PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NEW IN TOWN … Renee Tufts, flanked by friends, family, and community members, cuts a ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of The Good Vibe Guild, her maker’s market located at 109 S. Main Street in Swanton.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Long-time Swanton resident Renee Tufts has been selling her bowls made from vinyl records at craft shows for seven years but never found the right fit for her.
Now, she has opened her own shop downtown to create the opportunity for herself and to share it with others.
On Wednesday evening, Tufts hosted a packed house at 109 S. Main Street for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting for her shop, The Good Vibe Guild.
She said she was always looking for a permanent space while working the craft shows, that having a shop “was the goal.” She continually checked Facebook Marketplace and a group chat with another local boutique and other vendors.
“Someone posted it there, and I said, ‘Hey, I know the guy that’s advertising that. I’ll go talk to him,” Tufts said. Her vendors, she said, were immediately on board.
“All these vendors have done shows with me or for me, and they just had so much fun kind of coming in together with the Vibe. It’s all their product, but with the twist that I’m looking for,” Tufts said.
Tufts is happy to be in downtown Swanton and said it’s convenient and she’s able to bring “something a little different than the other makers’ spots you see.”
She said her mother always said Tufts was born a few years too late. “I’ve always had kind of the flair for the peace signs and flowers and smiley faces, and the music, you know?” Tufts said. “The Doors is what turned me on to all that era. It all kind of went from there.”
And then, she was gifted her first record bowl. “I thought it was super cool, so I got a few damaged vinyl records and made my own bowls, and I have a whole line now – everything from coasters to coat racks,” she said.
Tufts said her biggest surprise was how much fun her vendors had making all the things to fit the store. She said she enjoyed their excited calls about what would or wouldn’t work.
“It’s a community. It’s networking. It’s building each other up and sharing ideas, and just promotion. It’s all promotion because we all get along so well, we’re all in it for the same thing. This is just my way to help them continue to grow.”
According to a release from the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce, which participated in Wednesday’s celebration, The Good Vibe Guild “features a variety of handcrafted and repurposed goods, including artwork created from vinyl records, Macrame pieces and wall hangings, handmade birdhouses and feeders, dried flower creations, jewelry, leather goods, and select apparel.”
In addition to selling her own works at local markets, Tufts also runs many craft shows at the Swanton Sports Center, including the Bulldog Market.
On Wednesday, Tufts said she plans to continue the Bulldog Markets and will also be involved in the holiday market this November. The store is open on Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.