flea markets

Highway 40 yard sale vendors

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The Historic National Road  (US 40) yard sale wrapped up Sunday after a successful five day run of this annual event. Our set up was at Dunreith, a small town between Richmond and Greenfield, Indiana. Nearly 30 different vendors had spots at which to sell their wares.

One very popular set up was selling home made fudge and fruit cobblers. Their selling spot had a large tent with the product shelving underneath. Blueberry, peach, strawberry and other flavor cobblers were available in either 4×4″ or large 8×8″ aluminum pans.

A truly delicious vendor site!

It seemed like the cobbler stand was quite busy. One day Pat had to go home to bake more cobblers when they sold out of several. Sher and I purchased one of the large blueberry cobblers. It was a wonderful treat, we enjoyed it over a couple of days!

One of the vendors likely would win the “who came the farthest” prize. Griffin Leather Company is based in Alabama some 460+ miles from Dunreith. Tim and Ruthie  run the business together and travel extensively during the year to shows, festivals and other venues. They are true talented leather crafters.

Griffin Leather belts, gun cases and slings
..

Their set up  at the 40 Yard Sale included displays of adult and child size hand tooled leather belts. Tim on the spot puts names on the belts for personalization. Fancy rifle and shotgun cases and holsters for revolvers are also on the sale racks. Griffin Leather also makes beautiful leather gun slings. The business card has the slogan: “Our gun slings look so good your scope will be jealous.” You can reach them at their website.

 

Annual US 40 National Road yard sale

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This week is the US 40 “Historic National Road” Yard Sale that runs 800 miles across six states from St. Louis to Baltimore. This year we are back to our same favorite spot at a private property in Dunreith, Indiana, a small village between Greenfield and Richmond. We have been setting up here each end of May for the past decade or so.

Our 2026 selling space

You never know what you will see!

Over twenty different vendors are set up on this site. The owner has modern restrooms available as well as quite a bit of on site parking. You would be amazed at the variety of treasures being offered for sale. You’ll find antiques of all sizes, home baked pies, new dresses, crafts, tools, yard sale finds and stuff you would not think of but can’t live without.

Over the years we have made friends with several folks who set up each year. In addition we have a few customers who shop our set up each year too. In a way it seems like a yearly reunion. The Historic National Road yard sale is a wonderful yearly event. It is worth a trip to see for yourself. Drive safely.

White’s Flea Market

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White’s farm is located in Brookville, Indiana. Every Wednesday they have a flea market.

Entrance sign

They are open every Wednesday, year-round, from daylight until noon. They have indoor and outside booths. We like setting up our treasure finds there. One of our retirement adventures is going to yard sales and auctions. We also have an eBay store.

One vendor’s tables

This trailer turns into their sales spot

$3 treats of all kinds

White’s is a nice, friendly place. The flea market opens at daybreak. We try to arrive around 5AM, that gives us time to set up and grab coffee. They have breakfast reasonably priced if you’re hungry.

Rent a barn and set up each week

Large field, only $15 for a 20×24’ space

Snapping turtle head on a walking staff. (You never know what you’re gonna find at White’s)

At this market you’ll find things you need as well as items to simply enjoy–antiques, new items, crafts, used merchandise, and fresh produce. Parking is free of charge and no charge to enter. Click here for White’s Website.

Unique RV paint job

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Back in the fall of 2015 we were busy setting up  at festivals and flea markets. At a tractor show and swap meet in western Ohio we were surprised to see a wildly painted RV pull up and set  up across from us. We met the owner, who was from Canada and said he travels all over. Yes, he was the artist, he said.

The whole rig is covered in paintings. The more you look, the more you see!

We saw him at several shows during the rest of the fall festival season, and occasionally over the next few years as well. We saw his RV as late as January 2019 at a flea market in McAllen, Texas. The fellow from Canada was nowhere to be seen.

Tarpon Springs Florida home to historic Sponge Docks

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During our travels in Florida over the years we have been fortunate to enjoy Tarpon Springs, Florida, a quaint and pretty town north of Clearwater and Tampa on the Gulf. When we were actively engaged in Flea Market business in Central Florida, Tarpon Springs became one of our favorite spots for R&R.

Statue honoring the Greek sponge divers. Note the sponge diving boat tied to the dock.

Tarpon Springs is famous for the Sponge Docks where diving boats still sail to the sponge beds and hard hat divers collect the sponges. This industry began here in Florida in 1905 when John M. Cocoris from Leonidion Greece started the now flourishing sponge business.

Sponge diver in a beautiful tile mosaic

Memorial to the founder of Florida’s Sponge Industry

 

 

 

 

 

Dodecanese Blvd. is the main street that houses multiple shops and businesses. The shops offer everything from fresh tea and spices, hand made cigars, souvenirs, freshly caught fish shops and of course several shops selling sponges collected by the Greek divers.

Locally collected sponges of all sizes for sale

Also of note in Tarpon Springs are the marvelous Greek Restaurants! Talk about authentic Greek cuisine, you’d have to go to Greece to get any cuisine that is more Greek. We have enjoyed several restaurants and bakeries in this wonderful spot on Central Florida’s Gulf Coast.

We have not yet seen any reports of Tarpon Springs suffering damage from Hurricane Ian. We hope that the Sponge Docks and the town were spared.