Back-to-school shoppers finding buried treasures at local thrift stores

It’s the thrill of the thrift, and for families shopping for back to school, it’s also a chance to save.

"The economy's changed, things are… our pockets are a little tighter,” said Daniela Davis, CMO of Goodwill Southern California. “Now we have the opportunity for kids and college students to come to Goodwill, shop unique items and definitely take advantage of much lower prices."

Every dollar counts during back-to-school season, and stores like Goodwill are offering another way to stretch your dollars.

Students and teachers can even get 10% off with a valid school ID, helping those returning to the classroom.

"I just really like getting to find new things and not having to pay so much for them,” student Sophie Hampel, of Montebello, said.

"I love thrifting because like, you just never know what you're going to find,” Ariel Bernal, of Lincoln Heights, said. “Like, you could find literally anything. The limits are endless; it's so unpredictable. It's so fun."

That’s one of the reasons Nisha Noelle and her daughters have been thrifting together for years.

What started with her mother and grandmother has become a family tradition, one they now share with hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok.

"It's something that's so fun, because it really is like a treasure hunt,” Nisha said. “Baylaa compared it to opening a blind box, you just don’t know what you’re going to find.”

For people new to the hunt, these professional thrifters said to pack your patience.

"I feel like you have to look through every rack because it's all mixed and matched,” Britain said. “Like everything is everywhere because it's a thrift store, so it's not the best organized.”

 “We’ve had multiple days where we haven't found anything thrifting, but like we don't give up and we keep going,” Baylaa added. “And then we eventually find stuff."