Goodwill hunting #12: leather sandals

Three-day weekend holidays mean money-saving shopping trips at Goodwill thrift stores. Because of my day off, I headed to my fave local stores and sought bargains reduced to ridiculously wonderful prices.

In a blue bin marked with the 50% price tag, I found a pair of Donald J Pliner leather sandals. What caught my eye was the leopard print, which is my timeless fashion staple, so I had to have them. I also noticed the authentic leather and label claiming they were manufactured in the mountains of Italy, and I fell for the romanticized location imprint.

I'm not obsessed with labels, but my sister convinced me to look online to measure the extent of my bargain. And it turned out the $2.50 I paid was worth it since a similar, plainer pair runs up almost 100 times that price.

Donald J Pliner Sandal in Black Vachetta, $215, donaldjpliner.com.

I also noticed my sister bought two great Jessica Simpson items: a pair of pumps and a wallet. The shoes probably ran around $100 at one point and the wallet $45, so it pays to support recycled fashion, especially after a thorough cleaning process.