Bywaywide Garage Sale
Draws Thousands in People and Profit
Two
byways participate in a three-day event that draws thousands of people
and produces a few thousand dollars in revenue for future byway promotion.
Who/What/Where:
The Sandhills Journey Scenic Highway and the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway partnered to make a 220-mile loop for a three-day garage sale event called the Nebraska Junk Jaunt.
When:
The first Nebraska Junk Jaunt was held in September 2004. A second event took place in September 2005.
Where:
The Junk Jaunt route forms a loop that crosses over all three Loup rivers: the North, Middle and South Loup rivers. Loup is the French word for wolf.
How:
Three co-chairs oversee the event and work with local coordinators in 40-plus communities. Thirty of the participating communities are within 20 miles of either side of the byway. Local coordinators may be an individual or a group that help advertise and promote the event, help connect incoming vendors with local people with space to rent, and answer questions as received.
Participating sales sites pay about $10 for a listing with their name, address, hours and 15 words of description about their sales in a 50-plus-page Junk Jaunt guidebook, which also contains display advertising. The first year’s book was distributed to shoppers for free. The 2005 event book was sold for $2 to community representatives who in turn sold the book to shoppers for $3 to realize a $1 profit for the community.
The event chairpersons spend about 30 hours a week for five months on the project. Their responsibilities include working with communities to organize coordinators, vendors and advertising; developing and updating the Junk Jaunt website, purchasing advertising for the event, and managing the finances.
The organizers have trademarked and copyrighted the event name and logo.
Funding Potential:
Tour organizers started with $500 in seed money provided through the lodging tax collected in four counties. The two byways made about $2,000 net. Organizers estimated the first-year event attracted nearly 15,000 people; they project that the event can draw three times that number.
Why
A Byway-wide Garage Sale:
• Generates revenues from multiple sources: individuals, advertisers and sponsors.
• Helps local residents understand the value of the byway and connects the byway organization to local supporters as sales coordinators for their communities.
• Draws large numbers of visitors and attracts media attention to byway in its entirety.
• Offers the opportunity to showcase the byway’s scenery and historic sites as part of the sale event via map and guidebook.
Resources:
Loup Rivers Scenic Byway – 308-728-3393
Photo Credits:
Top photo courtesy of Dean Ringlein,
Broken Bow, NE; bottom photo courtesy of Loup Rivers Scenic Byway
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This project was funded in part by a |
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