Cars jam the cul-de-sac of Moe Circle in Bella Vista. The drivers are trying to stop at a garage sale—one of more than 450 that took place last Friday and Saturday in the city straddling the Arkansas-Missouri border.
Alisha and her sister Kayana are two of the bargain hunters out today and said it is not their first stop.
"We've been out all morning," Kayana said.
The city-wide garage sale, which started in 2018, is a unique event. It feels like a scavenger hunt, with signs advertising "garage sale" - some city-issued, some hand-drawn - at the entrance of nearly every street in the city.
Julie Tilley is running this particular sale at her sister's house, and while she lives in Mountain Home, she said she was excited to help put on the sale in Bella Vista.
"I really love to have garage sales," Tilley said. "We have lots in Mountain Home and thought we'd spend time with my sister and have this sale."
Cassi Lapp is the director of communications for the city of Bella Vista and said since 2018 the event has continued to gain momentum with residents and out-of-towners looking for a deal. She said the number of addresses involved went up this year from 400 to 450.
"It was a former employee of ours that used to attend the garage sale [in Neosho]," she said. "And she was the one who said, 'hey, let's try this.'"
Lapp said one issue is people often underestimate the scale and scope of this sale.
"Our city is 45 square miles," she said. "I know that it can be difficult having such an expansive area to cover."
So one way they have tried to make this massive undertaking more manageable is by offering an online map that shows the addresses and residents can list what kinds of items they'll be selling.
Across Highway 71 and on the other side of town from the Tilley & Turner sale - are Andrew Louks and his girlfriend, Kelly Foulk. The two are recent residents to Bella Vista and said they weren't sure what to expect on the garage sale day.
"Really quickly I sold a nice park bike stand," he said. "Still trying to sell my 3D printer- but it's drawn a lot of interest."
And just down the street, Sierra Wheeler and her father, Colin Wheeler, are discussing prices with a potential customer sifting through a basket of golf balls. They said people have been drawn in by the golf items - Bella Vista boasts 14 golf courses - but they often walk away with something else entirely.
"Kind of just oddities, to be honest with you," Colin said.
Sierra said the event is becoming something that a lot of Bella Vista residents look forward to and she thinks most people just love a good deal.
"I have a big collection," she said. "At the end of the year, I'll kind of go through what I can sentimentally part with and then I'll usually try top make some of the money back that I've spent on my hobby throughout the year, so I can spend it on more Pokémon cards or something."
And Louks said for residents the fact that this is a community event also incentivizes people to participate.
"The city-wide aspect pushed us to actually have a garage sale," he said. "Given that there would probably be a lot of traffic through here and we could get rid of some of our duplicate stuff."
Cassi Lapp said there also is not much of a barrier to participate either - the city does not regulate the items you can sell, or set pricing guidelines they just ask that you register your address and open for business on two days in Spring.
"it's not just for the residents," she said. "We want people to come to the city, drive our streets and see how beautiful it is here... just experience what Bella Vista is like."
So, while this year's sale is done, it's not too late to prepare for next year. Sisters Alisa and Kayana have some advice on what a novice garage sale shopper should be on the lookout for, though.
"It's kind of in how it is displayed," Alisha said. "Like what we can see from the street."
She also stressed that shoppers looking for a good deal should be kind to sellers.
"And you can haggle," she said. "A lot of them will haggle with you."
