Sparrow's Nest Thrift Store and Donation Center

"I came in to Sparrows Nest in Third Lake Illinois on Monday, February 12, 2024 around 12:15. Easter items were being put out on display. I grabbed a pair of tapered candles & another lady had a tall ceramic rabbit statue & one other item already in her cart. The assistant manager, on duty at the time, came over & quite rudely told us that the items in that area are not for sale yet. The other shopper asked the assistant manager if the items, already in her cart, have to be put back. The assistant manager did not really give her an answer. She kind of shrugged her shoulders & scrunched up one side of her face. I ran across the other shopper in another part of the store later & we agreed that the assistant manager sounded very rude. I continued walking around the store & as I was approaching the doors, I spotted the QR codes to leave a review for both Yelp & Google. As I was scanning one of the QR codes, another gentleman & his daughter had items in their cart & the assistant manager came up again; again rudely telling him that the items in that area are not for sale at the moment. He had items in his cart & continued to purchase them anyway. The gentleman at the counter apologized & rang him up. That same customer left but came back in the store & asked to talk the the actual store manager. I told him that he probably would not get anywhere as, in most cases, the hierarchy of a business will back up what someone else says or does, usually someone lower on the "totem pole", as not to have the original person look bad. The manager on duty at that time did come up to talk to us & gave us excuses/reasons they ask that no shopping be done during display setup. Her reasons are as follows: - It is frustrating to the person setting up. First, I have to say, the lady putting up the display showed no frustration & she also, in a way, apologized for the assistant manager. She had no issue with us taking items to purchase & supporting Sparrows Nest's cause. I work retail myself, slightly different, and if a person wants to take something, that's less I have to put on display - bonus for me. Also, if the customers are forced to wait until the items are on display & then takes them, not only was time spent putting those items on display in the first place, but now more time is spent on resetting/facing/balancing the remaining items. - The location's manager also explained that they like to take pictures of the completed displays for posting on various social medias. It seems she is more concerned how the store looks to the public sitting at home and possibly "corporate" (for lack of a better title), than taking care of the supporters that are in the store wanting to make purchases. Granted, someone else down the line will probably come in & purchase those same items we were going to, so in the long run, the store will get their money (at the cost of at least 4 unhappy customers). One last thing...As I stand in the store typing this, I witnessed other customers come up to that area. They were approached in a vastly different way...very, almost sugary sweet way. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I guess that is it."

"Wonderful shop and a worthy cause. Regional tech so that you know that the dollars you spend are supporting the cause they champion. I've donated and purchased many things here over the years and highly recommend it."

"I used to visit this place often and always loved discovering unique finds at great prices. Lately, though, it seems the prices have gone up quite a bit. Some used items are now priced almost like they're brand new. I see little to no value here for the consumer."

"Very overpriced and just not worth it. Sparrow’s nest use to be a hidden gem when I was going to the Mundelein location. The third lake location has ridiculously high prices for a 2nd hand store. A lot of the items are regular retail prices or more. Also the staff is not friendly at all."

"First time at Sparrow's Nest and I had such a fun experience. My adult son noticed a poster stating that there was a pink pig hidden in the store, and if you find it, you will receive a 10% discount. We weren't too concerned about the discount, but we had so much fun looking for it as we shopped. Such a beautiful thrift store with so many interesting items. Found a nice flower planter for next year's garden, a scarf and a necklace. He found a couple DVDS. Hope to return soon! And never did find the pig! Haha"