CORNVILLE – April Hertlein braced for the haggling when a man asked about a cardboard box filled with glassware at her yard sale. What caught her off guard, however, was the man’s offer to buy just the box.

Baffled by the request, Hertlein, 47, fell back on four trusty words that were used countless times Saturday morning by the dozens of vendors at the 29th annual 10-mile yard sale.

“I just said, ‘Make me an offer,’ because it’s all about wheeling and dealing around here this weekend,” Hertlein said.

The yard sale, which stretches more than 10 miles, from Route 150 in Cornville to Route 2 on the Kennebec River in Skowhegan, continues today.

With clear skies and plenty of sunshine Saturday, hundreds turned out to check out the wares displayed under tents and on tables along the road.

Traffic frequently slowed to a crawl while drivers peeked at the thousands of items for sale, ranging from books and clothes to tires and car parts.

Although the sales technically started at 8 a.m., the first shoppers were showing up at Hertlein’s home two hours early. Some even stopped by Friday evening while she was setting up.

Despite selling thousands of trinkets over the years, Hertlein said Saturday’s deal for the cardboard box stands out. The man mentioned something about the name on the box, paid her $2 and rushed off.

While he loaded it into his van, Bill Marshall, 81, of Milo told why he bought the box with a picture of two tomatoes and a Mecca Farms logo in red. His son Alan had worked for and befriended the New York farm’s former owner, who died several years ago.

The box featured the original logo, which has changed. And Marshall said his son has been looking for keepsakes from the old farm.

“You can’t find this stuff anywhere, and I know my son is going to get a kick out of this,” he said.

Morning Sentinel Staff Writer David F. Robinson can be contacted at 861-9287 or at: drobinson@centralmaine.com