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Episode 860: The World's Longest Yard Sale

Nick Fountain
/
NPR

Every August, thousands of people converge on The World's Longest Yard Sale. It spans from Alabama to Michigan. We decided to drive the whole thing, to see 690 miles of microeconomics at work.

We follow a yard sale fanatic on her quest to find the perfect bed frame, and learn her strategies for getting the best deals. We buy some records from a man who decides he wants to buy them back. And we pick up some 70s amber goblets, a baseball bat, an ugly cat cookie jar... you get the idea.

By the time we get to Michigan, we have so much stuff we have to get rid of some of it. So we set up a little yard sale of our own. That's when we learn the real lessons of the yard sale.

Music: "Skyward," "Blues Swagger," Jackie Wilson's "Say You Will," "Inner Desert Blues," "French Quarter Boogaloo."

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Nick Fountain produces and reports for Planet Money. Since he joined the team in 2015, he's reported stories on pears, black pepper, ice cream, chicken, and hot dogs (twice). Come to think of it, he reports on food a whole lot. But he's also driven the world's longest yard sale, uncovered the secretive group that controls international mail, and told the story of a crazy patent scheme that involved an acting Attorney General.
Karen Duffin (she/her) is a co-host and reporter for Planet Money, NPR's award-winning podcast that finds creative, entertaining ways to make sense of the big, complicated forces that move our economy. She joined the team in March 2018.