NEWBERRY, S.C. — Hundreds took part in a miles-long yard sale across Newberry, Laurens, and Chester counties on Saturday.
Yard sales are more than a tradition for Teresa Crumpton; they're a passion. She was among the hundreds who joined in on the 10th annual I2I 50-mile yard sale. Founder Jamala Wallace said it started as a way to bring people to some of the state's less visited areas.
"I was thinking, this area has nothing to attract tourism or people to come to this area," she said. "It needs to be acknowledged because there's a lot of good things here."
She said the event spans from Interstate-26 to Interstate-77, hence the name "I2I"
"I partnered with somebody from Chester so it ran from I-77 to I-26, so you would get us either way," she said. "So, that was important to bring people into this small community."
Wallace used word-of-mouth and Facebook to invite vendors and customers without much advertising. She estimated close to 100 vendors took part this year. Driving through Whitmire and downtown Newberry, you could see dozens of front lawns and businesses hosting sales.
"You meet a lot of nice people in yard sales versus just retail shopping, you know? I love yard sales," she said.
The variety of places to shop means people like T.J. Pegnis and his wife Dawn could spend the day looking for cost-effective options.
"We're just looking around, obviously. See what everybody has in store," he said. "We're looking for a small dress today. But, just out being around seeing what they're offering and seeing the community."
Crumpton said it's a tradition she plans to be part of forever.
"I'm planning on keeping to do until the good Lord calls me home," she said. "I plan on doing it, I enjoy it, I love it."