OXFORD, Fla. – Morning dew rests on the green blades of Browns and Browns Farms as crowds of hundreds rush to the 12-acre yard sale, Junk in the Trunk.
Director of Junk in the Trunk, Suzanne Gilbert, has cultivated a multiacre yard sale for patrons across the nation to market their wares. Over the last few months, through social media and word of mouth, new patrons have learned of this attraction and signed up to join the growing park and shop.
Thousands of people come through and spend a few hours to look through all of what the sellers are offering. The market is located at 13940 US Hwy 301 in Oxford – about 60 miles south of Gainesville.
The items displayed on the sprawling grassy lot include guitars, paintings, hoodies, honeys, and personal crafts. It’s the stuff found not only at a flea market but inside a store with new deals and sellers each month.
There are multiple rows of sellers. Vendors pay $15 per car, $20 per truck, Jeep or SUV and $25 per van or trailer. There is no pre-registration needed, and there is no charge for customers.
“We began in September 2021 with 34 vehicles and last month we had people selling out of 386 vehicles, so it’s really taken off,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert, who comes from Nottingham, United Kingdom, said she remembers going to car boot sales – "boot" as in the trunk – and after arriving in Florida, she could not find any similar markets. There was nowhere for regular people to find a collective of old items and new crafts or local homemade foods in one spot, which meant more gas and time being put to waste.
Not all vendors sell from their car trunks. Most set up tents or just some tables and sell right where they stand.
This is why she created Junk in the Trunk, to help people find all they need in one spot with new vendors every month.
“This is for regular people like you and me who may have to clear out and want to sell their stuff. So instead of inviting strangers to their homes for a yard sale, they can just pack everything in their vehicle and come to me,” Gilbert said.
The patrons say they enjoy the convenience of having a new spot to do business and such a booming area to gain new customers and opportunities.
One regular vendor, who goes by the name Pappy the Toy Man, said he has had great success since he started selling at the Junk in the Trunk Sale.
He gets his name from what he sells and what he crafts, which includes leather goods and toys for children and families.
“It’s a good show out here and all. We’ve been here for three years, starting out with 23 of us. We had over 387 vendors out here last month. I’m here every Saturday. I haven’t missed any, and I sell nothing but toys and leather goods,” Pappy said.
Jimmy Adams, a Junk in the Trunk customer, suggests that the yard sale will keep growing because the market works hard to bring in new vendors and customers from all over to sell and buy goods.
“Junk in the Trunk is awesome. When some of the other markets are losing their mojo, this one is up and coming and seems to be the hot spot now. Can't wait for the next sale,” Adams said.
In addition to hosting hundreds of vendors, the Junk in the Trunk sale also sells food dishing out offerings like barbecue, doughnuts and lemonade.
Gilbert said there are many people who attend this event and feel it is only right that they have somewhere to eat and drink to stay energized.
Vendors said their consistent participation is cultivated by Junk in the Trunk’s support and generosity. For instance, the market provides golf carts and allows scooters to help those who are not physically able to carry their goods back to their vehicles. Organizers also help vendors to their cars if the walk is too daunting.
Sellers said they return to this venue for a great atmosphere and good profit, as some have claimed to make more at the Junk in the Trunk sale than they had anticipated.
Bryan Andrew, a first-time buyer, and vendor of knick-knacks and an assortment of items, capitalized on that narrative, promoting the venue for its success in drawing a crowd and some cash.
“Me and my wife sold $800 of 'junk' we had accumulated; way more than we had anticipated. Look forward to the next one,” Andrew said.