Massive Playground for Sound Designers

[Alex H.]

Hi, all!

For any other sound designers and Foley artists who may be hanging around here, you might be interested in the return of the annual “World’s Longest Yard Sale”, aka the 127 Yard Sale. 690 miles across 6 states. It’s coming up August 7-10.

This is a massive gathering of actual yard sales (from residents who live along 127) and antiques and rummage vendors from all over. It’s a great place to shop for odd and unusual noisemakers, random and broken junk that can have a new life creating unique sound effects. There are also food trucks and other treats along the way.

I am not affiliated with this event in any way, just a fan and a shopper. You’ll probably find me somewhere along the path in Kentucky and Tennessee for a day or two. Check it out: https://127yardsale.com

 

[Alex H.]

2 days. We started Thursday morning in Crossville, TN, and made it to Signal Mountain to wrap up the day before checking into our rooms in Chattanooga. Started Friday morning from Chattanooga, which included a bit of driving up and along Lookout Mountain before getting to any signs of yard sale. It was a beautiful drive, though, quite worth the time. We made it all the way to the very end of the yard sale, just above Gadsden, AL.

This year's finds:

I picked up a riding crop for $5. It's not very long, but it does make a very nice swish.

There was an old man with a flatbed trailer full of horse tack. A 2-piece bit and some leather straps, all for $4. Great for horseback riding sounds.

We run across antique apple peelers - hand-cranked contraptions with several interlocked gears - from time to time, but I finally found one that wasn't grossly overpriced and that had a really nice, multi-faceted sound of rusty gears turning.

Last year, I built a couple of noise boxes (wooden boxes with odds and ends attached, and a couple of piezo contact mics inside) to sound design a horror short. I still have lots of extra pieces and parts to build more. On this trip, I found a wooden cigar box that is just begging to be built out into one of these devices.

The find of the trip, however, was an antique adding machine that is still fully functional. The sounds this contraption makes are absolutely delightful. I asked the old feller (accurate description, I promise) how much he wanted, but was skeptical. True antique machines like this are typically no less than $250.

"Y'ain't gonna believe me. That thang still works! 10 dollar!"

"Seriously, only ten?"

"Yessir, ten dollars."

"Sold!"