GALT, CA (MPG) - When you go to a thrift store, a consignment store or a nonprofit that reuses items, do you ever think, “I’m part of helping save the environment”?

Probably not, because shopping at this type of store here in Galt is fun and most people consider their quest as a treasure hunt. You never know what you are going to find. 

Often, we show our friends that unique object we have found or put pictures of it on Facebook or Twitter. Or we may even brag about how much we have saved.

But the proprietors of our local shops give extra consideration to the motto: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Stephanie Thompson of Galt’s Gettin’ Place has a unique partnership with her husband, Richard. Richard owns a hauling company. He sees many reusable articles thrown away.

Thompson says, “Other people may have need of the very thing another person no longer has a use for.”

As shoppers, we can learn from how she selects merchandise for her shop. 

“For example, I gauge the quality of furniture by looking for a company name. Are the joints put together well? Is it real wood or just pressboard? If there is damage, is it minor? Can it be restored without major work?” Thompson said. 

Just down the street, Chino Martinez at the Bargain Boutique concurs.

“When I go to garage sales, or estate sales, it’s amazing what I find for my customers,” Martinez said. “A person may outgrow quality clothing or retire and not have a need for dress clothes any longer. Relatives of a deceased person often can’t use the clothing left behind.”

Learning the higher-end labels on clothes is a good idea. Look closely at that dress, pants or suit for stains that may not come out. How much repair will it take? Turning a garment inside out will reveal how securely the seams are sewn. 

Noticing these details will reward you with clothes that last at a fraction of brand new. And look at you: fashionable, but reusing instead of discarding.

Just around the corner, Tami Tatar of Vintage Antiques and Uniques, helps 30 vendors to sell their consigned wares in attractive, organized stalls.

Tatar says, “Without a mall here, many people come in for gifts. New homes are springing up here and what better place to find decorations and save money?”

The repurposed furniture with cleverly painted designs, new knobs and drawer pulls would make charming additions for new homeowners.

Objects such as dainty teacups for your next tea party or a shelf of Peanuts characters may be just what you are looking for.

Holiday decorations for a fraction of the retail cost are also available at the stores already mentioned.

On to nearby L’Chayim of Galt, a nonprofit store. Manager Gale Webber will be proud to show you the sewing handiwork of unpaid volunteers. Here again, donations of material to make quilts, dog beds, bibs and other salable items reuse even scraps.

Webber says, “The money from these projects goes back into our community. Maybe there’s a family whose house has burned. We help provide clothing and other necessities. Or a family who can’t afford a Boy or Girl Scout uniform or football gear, or the tuition to Science Camp, or need help with 4-H projects, we donate the money from what we have sold.”

So, spend a day enjoying your treasure hunt in Galt. Who knows what you will find? Then pat yourself on the back; you have reduced, reused and recycled.