(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English. I'm SteveEmber.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. This week, come along as we look at yardsales and flea markets in the United States.

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

An event called the World's Longest Yard Sale took place thismonth in the southeastern part of the country. The yearly saleextends for a distance of seven hundred twenty kilometers. It goesfrom Gadsden, Alabama, to Covington, Kentucky.

Thousands of sellers are stationed along the side of the road.They sell almost anything imaginable. Some collectors drive the fulllength in search of things to buy.

The World's Longest Yard Sale began eighteen years ago. Last yearorganizers extended it from four days to nine days. The KentuckyPost says one village in Covington thought nine days was too longand withdrew this year. But the sale is popular; the governor ofAlabama named it one of the top ten events in the state.

VOICE TWO:

Yard sales do not have to be huge. One family, or even oneperson, can hold a yard sale. People simply collect some things theyno longer want and put them in the yard outside their home. Theymight also place handmade signs on nearby streets to direct peopleto the sale. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale -- or agarage sale or a moving sale.

Whatever people call it, the activity is the same. Such sales arebased on the idea that an object that is useless, broken or ugly toone person can be a bargain to another.

Over the years, homes can fill up with objects: Books no onewants anymore. Baby clothes for the child who is now a universitystudent.

These objects are no longer useful to their owner. Yet it seemswasteful to throw them away. Often, people must make a decisionabout things when they move to a different house. "Let's have a yardsale," they say. That way, they do not have to move the things theydo not use anymore. And at the same time they make a little money.

VOICE ONE:

They might pay for an announcement in a local newspaper to tellwhen and where the yard sale will take place. They might list someof the things to be sold. Around Washington, D.C., for example,almost two hundred yard sales are listed on some weekends. Thewarmer months like now are the most popular times.

Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried outof the house. Then they sit for hours in the sunlight -- like tiredguests at a party -- waiting for someone to take them home.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE TWO:

Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, thereare more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is alsopopular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs. Thenthere are objects known as "white elephants." These are things that,for whatever reason, no one really wants, least of all the presentowners.

It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. Perhaps youreceived it for a wedding gift. But you feel a sharp pain wheneveryou look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing ofbeauty and joy.

Usually, the seller puts a price on each object at a yard sale.Usually, that price can be negotiated. A table, for example, mightbe marked twenty dollars. But the seller will probably accept alittle less. By the end of the day, if the table has not been sold,the seller will probably accept a lot less. Sometimes, the sellermight just say "take it!" There is no better price than that.

VOICE ONE:

Just like sellers, serious buyers also spend time getting readyfor yard sales. They look through newspapers and mark the sales theywant to visit. Some use maps to plan their trip. They want to get toas many sales as possible. Some people go sailing on water; othersgo "yard sailing."

Yard sales are a good way for people without much money to findthings for their family. But even people with a lot of money like tolook around. Why pay one hundred dollars for something in a storewhen you might find it for twenty at a yard sale? That is, if youcan find it.

Professional dealers might also go to yard sales. If they findsomething valuable at a low price, they can re-sell it for more.

VOICE TWO:

Still other people go to yard sales because they enjoy the hunt.They like to find beautiful or unusual things that are being soldfor less than the value. For example, they may find a piece of oldfurniture that is worth a lot of money after it is repaired.

Sometimes people find an unexpected treasure at a yard sale. Orat least they hope so. They need the opinion of an expert. There isa popular television program called "Antiques Roadshow." People goon the show with an object for experts to examine.

Sometimes the experts say the object is worth a lot of money.When that happens, the owner may shout "wow!" But sometimes theexperts say the object is worthless. Then the owner may feel likeshouting something else.

VOICE ONE:

Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that theycollect. They might look for things like stamps, dolls, old money,bottles, baseball cards, toys or advertising signs. Yard sales canalso provide people with a new computer or sound system ... new tothem, at least.

Or there might be some exercise equipment that looks new becauseno one ever really used it. People never know what they might find.They might even find a snake skin -- the perfect gift for a scienceteacher.

People who go to yard sales often are not looking for anythingspecial. They are simply looking for something that appeals to them.Or they might enjoy negotiating over prices. Later, if necessary,they can hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they havebought.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

There is an organized event similar to a yard sale, only bigger.The French name is "market with fleas"; Americans call it a fleamarket. Fleas are small, wingless insects that jump onto animals andpeople. Fleas bite. Some people might worry about fleas at a such amarket. But mostly they worry that they will not find anything goodto buy.

Some flea markets are communityevents. Many families bring things to sell. The event may be held ata school or in a park. Most flea markets take place in the open airon weekends during the spring, summer and fall. Some organizationshold a flea market once a year to earn money for special projects.

VOICE ONE:

Professional dealers also hold flea markets. Sellers usually musthave a business permit from the local government. And they usuallymust collect sales tax on everything they sell.

Some people earn all their money by selling goods at fleamarkets. Others have jobs and earn extra money this way.

Some dealers at a flea market sell lots of different things.Others sell just one kind of thing -- glass objects, for example.Still others might only sell things that are at least one hundredyears old.

One of the largest flea markets in the world takes place on thesecond Sunday of every month. It happens rain or shine at the RoseBowl, the big sports center in Pasadena, California. More than twothousand sellers gather for the Rose Bowl Flea Market. Only a fewkinds of items are restricted. These include food, animals and guns.

VOICE TWO:

To some people, flea markets and yard sales are a sign thatAmericans think too much about material possessions. But to otherpeople, yard sales are simply a way to have fun. In somecommunities, ten or twenty families may have a yard sale on the sameweekend. These are important social gatherings. Still other peoplesay yard sales help the environment. Old things find new homes, sothey are not thrown away. At least not yet.

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Shelley Gollust and Jerilyn Watson.I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. We close with a note about our program twoweeks ago on baseball in American culture. We told you about the oldMills Commission report that declared Abner Doubleday the inventorof baseball. We should have made clear that the Mills report wasdisputed. As we said, no one knows for sure who invented the moderngame.

VOICE TWO:

Who knows, maybe the answer lies hidden somewhere in a yard sale.Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English.