ABOUT US

Business Hours:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, weather permitting
If it's open when it rains, there's no sales tax!

Recycle, Reuse, Redecorate!

We know recycling is good for the bottle and good for the can. But did you know it can also be good for building or remodeling your home?

At Capitola Freight and Salvage/Marvin Gardens, everything from windows to bathtubs gets a second chance at life.

"There should be one of these businesses in every town," said Steve Thomas, one of the store's three owners.

The shop, which sits on about an acre, was one of Capitola's last chicken ranches, and an 1800’s wagon near the entrance helps maintain the country feel. Barns that were once home to fowl, are now full of everything from doors and windows to cabinets and track lighting.

"You see this business — it's so dated [with the] old barn and old farmhouse," Thomas said. "It's just so out of place"

The store's inventory comes from a variety of sources, including contractors, local manufacturers and community members who are remodeling their homes and want to donate their materials instead of just throwing them away. Thomas, a mortgage broker by trade, said they'll take just about anything at the store, including toilets and a plethora of multi-jet and claw foot bathtubs.

If they can't sell something, he said, they'll recycle what they can. The goal is to give a second chance to materials that might otherwise end up in the landfill, he said.

"We're doing some kind of a civic duty," he said. "We try to make it the last stop"

Thomas, along with partners Jack Schraub and Maureen Romac, bought the property in 1998 and, three years ago, purchased the business, "Recycle Construction," which had been on the property for about 30 years.

Erik Svehaug, retail supervisor at Lumbermens in Santa Cruz, sells Thomas items that have become outdated or discontinued.

"It keeps it from going in the landfill and takes it off our hands so we can be healthier as a business," Svehaug said.

He thinks the Santa Cruz community embraces the idea of recycling, and said that Lumbermens aims to be green by giving its leftover materials a second life at Capitola Freight and Salvage.

"It's got to be the wave of the future," he said.

Paul Burns is the owner of Fireclay Tile, which is based in San Jose and has a second facility in Aromas.

Burns said that with any project, the company — which creates handmade, hand-glazed tile — makes about 10 percent more product than it needs. These leftover tiles, as well as any other odds and ends, are sold to Capitola Freight and Salvage, where they go for $2 a square foot. The tiles are part of a debris series made from at least 50 percent recycled bottles and dust from Granite Rock Wilson Quarry, and are sold for $20 a square foot through Fireclay.

"It's kind of like a double-whammy with recycling," Burns said. "It makes us feel like we're an efficient part of the world"

Capitola Freight and Salvage carries at least 10,000 square feet of tile at any given time, and Burns said that a little creativity can go a long way when it comes time to shop for tile. While Fireclay may not supply the shop with enough of the same tiles to cover an entire room, there's usually enough on hand to create a great backsplash or fireplace hearth.

Diane Syres and her husband Larry are remodeling their Soquel home and have purchased light fixtures, French doors and windows from the Capitola shop. Syres said her husband, also known as "Shorty," recently created a mosaic floor by their pool using tiles they picked up at the store.

"We had more fun making it, and it just turned out beautiful," she said.

Syres, who also owns an antiques business, said Capitola Freight and Salvage is a bastion of bargains, and that its inventory includes historic, high-quality pieces, such as candelabras and fixtures for gas lamps.

"It's a treasure trove for people who like old stuff and new things," she said. "You never know what you're going to find. For do-it-yourselfers, it's a great resource"

Prices range from about 25 cents for hardware to about $5,000 for some of the newer pieces, such as French doors. Thomas said he enjoys sending his pieces home with people who will truly appreciate them. From historic furniture to brand-new windows, they have something for everyone, he said. The store even sells a Styrofoam netted material, which can be used in lieu of wood for crown molding or fireplace hearths.

"We feel very fortunate that we can run a business that does some local good," he said. "People just love it"

Ed Atkins is building a cabin in Boulder Creek, and has become a regular at the shop. He's purchased windows, cabinets and even a propane fireplace from the Capitola store, and said he likes supporting a locally owned shop that works to give construction materials a second chance at life.

"There should be more places like this," he said. "It's an alternative to tearing down forests and making new things"