Sparrows Nest Thrift Shop

Highway robbery!!! Prices are ridiculous ! Charging $ 50 and $ 65 dollars for mass produced Barbie dolls that are not even worth $ 15 make sure you know what you are selling before you put an insane price on it …

Hard to call this place a thrift store. Way expensive, so it doesn’t look like there is much turnover. Felt more like a consignment store. Some vintage clothes, but most of them were just old. Not worth ever going again.

This is the most over priced thrift store I’ve ever been in. I do like what they do with their money, however, they just are a tad bit expensive. I found a chair that was completely broken where you sit your bottom. They wanted $ 50 for it. BROKEN! Looked like it was worth about $ 5. Then, I saw these cactus margarita glasses that are sold at dollar store for a buck. They want $ 2 for every dollar item they have. I do like some of the stuff you have like your purses and stuff like that. But come on, you are ripping people off for junk I can find at a junkyard for free. I’d much rather save my money, and spend it at savers thrift store. They are way better and have amazing prices for their USED AND WORN DOWN THINGS! Not sure who writes down the prices in the back, but, knock it off and bring down the prices of dirty, broken items.

Went there for the first time. I like the selection of housewares, dishes, glasses etc. but the clothing, shoes and purses weren’t great. I got a spring corduroy coat washed it and doesn’t look bad –it was on sale for 30% off 15.00. They had some nice Jewelry pieces but they were way over priced. People in the store were very friendly and the shop was nicely organised. I was also interested in a pink depression cake platter but it had several chips on it so I passed on it. Lots of stuff to look at but prices on the high side so that’s why rating isn’t higher.

I have found some real gems here. Prices are reasonable. They don’t gave a lot of stuff that needs to be just thrown out. I have never seen anything for sale broken there.

I hit up a six thrift stores this morning, this being my last one and it saved me. I had spent the morning at various resale shops trying to find a dress to wear for a Mad Men themed dinner party a coworker is holding in a couple of months. I’ve been requested to dress up as Joan and that’s the kind of dress I was trying to find. Now I don’t know what you’ll get from this — but I found the PERFECT dress for Joan here for $ 12.
Sparrows Nest reminded me a lot of Goodwill in the size, way it is set up and variety & quality of items plus the prices… I think it was all on par with them. Just like so many other resale shops, it’s for a great cause. It’s open to support homeless women & their children.
They had SO many glassware and dish items, some furniture, a separate kids section, tons of craft items and baskets and a lot of clothing. ‘Twas completely by chance I found this dress but they have a lot of pretty nice prom dresses from various time periods.
The workers here were just fine, not overly friendly but not rude in any way. Plus there is a 10% Unilocal Check In offer! Woot!

I take «nutso» as a high complement from an Elite Ambassador reviewing a resale store she would never buy anything in because it reminds her of being poor.
McHenry County Sparrow is spotty at best. They do have a lot of sales to move what is very dated merchandise and you may find just what you are looking for. And they do have a men’s section (straight back to the right), actual a larger mens’ dpt than a lot of «women run» resales, and has some of the better finds in the store.
There is just something kind of depressing about that tired strip mall, the poor old Browns Chicken, and old merchandise at Sparrow’s, the help means well. I rarely stop there opting for Wings, and PhD in Palatine.
Bonne chance à vous.

I try not to be too judgy when it comes to a place and it’s previous reviews, but I’ll be honest, less than 3-​stars here seems kind of nutso. Get real, Folks. This ain’t Neiman Marcus and to feel like you’re going to get the service or selection of that, well, (again) get real Holmes.
First, they work to help victims of domestic violence, so right there there’s no cause for anything less than a 3.
Second, it’s about as immaculate as I’ve ever seen for a resale shop.
Third, it’s a freakin’ hospital-​grade resale store. They sell keepsakes that people clearly gave to to their grandmama before they passed because they’ve been edited with a Bic pen to say ‘Grandmama’ and not just ‘Grandma’ and beyond just scary wedding dresses, they sell home-​goods and cribs and jewelry and quite a few items that I was tempted to buy– including an original (still in ripped plastic) Operation Dumbo Drop movie theater poster. Dennis Leary– these 4-​stars are for you… and the awesome Costa Rican cruise drink glasses and Mandarin hat with ponytail attached in the back. So many awesome wins.
I never really buy sh*t from used places because it feels like too much of a reminder of growing up poor, but I almost broke down for this sweet L.E.I. jean jacket, the Dumbo Drop poster and this awesome flik flak-​style watch with a revolving tomahawk… still not sure why I passed that up.
They don’t really have too many menswear items, but they’re rich with trinkets and women’s and home and baby items that are better than most used items. If you’re looking for better grade items, don’t be so cheap and head to fancy store with your big buck-​high expectations before you knock Sparrow’s Nest and their charitable ways with anything less than a 3.

