said Wentworth.

Things that simply aren't made anymore are available at the yard sale, said Wentworth, who sells perennials. Her husband will be selling farm equipment this year.

If you are looking to sell something, almost anything, it is hard to beat the yard sale, she said.

"How (else) can you expect more than 3,000 people to come through your house on a weekend by advertising one time," she said.

Alan Crowell -- 474-9534, Ext. 342

acrowell@centralmaine.com

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