Don Ruggles is not sure why people started calling him “Tip,” but the name stuck at a young age. So did his afterschool job at Somers Hardware in Montpelier, where he started working in seventh grade. Tip’s father, Donald H. Ruggles, bought the beloved old-fashioned shop in the 1970s; the store dated back to the early 1900s. By 10th grade, Tip was leaving school early to go work at the hardware store with his dad. He liked learning new things and helping customers find what they needed. Tip eventually took over Somers from his father and worked with a variety of family members.
Aubuchon Hardware moved next door to Somers on Main Street in 1982. The community rallied around Somers, but in 2009 Tip closed the business due to a lack of suppliers. Aubuchon expanded into Somers’ space; there’s still an old sign for Somers Hardware in its paint department. Tip immediately began working at Aubuchon. He knows which parts are right for the job and where to find them. Customers often ask for him by name.
Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger paid Tip a visit at Aubuchon and watched him in action. She also met Almond and Joy, the store cats whom Tip adores. At age 62, Tip has been working in hardware stores for almost 50 years now. He feels a change in the air, so get your tips from Tip while you still can.
SEVEN DAYS: How did you hear about Tip?
EVA SOLLBERGER: I got a truly lovely email from Montpelier resident Emily Barrett with the subject line “A tip about Tip.” Emily grew up shopping at Somers Hardware and recently moved back to Montpelier and started visiting Tip at Aubuchon Hardware. She sang Tip’s praises and thanked me for featuring unsung everyday heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes, often without accolades or attention. Needless to say, Emily got my attention. Plus, I love hardware stores, so spending time in one sounded like my cup of tea.
This was back in September of last year. It took me some time to reach Tip by calling him at work multiple times. He was not very excited about the video idea and asked for some time to think it over. He did eventually agree to being featured, but the holidays turned my schedule upside down, and I was not able to get to Montpelier until February. Thanks for your patience, Emily and Tip!
SD: Why were there two hardware stores side by side for years?
ES: Good question! I am still trying to figure that one out. I spent a lot of time trying to find out what year Aubuchon Hardware moved to its current location on Main Street. Tip was hazy on some of the dates, so I called around to his old buddies who used to manage Aubuchon. Gary Law thought it was in the late 1980s. Gary put me in touch with Dick Harlow, who was sure it was 1982. I verified this date in an old newspaper article.
That means Somers and Aubuchon were side by side for almost three decades. This odd fact was mentioned in a 1995 New York Times piece about Montpelier. There was some controversy when Somers’ lease was threatened that year, but after the community protested, it stayed put. Tip wanted me to be clear in the video that he did not sell out to Aubuchon. Both are family-run businesses that date back to the early 1900s.
Dick worked at Aubuchon for over 50 years and recalls when Tip started at Somers as a high school student. That sort of longevity at a job is incredibly rare these days. Most of my jobs lasted two years or less until I got “Stuck in Vermont” for 16 years. And that’s why people seek out Tip: He knows what he is talking about.
SD: Tip had some nice old photos of Somers.
ES: Tip brought in a box with old photos and newspaper clippings that were very helpful. I was hoping to find some photos of the store’s interior and also an image of the two hardware stores side by side. So I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had this. Corinne Cooper, the president of the Berlin Historical Society and a board member of the Montpelier Historical Society, shared my post on numerous pages. The responses were overwhelming, with people sharing dozens of memories about Somers and Tip. Although I didn’t find the exact images I was searching for, that gave me a much fuller picture of what the place was like: the creaky floors, packed shelves and knowledgeable staff. It was really touching to hear all these memories, and I am printing them out to mail to Tip with this article.
SD: Almond and Joy were so cute.
ES: If you follow Aubuchon Hardware on TikTok, you will see lots of adorable videos of their store cats. I posted a TikTok about Almond and Joy, who live at the Montpelier store and are mini celebrities. Joy is a tortoiseshell cat, and Almond is a tuxedo cat. Tip’s coworker Carl Witke told me that they were adopted from the Central Vermont Humane Society. He emailed me later to make sure I knew how much Tip loves those cats. Despite Almond’s sock-theft tendencies and the occasional ripped bags of catnip, Tip is obviously one of their biggest fans.
SD: Any tips about Tip?
ES: First off, don’t call him Tippy. He prefers Tip. Most importantly, go visit him soon to say hello and ask all of your pressing hardware questions. And make sure to thank him for almost five decades of service in the Montpelier community. The world needs more Tips.
Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger has been making her award-winning video series, “Stuck in Vermont,” since 2007. New episodes appear on this website every other Thursday and air the following night on the WCAX evening news. Sign up here to receive an email alert each time a new one drops.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Shelf Awareness | Don “Tip” Ruggles has been working in Montpelier hardware stores for almost 50 years”
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2023.
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