Hands of Friendship Thrift Store 27980 Koeper Avenue, New Prague, MN 56071

"After seeing the reviews for this store commenting on pricing, I had been reluctant to go there, since it is a 34 minute drive for me. It was my birthday, so I wanted to go to a thrift store I had never been so I chose this one for the day. Upon arriving, the parking lot already had a number of cars, and there was a scurry outside with folks getting furniture in their cars. When I got inside I discovered it was half price day...on everything besides the stuff marked 'not half', and stuff behind the sales counter. The place is packed to the brim, the aisles are tight, and bins are full, so it takes some effort to get through them. For instance all the salt and pepper sets are full to the top in two different totes, so you can kind of stack some in the other tote to make enough room to sort the other. Its not such a bad thing that they are so packed, because on the positive, it just means you have a lot of options, and more likely to find something you've been hoping for. Many things are very well organized, for instance, all measuring cups are in one bin, and all rulers, etc. and other areas are generally organized, like a tote of random craft stuff or pet supplies will take some time to sort through. For the volume of stuff they take in, I think they do a good job of organization, it's incredible really. They have stalls outside for bigger items like furniture, pet kennels, and random other large stuff. As far as pricing, it is a wide range, though on this trip, I noticed a lot of $3, $6.50, and $22.50 marked items. I only found one 50 cent and $1 item, though many of the things I purchased were $1.50 with the 1/2 off discount. Because it is impossible to take it all in during one visit, I skipped really looking at clothing. I did buy a few select pieces which were on the higher side, but got half price, so that helped. One basic shirt I bought was $6.50 full price, so that kind of pricing seems in line with other thrift stores I go to. There is no shortage of lamps here. During the time I was there, there was a whole wall of boxes that were priced items ready to go out on the floor, and more being worked on, so the reviews that make it sound like there is stagnant stuff on the shelves collecting dust doesn't seem true to the experience I had there, and I am certain next time I go there will be plenty of new things to see, plus stuff I overlooked the first time I was there. The aisles are crowded and it is hard to shuffle a cart through there, so if you are claustrophic, this isn't the place to go. If someone is bending over in an aisle, you won't be able to get through. I actually saw one lady, bump an elderly lady out of the way. The staff is friendly and helpful. They have a calendar for the month on their facebook page and offer even greater discounts on certain items throughout the month. I will definitely visit the store again. Had the feel of going to thrift stores I went to with my mom in the 70's as a child, and I appreciated that. It's not the clean neat, goodwill type store. Hands of friendship has a more character, lived in, a little bit grungy feeling. So if you like the white, clean, and polished places like the good will or salvation army experience, this is not the store for you. It's a good place to go to find something unique, or to find something you need. They have it all."

"There is a lot of stuff, but prizes are crazy. Toooooo high"

"Crammed with stuff, a visit to this thrift store feels like a treasure hunt. On the plus side, the store is clean and well organized. On the downside, the pricing is higher than other thrift stores. That being said, the proceeds from the store go to support 37 Haitian orphans, so your money goes to a good cause. Be sure to look for the poster that explains about the orphans with photos of each one."

"I thought goodwill was expensive. This place has TONS of stuff and it’s not without reason. After a 43 minute drive to get there, to curb our frustration of the wasted trip my wife and I eventually started playing a price guessing game and we guessed to low most of the time. Generic big box store art for $85, Books for toddlers marked $4, broken/missing parts toys for $10, most mens sneakers between $30-$40, Leather boots with the beginnings of leather rot and not in good shape for $75? It’s nuts. They have 1/2 off sales but everything I personally looked at had a sticker that said “not 1/2 off”. I literally saw items from hobby lobby for the same price or more than retail price at hobby lobby. definitely won’t come back."

"Cool stuff, but as many other reviewers have said, the high prices and lack of a restroom are pretty frustrating. They had antique store prices for regular thrift store items. Many of the marked up pieces have clearly been sitting around for a while, which the store should take as a sign that their prices are unreasonable. Don't expect any serious bargains, but you may still find something special you want to take home. Also, the staff was nice."