The Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center in
McHenry (IL)

Price on item marked as $8.99 from Salvation Army but has a tag from goodwill for $4.99. Then when I asked about it, the lady was rude. Think Im Gonna stick with good will

Prices of stuff are highest among all Salvation Army stores in the region. There is no reason to charge full retail or eBay prices on anything. When it's the color of the week and that high priced item doesn't sell, they're marking it down the following week. This is a waste of time doing double work. Why not just be reasonable and fair with the prices..? It's not a pawn shop and everything was donated so they should be more thankful for whatever they get. The Store Manager is not honest, uses deception practices, doesn't test anything, sells broken crap, and absolutely ridiculous! I stopped coming to this location as of 05/22/2025.

I've been shopping at this place for years and I can say that it improved quite a lot. It's better organized and cleaner. They obviously listen to customer complaints. It's true that there's still no fitting rooms or public bathrooms but I assume it might be a budget and shortage of staff issue. It is also true that their prices are higher than the local Goodwills but they are lower than Saver's. Either way is a good place to shop. You never know where and when you're gonna find your next treasure. Another thing that I want to point out is if they would be a bit more selective about the stuff they put on the floor: I found items that were either stained, ripped or smelly. Being more selective would reduce the clutter on the floor and improve customer flow.

No bathrooms no fitting rooms ask to keep a hanger due to i bought a whole tuxedo. No no no i need them. Kinda needed that so it wont get wrinkled thanks

If you have all day to go through their selection then great but this place has absolutely no organization skills you have to dig through a million sizes just to find your size. Horrible experience

Great selection. Fair prices. I feel bad for the employees when I see customers being rude to them for no reason. I will keep shopping here for sure. The employees are hard working and always nice to me. I've been going here for many years- and those in town know me as one of the managers that opened up the McHenry goodwill. I shop both- they are both great stores.

Very rude staff wouldn't sell me a pan because they lied and claimed there was no price tag but there where 2 price tags. They took it away to the back during checkout and didn't tell me they where doing so until I asked. Never shopping here again.

Loved going to this thrift store and finding cute clothes and other items but coming in and paying the card reader they have is so out dated and broken. Card kept declining to the point the lady in the front counter had to type my card number which I was very uncomfortable to do since I’ve had card scams in the past. I even told her but gave me attitude and rolled her eyes even though I wasn’t accusing her of anything. Hopefully they finally update their card reader and have more organized isles and have a more friendly staff environment.

Can’t even pick up the damn phone, L location, don’t EVER go here. Also, didn’t have my 4 piece pilgrim set, came back specifically for it, it was gone, L #2 and THEN the worker was STANDING AT THE PHONE and let it ring 6 times and then ENDED THE LINE.

Not the greatest but definitely not the dirtiest location I've been to. Found a latch hook rug that I fell in love with. Rest of the items were meh. But glad I visited.

I love to browse around resale shops. Things seemed to be slightly overpriced for lots of worn out items. I did find a couple artificial plants. I did give two stars because I know it goes to a good cause. Will stop by again if I am out that way but not impressed.

Scammed. Donator brought a Midland WR-120 Box and what I received was something likely broken, a Midland WR-100 Version 5 which would 95% squeal by now, which is actually where i bring up my next point. Prices. Absolutely stealing your money. I paid 13 dollars for the radio and didn’t get the radio which comes inside, Literally the other thrift store I went to, #3 had a 99 cent weather radio + it was green tagged 50% off for 49 CENTS, WHICH IS 5 STAR RATING. I’m telling you, don’t go here unless you want to lose money. I never opened the box at the store. I will never come back again.

Seems like an older Salvation Army store that is not as filled with newer fashions as some of the city thrift stores which is surprising considering the area. Still in all you can always find great deals at these stores. Stuff you are very surprised to fund, old throw back items or pieces to an item that you lost. This store is located in a strip mall and it's good parking. Prices are good, like other salvation army stores ?? . Lots of furniture items but older stuff, but you never know what you will find?

They should fire the manager of this place. They have mountains of junk. Broken board game, 10$, As is electronics 50$, New Testament on cassette tape 13$. They could lower every price in the store by 50% and still be overpriced. People need to let their stock sit until Salvation Army makes a change.

Extremely overpriced and overpacked. The clothes you can barely look through because they are too packed. Which is likely because their prices are ridiculous. I’m looking at kids clothes for my family - $8.99 for a used baby sweater. Insane. The same people have worked here forever. I’m mot sure if anyone comes in and helps them. The prices are insane. If they took down the prices a bit they would sell more. This is basically just a rotating clothing store. Even Goodwill is cheaper. Very sad, this community deserves better.

A lesson in economics is needed for this place. Charging outrageous prices for items will get less things sold. If you charge cheaper prices, you will move your stock faster. Shelves are overloaded with items. I saw numerous brand new items that had MSRP prices on them and the for sale ticket was the same price. Kids jeans (used) for almost the same price as the store. ??‍♀️ Really old outdated items (old printer cartridges) for prices that will never get it sold. Considering many who shop there are living in poverty, what a disgrace to charge such high prices. I can buy similar new items for the same price at Walmart.

