Garage Sale Maps, Garage Sale Advice

As an avid garage saler (is that even a word?), I was looking for an easier way to plan my weekly adventures. Especially when the price of gas started to soar! My first attempt was copying pages out of my map book and marking sales there after "Googling" the addresses. What a flop! Then I learned that I could make my own Google map with multiple addresses; but there was a huge problem -- the icons on the map didn't print. In searching for a solution to the printing problem I learned that I could map data from a spreadsheet and tried that using Google Documents. It worked, but it was clunky.

I need to clarify here that I'm a graphic designer, not a programmer! I do websites, but fairly simple stuff.

I happened upon some tutorials about using a mySQL database with the Google Maps API and put together my basic site for southside Hampton Roads. Once I got that running, I also included a link to download the KML files for GPS units. As much as I love a good map, I really love using my TomTom to find the sales.

Fully aware that my site was: a: clunky, and b: limited by geography because of my sucky php skills; I set out to find a programmer so that the site could be used everywhere. I found one on Get A Freelancer.

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be able to offer this site as a useful free tool to second-hand shoppers and sellers everywhere. (Working on a second site with thrift stores...)