Rentschler Farm Museum Draws Crowd of Shoppers For Michigan’s Largest Garage Sale

Michigan’s largest garage sale was held this weekend, and Rentschler Farm Museum continued the tradition of participating in this yearly event. The sale, which is held by the Michigan Heritage Trail organization, spans 180 miles along MI US 12.

Rentschler Farm Museum, which is part of the Saline Area Historical Society, invites vendors every year to set up their booths on the farm’s grounds. Many vendors sell vintage items, such as vinyl records, vintage clothing, china and glassware, household goods and home décor.

Guests to the garage sale were greeted by Florine and Alan Rentschler, who grew up on the farm.

“It was a long time ago,” he said. “I left after I got out of high school. My grandfather had it, my father had it, and then my brother had it. It went through three generations.”

Today, the Rentschler family continues to support the farm through generous donations and volunteer efforts. In 2024, the family donated funds necessary to paint all the barns and the historic house on the farm grounds.

Dean Girbach, board member of the Saline Area Historical Society, was on hand to make sure that the event ran smoothly.

“This is one of our biggest fundraisers for the year,” he said. “We rent the booths out, but then we also sell donations and things out of our garden. It helps us offset the cost to take care of the animals, and some of the other things that we do in terms of providing support at harvest time and Christmas time.”

Girbach noted that some past vendors did not return this year, while new vendors came in to fill the slots available.

“We got six new people this year. We have a lot of crowds, and people are having great sales. They feel they are getting rid of everything and selling, and we have a lot of great stuff that’s really unique.”

The Saline Area Historical Society also sells items at the gift shop and the salvage barn, where shoppers can find unique items to repurpose.

Garden volunteers were on hand to sell freshly picked produce and flowers that were harvested from the farm. Bouquets of zinnias and fresh herbs were on display, along with baskets of peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb, and more.

“Our garden people that take care of the garden have done a beautiful job again this year,” Girbach said.

Hungry visitors could grab pizza from Mancino’s, and shoppers with a sweet tooth could find baked goods from Delice Patisserie in the gazebo.

The sale, which ran on Friday and Saturday, draws a steady stream of bargain hunters along Michigan Avenue, many of whom visit church rummage sales and family garage sales along the way. Rentschler Farm Museum is a charming stop on the heritage trail, and is a perfect example of the work that the Saline Area Historical Society does for the community.

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