The Oxford Conference Center hosted its annual Indoor Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 28, showcasing 40 vendors from across North Mississippi to sell items from home appliances to jewelry.
Since 2008, the Indoor Yard Sale has moved the classic, outdoor neighborhood tradition to the conference center to attract more attendees.
“I just hope someone finds that little something that they really needed or really love, or find something that they can give to someone else,” Lori Markle, director of the Indoor Yard Sale, said. “You never know what you are going to find.”
This was the first year vendor Kyle Still set up a booth at the sale. She needed a space to get rid of some home items she had been holding onto.
“It’s just stuff we had in our attic that we are trying to get rid of,” Still said. “This event is marketed so well that it brings more foot traffic than what you could get having a yard sale at your house.”
Approximately 800 people attended the event, according to Markle. Attendees lined up outside the conference center and waited for the doors to open at 9 a.m, rushing inside to find the best treasures.
“When the doors first opened this morning, there were droves of people rushing in,” Darlene Malone, a seller at Paparazzi Jewelry, a multi-level marketing company that sells affordable jewelry, said. “They had been waiting outside in a line, and the lobby had to be opened because so many people were waiting.”
High turnout for the event is something that Markle and Director of the Oxford Conference Center Micah Quinn plan for. The Oxford Conference Center website said, “Expect an outdoor line. Dress in layers.”
The Indoor Yard Sale started when staff at the Oxford Conference Center were brainstorming a fun event that would generate income for the facility, and it brings in a larger crowd every year.
“Since then, it just keeps growing and growing. Last year, we had 1,200 attendees,” Markle said.
Vendors who have unsold items that they did not want to take back home with them could donate them to Holding Hands, a thrift store on North Lamar Boulevard.
“I like the fact that I do not have to bring anything unsold home with me,” Still said. “I plan on donating whatever I don’t have to Holding Hands, who will have a truck here to load things when the event is over.”
Markle noted that the event is very sought after by vendors across the north Mississippi region.
“Registration for vendors opens on October 15, and the spots sell out very quickly on a first-come-first-serve basis,” Markle said. “Vendors have to give a deposit for their space, and when the spots sell, there is a waiting list that begins.”
Malone noted that although she attends events across the state to sell her jewelry, she looks forward to the Indoor Yard Sale every year to sell her unique jewelry for $5.
Vendor Charlie Aaron, who sells washcloths, heating pads and other household items, credits Markle for the event’s success and for being the reason he attended this year.
“I have a Facebook business, and I go to different places selling things,” Aaron said. “They do an excellent job here. They have excellent communication with vendors, and I will definitely be back next year.”
