With the weather absolutely beautiful on Saturday, thousands flocked to Neosho to shop the 21st Annual Missouri’s Largest Garage Sale.
And they came from near and far.
“My wife saw it (garage sale advertisement) in the newspaper and she said, let’s go over there (Neosho),” said Sam Carlson, from Mountain Grove, Mo. “We came over here yesterday (Friday), got a motel room and even found some items on Friday.”
While Carlson waited on Oak Ridge Drive in his truck with a camper shell, his wife went shopping.
Carlson said she was the shopper, while he was the hauler.
“She has two big booths, we are retired and she has got a booth at Houston, Mo., she puts antiques and stuff,” he said. “And she has one at Mountain Grove and she kind of does that as a hobby.”
The Mountain Grove couple arrived at the sales around 6:30 a.m., along with others for the day-long event.
As he waited for his wife to bring more stuff, he pointed to his truck bed when asked what they have purchased.
“She has it full back there,” he said. “She has bought a rocking chair, desk and a whole bunch of clothes and stuff for the grandkids. There are good bargains here.”
Another person who attended the garage sale was Kasey Overman, Quapaw, Okla., who was searching for items that she will need in less than a month.
“I am looking for a set of chest of drawers and anything for the new baby,” Overman said. “Baby is due May 13.”
Starting at 6 a.m. Saturday, Overman went to McDonald’s and then to the garage sales at 6:30 a.m.
“There are some really good prices here and you get three times as many garage sales verses driving around wasting gas,” she said. “We have a good time every time that we come here.”
While riding down Oak Ridge Drive on his bicycle, Chris Beck noticed something in a neighbor’s yard — movies.
“This is my first stop,” Beck said. “I saw this truckload of movies and stopped to check them out. I found everything that I wanted.”
With the nice day, Tony Jones, of Granby, went looking for deals and even got in a workout.
“I came out here today to get some exercise, do a little bit of shopping and find some bargains,” Jones said. “In the past, we have purchased a lot of clothes for the kids, some fishing poles and some electronics.”
Driving down the roadways can be tricky during the annual event – which sees thousands upon thousands of people.
For that reason, and to save from carrying a lot of items with their hands, Andrew Crawford, Webb City, brought his shopping cart.
Crawford noted that the cart saves a lot of time.
“We have been coming down here for three years,” he said. “Last year, I got a deer stand, and this year I found some arrows.”
While manning the shopping cart filled with some items at a local household, his wife was looking inside at a sale for more items.
“She is looking for anything and everything,” commented Crawford.
Now that the event is over, the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce will soon get ready for the 22nd Annual Missouri’s Largest Garage Sale.
Neosho, Mo. —