I came in here to find some cloth napkins or handkerchiefs to wrap up my holiday gifts in (I like to reuse, not buy paper just to throw it out). I amazingly found what I needed — eight holiday cloth napkins for $ 4! I also picked up a bag of holiday ribbons for less than $ 1. They were perfect for what I needed them for.
It’s my fault for not carrying cash, but in order to use a card, I had to spend at least $ 5 on items here. The items I had ended up being half off because they were holiday stuff so I had to walk around and find more! I’m not a fan of ‘stuff’ so it was hard for me to find something that I actually wanted to have and not be a waste of money. I found a couple things I liked but the price tag was too much for me, almost too expensive for a resale shop. It’s a small store too, so there wasn’t a huge selection. However, I finally found a couple books (one was $ 1, one $ 50) and left spending only $ 5 and some cents. I thought it was a pretty great deal for what I had!
The women working in the store were sweet, helpful, and patient. It’s always been my opinion that the staff usually makes or breaks your experience. These women were great! If you’re looking for something unique, try coming here first before going to a place like Goodwill or Walgreens.

I like this thrift store a lot. The first time I went was seven years ago and today I decided to take myself there on a thrift store «crawl» for my birthday. Still much the same. It’s a pretty big thrift store and well-​organized. Gotta love the organization you’re helping as well.
The last time I went, both of the things I chose were half off and I didn’t even know it — I got a pair of Nike running shorts for $ 1.50 and a (fake) Spain soccer jersey for $ 1. I had just gotten back from studying in Spain, and when I embarked on my thrift store crawl, I thought, «I am on the unrealistic pursuit of Spanish stuff. Preferably a jersey HA YEAH RIGHT.» Can you imagine my happiness when my wish came true?!
There was a lot of other things I almost got, all under $ 5. Will definitely be back and would be interested to check out their three other locations.

I read Gerry A’s review from earlier this year and although (thankfully) I haven’t had a similar experience, I’d pretty much react the same way if it had happened to me. Poor customer service always turns me off, and when it comes from a manager it’s even worse. But to my personal experience: I do like the merchandise here; having lost my job this year and in need of 2 winter coats, Sparrows Nest is where I headed for to do my shopping. Found a woman’s short, very nice wool pea coat for $ 13 and a long wool dress coat for $ 16, so I’m very happy. I also donate used clothing to Sparrows Nest as I believe they serve a pressing need in our area.

Looks like TIME for another look at Palatine Sparrow. I support ALL the wonderful organizations like Wings, Miseracordia and Ph. D in Palatine but I have stopped going to Sparrow and I was a regular customer until an incident late last year.
It had always been spotty, with very irregular testing of electronics and I had returned a useless broken pair of speakers, missing wiring and not cheap to begin with there at around $ 16.35. The very nice store manager at the time signed and wrote me a credit June 8, 2008 on her bus card which I gladly accepted as an irregular regular. I had my $ 16 credit down to around $ 10 around December 21^st when I bought a small Xmas pin for a friend and a Different manager was there, who I don’t know how to describe other than as often generally COMPLAINING about what other managers were doing if NOT there, and as kind of a loud 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack if you follow me.
SHE FREAKS OUT when she sees this undated (no expiration) credit from Another Sparrow manager (no longer there) and says that I have to use the credit by the END of the year, less than 2 weeks. I, not intimidated by 10 pounds of potatoes, responded that who says she can make up the rules on the spot etc etc– pretty UNEXPECTED fun drama during the holiday season in a nice place for a good cause, and she was clearly NOT used to people who won’t be bullied; scars all around plus witnesses.
She wrote on my credit receipt that it had to be used by 12÷31÷8 and huffed off to the back office and computer where she spends most of her time.
Looking back now, I realize that I totally lost my taste for the place after that compared to the previously mentioned organizations who have clearly better trained staffs. I am NOT unbiased. I LOVED Wings, Miseracordia, PhD-​AND don’t forget Clearbrook, more than Sparrow, but I never felt like I was taken advantage of by a somewhat seemingly unbalanced store manager before. So I keep my $ 8.35 credit on the previous managers card as a reminder of how things DO change, and to VOTE with your feet.
I no longer donate OR shop there, and retell this story with gusto.
Did I mention that I no longer recommend Sparrow’s Nest?
I think life is too short to willingly come in contact with unpredictable people who need training if there are better choices, don’t you?