Despite the tough economy, long lines of sidewalk campers have staked out their spots in front of Southern California retailers, intending to swoop up big sales items on Black Friday, and in some cases on Thanksgiving Day.
“I think they're just stuck in the eight-to-10-year frame of mind of ‘I want this and I’m going to get it no matter what,’” observed Lance Miller, a budget-minded shopper.
In South Los Angeles another type of holiday was forming. People were lining up at a food bank, hoping to be able to put food on the table.
“I don’t have the money to shop like I used to,” said unemployed mother Effena Jackson.
Fighting back tears, she remembered a time when she could support herself.
“I’m just grateful for my mom and dad helping me and assisting me, because I can’t do it myself," said Jackson.
While it may not be the Great Depression, some think the current economic climate might shape spending habits for years to come.
"I'm not sure you're gonna get the mindset to where it once was," said Christine Page. "Because it's like my parents and my mother, remembering the depression."
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