Staff can be REALLY rude. One time I was here and the lady at the register literally accused me of changing the price on one of the items I was buying in front of other customers. When I explained to her that I did not and that there were still more of the item on the shelf at that price she rang it up and didn’t even apologize. I went in today after not being there for months and the prices are just atrocious. They have used Xbox games with aftermarket shrink wrap in the “valuable” case for $9. Not only are those games not new, they are probably damaged. The shelves are stacked with useless items at ridiculous prices. And all sales are final. I don’t plan on ever returning even though I live in McHenry. The Goodwill has much better prices and the shelves aren’t stacked in such an ugly manner.

Like Savers before it, this place is trying to profit off of donations. PLEASE DO NOT DONATE HERE. Please donate to the Goodwill store less than a mile North on 31 (right past McCollum Lake, by McDonalds), or Sparrows Nest right down the road toward 31. This place has raised prices more than 500 percent on every single item, and OBVIOUSLY something going on that is clearly unethical. Its just like what Savers in Crystal Lake did. Please do not donate. Shop all you want. Do not donate. They are trying to profit from you AND their customers. *EDIT: They got better. Still a little more expensive than Goodwill, but they have sales on different days of the week that net heavy discounts. With the selection they offer it might be looking into!

Update as of January 2020: still over priced. Employees are much more rude now as well. Mostly junk now as well. Edit 6/16/2019. This store has changed in a pretty bad way since I reviewed it two years ago. I believe management changed and absolutely everything in the store is extremely overpriced. They're selling garbage flat TV sets that are 10+ years old, at almost the cost of a NEW TV. All hard items, electronics, housewares, all very over priced for basically garbage someone else didn't want. Not to mention this store is a disaster now, packed to the gills because nothing they're selling is worth the prices they believe they'll get. This store has become shameful. The management needs to be replaced again, as they clearly have no idea how to run a thrift store.

All but one employee are lazy, cant understand english or refuse to understand. Always tell me to find this other person. She knows and helps. Cant even get one of the others to go in back and find the good person employee is not possible, just lazy. Cashier remarks in spanish to hispanic vustomer ay check out counter, they giving glaring looks at me as i ask to simply speak enlish as courtesy. This is the USA try to appriciate it! Store itself is messy but some good things can be found occasionally.

Not your typical Salvation Army, unless they're all going down hill. Way overpriced!!!! It's for charity, but most people shop there, because they don't want to pay full price. You can buy many clothes & other items(new), for the same price or just a little more. Clothes are not organized by size! Staff isn't always friendly, and I never ran into anyone who spoke English well. (Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the McHenry Goodwill sells clothes for a fraction of Salvation Army's price, and they're organized by size and clothing type.)

You can find some great deals here! Especially on the days where it is half price a certain color tag! They often have brand new designer purses and shoes....I've found some really inexpensive awesome gifts that look like I spent a lot on them!

Alot of the store is in disarray..not to mention who ever is over pricing items needs to cool it and stick to the training manual. Goodwill charges 1.99 for a book maximum .99 minimum..salvation army ive seen charge 6.99 for a ripped up book missing a cover page ..?? not to mention ive seen a coat go for 75$ ..seventy five dollars for a coat at salvation army..goodwill last tuesday of the month all clothes are 1.50 ..yes a dollar fifty.??

Had several items of clothing for my teenage daughter to try on.....put them all back since there was no fitting room. Whole place is pretty messy and clothes are over packed and unorganized. No public restroom, broken items, ripped clothes and wet shopping carts because they keep them all outside.

Pros: TONS of inventory. Cheap. Excellent, brand name, and new items marked 85% or more off. You have to have patience to look through everything though. Plan on spending at least an hour there if you're searching for something in particular. Employees are nice, though there are some communication/language barriers. Cons: Store is dirty. No fitting rooms. Items are sorted by color and there are different sections for regular and plus sizes (though they are not marked as such, you figure it out on your own.) However you do occasionally get mix-ups or mix-ins. Know your sizes and what does and doesn't work for your form. Conclusion: I get ALL my clothes at "Salvo" and it feels great when people say "That's cute, where'd you get it?" and I can say "Salvation Army, for like three bucks." Boom.

It's a fun experience to go there! There's so much to go through there! I like it that I don't have a bunch of employee's breathing down my neck offering "help". Found shoes for myself, pants, a work shirt, and a complete punchbowl/with all the glasses for only 10.00! Go there whenever you can!!

Itnall depends on what you're looking for and how much patience you have. The clothes are not sorted by size. And there is no fitting room. I typically wear a tank top or something easy to pull other shirts over when I shop there. I always find a fair amount of shirts for my five year old here though. Usually don't find many quality household items here but they have a fair selection of books and cds and dvds. Sometimes noisy kids running around too.