Bluffton's Ten Thousand Villages shop, 115 S. Main, has officially changed its name to World Goods Et Cetera. The change came after store volunteers and board members considered nearly 30 names.
Previously, Ten Thousand Villages was part of a chain including 13 company-owned stores. In 2025, the parent company decided to spin off its brick-and-mortar locations and focus the brand on wholesaling and e-commerce.
The following nine land transfers took place in the Bluffton Exempted Village School District for the month of February 2026 as reported on the websites of Allen County Auditor Rachael S. Gilroy and Hancock County Auditor Charity A. Rauschenberg.
Address - Sale Date - Sale Price - Land Use - Owner - from/to
Commercial
148 N MAIN ST - 2/5/2026 - $182,500 - Other retail structures - From KIRK RENTAL PROPERTIES LLC to AVELOW PROPERTIES LLC
18865 COUNTY RD 15 - 2/13/2026 - $67,500 - COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSES - From Steve & Melissa Ritter and James & Jane Smith to Steve and Melissa Ritter
FROM FACEBOOK__The word on the street is correct this Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce is bringing back the community garage sale weekend! There will be more details to come soon, such as how to get your house on the master garage sale list that will be made available to the public, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, be sure to mark June 18-20 on your calendar. Whether you plan to sell or shop (or both!), you won't want to miss out!
MEDIA RELEASE__World Goods Et Cetera—formerly Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit retail store in Bluffton—has invited Carole Elchert, an artist who has traveled to Nepal for decades, to exhibit her photos in the store during the month of March.
The public is also invited to meet Carole and discuss her travel experiences and photographic work on March 26 at 6 p.m. at the 115 South Main Street shop.
FROM FACEBOOK__The Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs Small Business Info classes begin in two weeks, and there's still time to sign up! Classes are free and will help you create a complete personalized business plan.
The February 13 breakfast meeting of the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce provided chamber updates from director Rene Gabriel and member announcements. A presentation by Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio featured John Warner, President and CEO of Brethren Retirement Community, and Shelby Cole, Sales and Marketing Coordinator. The program provided background information on MHCO services and an overview of the merger that was initiated in 2019.
