Title: Owner
Company: Somewhere In Time Antiques
Location: Sierra Vista, AZ
Education: Associate Degree in General Studies, Psychology, Criminal Law, Palo Verde College (1977); Diploma, Palo Verde High School (1973)
Career History: Owner, Somewhere in Time Antiques AZ; With, Criminal, Adult, and Juvenile Probation (25 years); Medical Field
Virginia M. Buchanan-Tufte, Owner at Somewhere in Time Antiques, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of business.
An accomplished business leader, writer, traveler, and criminal justice expert with 25 years of experience, Ms. Buchanan-Tufte has always been captivated by the allure of antiques, old objects, and the stories they hold. From the age of 11 in the mid-1960s, she was weaving words together, developing her voice as a writer, and capturing her life on the page—a gift she has cherished and expanded throughout her life. This passion bled into her love of antique treasures that began in the 1970s, motivated by her belief that communities hold onto history through stories of their ancestors and their items.
Balancing these interests, Ms. Buchanan-Tufte attended Palo Verde College, where she was supported and guided by Opal Pollard, a librarian who served as a great spiritual mentor and educator, instilling in her the confidence to pursue her dreams. An impressive poet, she composed a poignant work titled “Don’t Worry Mother,” which was later published in a book titled “Best – Loved Contemporary Poems,” which circulated throughout Sacramento in 1979 and beyond. She also served as general manager for her class at the college and ultimately attained an associate degree in general studies, psychology, and criminal law in 1977. She worked for several years and decades in the medical and criminal justice fields, working with parents whose “teens were out of control” and was a certified trainer through the newly emerging “Tough Love” program in her local community that she launched in the city of Blythe in California—the program was designed to modify youth’s problems and behaviors at home, in school, and within their communities. On top of coordinating the program for four years, she excelled in the juvenile probation department and within the state and city correctional field. For her years-long commitment to this field, she received a Certificate of Recognition from
In the midst of this primary career, Ms. Buchanan-Tufte’s other passions bolstered. She authored “Intertwined,” which was published in the “Carvings in Stone” book in 1996, and ultimately opened her own business—Somewhere In Time Antiques—in 2023. The Arizona-based store, which stands to preserve the past by showcasing and selling old items and furniture, was the grand result of decades of dreaming—in 1982, a film titled “Somewhere in Time” was released, which took place in 1912 during the Victorian era; it was a movie that left such an impact on her and she first purchased an antique item in a store in California three years later, a plate from the early 1900s. Decades later, in 2022, she and her husband traveled to the filming location, Mackinac Island in Michigan, and spent time with the actress Jane Seymour during the film’s anniversary.
She, in turn, returned home and became determined to open her store, even becoming a certified appraiser of antiques through the Ashford University of Antiques and Collectibles in order to “assist people with understanding the value of their antiques.” As she selected and collected the inventory of her shop, which spans the 1800s and early 1900s, she meticulously researched and recorded the history of each item, providing a brief synopsis for potential buyers. Since the business opened last year, it has already won a New Emerging Business Award and earned a Best of Cochise County Second Place recognition from the Herald Review Newspaper.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Buchanan-Tufte strives to continue the success of her business, sharing history with her customers, especially the younger ones, and one day complete the memoir she is currently writing. Outside of her primary endeavors, she enjoys traveling, camping, hot air ballooning, and spending time with her family, which includes her husband, son, and three grandchildren.