FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- People rummaged through racks of clothes and piles of old toys, and perused typical and atypical household items at the festival fields Oct. 15 as they came from all over the Wiregrass in search of treasures.
Fort Rucker held its annual outdoor yard sale where people came by the hundreds to shop and browse for items they might not be able to find in any retail store, and provide sellers a unique opportunity to provide a service to the community.
"The yard sale is a great way for military families on and off Fort Rucker to sell their household goods and get rid of some extra weight while making a little extra money," said Aida Stallings, Fort Rucker special events coordinator.
For Gina Rogers, military spouse, yard sales provide a unique opportunity to find treasures she might not be able to find elsewhere.
"A lot of these items aren't available in stores anymore and, even if they were, you're not going to be able to get them for the price you would if it had been slightly used," she said. "I just love a good yard sale and this is probably the biggest one you're going to find in the area. It's basically like it takes a bunch of neighborhoods of yard sales and puts them in one place for you -- it's perfect."
Rogers said nothing beats the excitement of browsing through a yard sale in hope of finding that one item that might make the entire day of shopping worth it.
"What I like most about yard sales is the excitement of not knowing what you might find," she said. "You really never know what you might find when you're at one of these things and sometimes you can find some really nice things, like antique furniture and things like that. It's just really a lot of fun for me."
For others, the experience is more about practicality rather than excitement, but the savings alone are enough to bring out any avid shopper, said Jessica Spencer, Enterprise native.
"I love to come out and see what kinds of clothes I can find," she said. "It's a great way to shop for clothes for the kids because kids will grow out of their clothes so quickly, especially if they're young, and this is a great way to not have to spend too much money on clothes that they won't be in very long."
For others, the yard sale is a great way to unload extra items that may be taking up extra space in their homes.
"This is always a great way to get rid of some stuff that you've had laying around," said Terry Dornan, yard sale vendor. "You can always have a yard sale in your own front yard but you're not going to get the kind of foot traffic you have here -- you get people from all over the area.
"I'm also the type of guy who hates to throw things away," added the Enterprise native. "If some of my old stuff can find a new home with someone else, that makes me just as happy as the person who's getting them."
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